Clam disease

[Achilles Tang]

Hi everyone,

It is with a sad heart that I am opening up a new category of discussion and I had to be the first one to start a thread here.

My crocea clams are dying. One by one. MYSTERIOUSLY!

I checked my water parameters and its fine (except for a cyano/hair algae outbreak). Calcium, Alk, PH, lighting is good. I have cut back on feeding live phytoplankton due to the cyano outbreak caused by my undersized PS. I am waiting for my new PS to come in.

My sad story began about 2 weeks ago. I came home to notice that one of my clams on my sandbed was being disturbed by a cleaner shrimp which was was on top of it and digging its claws into the clam shell.

I chased it away and thought that it was just trying to 'clean' the clam. Odd.

The next day, I noticed that the mantle had shrunk into the shell and the cleaner was still there harassing the clam, this time tearing chunks off the mantle and eating it.

I quickly removed it. So I lost my first clam.

Over the next few days... one by one, my clams began to show the same symptoms. AND the cleaner shrimps were still at it.

I moved my clams away from them. I check the base of the clams. Did not see anything. Most were not anchored to rocks and were resting directly on the sandbed.

A second crocea died the same way... collapsing inwards. I left it in the sandbed and next day it was EMPTY!!! CLEAN!!!

My third clam showed the same shrunken mantle, had the cleaners on it BUT this time round, I spotted a big bristleworm under it! My wife spotted it and told me to remove it but I said no... it's good for the sandbed. I am beginning to kick myself for it.

Last night, my 4th clam is showing the same symptoms and I know I will see the same thing tonite when I return home.

My oldest clam have been with me for many many months and to lose it last nite was heart-breaking.

I have read about this in RC happening before to many aquarists and even heard from X Japan that his clams mysteriously died just like that a couple of months ago.

Anyone else noting this trend happening?? I believe it could have started as far back as October last year.

I suspect that this 'clam disease' could have come from a common source eg. RW.

X Japan... did you happen to get all your clams from RW and when was it?

This clam disease is caused by a gram-negative bacteria and can be treated. But the problem is that this medicine needs to be prescribed and I have no idea where to get it.

I still have 3 more clams and am feeling helpless.

I am checking for clam parasites like tiny snails and also for bristleworms. I even wondered if my cleaner shrimps have learnt to attack my clams?

Can anyone share their experiences with me. I have never had this happen to me before.

[X_Japan]

no AT....I have read about this disease before too........happens to quite a few reefers around the world already.

my clams came from LCK 110 ......

all my clams died in a 1 and 1/2 week span after keeping them for about 2 weeks....one thing was that one of my clams were showing growth...new white ridges were growing........... ALL OF A SuDDEN.......they died one by one.............similiar to your case now.

I had wanted to kick myself as I thought that maybe it was my lighting that was the fault......

Creetin has seen all the dead clam shells that I put beside my tank for decoration.......

I bought another clam again to try out my water and new lighting again once more........

i hope nothing like this will happen again.........sorry AT to hear about this......

[X_Japan]

To add on,

there have been a few unproven cases where by Lysmata grabhami will turn predatory to corals and clams...........

read around some webpages ......but it has not been fully proven as most of the time, it goes around doing their cleaning duties or scavenging food.........

and yes, my clams were bought during late August.

[BarraCudaTM]

infact I lost 2 clams lately too

I'm not sure whether its due the gionopora nearby or the virus thing. I have 1 last survivor left

[X_Japan]

Goniopora Lobata do not have much stinging capabilities.......

[Achilles Tang]

My last clam was from LCK110!!!!

[X_Japan]

U mean u bought your last clam at LCK 110 or the last clam that died??

[mv3i]

hey guys,

just to share my experiences ... bought all my clams from RF .... about 2.5 months back got 2 cleaner fishes started pecking on the clams mantle ( like what AT had put it before ) ... but managed to get the cleaner fishes out .... at that time the clams were only about a month old and decided not to do anything ... till now the clams are fine ... is there anything that i should look out for ... any tips AT ??

[Tanzy]

I've lost 5 clams in a similar manner to you AT. One by one they die over 2 weeks except the one one that was solitary on the left side. The solitary one started to die about a month after all the other died.

I believe that it is nothing to do with water since I did a massive water change but did not affect it. I think it's predatory attack but do not know what. I have no shrimps and the bristleworms only show up when the clam is dead, so it rules out bristleworm attack. I've no pyramidellid snails infestation. If it is bacterial or viral then all the clams should be hit at the same time, not systematically one by one. Something is going from clam to clam and eating them.

[X_Japan]

now the problem is that no one is actually sure of the cause at the moment.........

We can't just deduce anything at the moment.....

[nannochloropsis]

perhaps do partial water change and see what happens. I've bought my clam in LCK 110 sometime in Aug last year, but so far so good. Sorry to hear this AT.

[TanGo]

Not enough nitrates?

Heard smaller clams require them..

Can UV light help?

2cts

[Achilles Tang]

U mean u bought your last clam at LCK 110 or the last clam that died??

I bought my last clam at LCK110! Morgan was there with me!

[Achilles Tang]

I've lost 5 clams in a similar manner to you AT. One by one they die over 2 weeks except the one one that was solitary on the left side. The solitary one started to die about a month after all the other died.

I believe that it is nothing to do with water since I did a massive water change but did not affect it. I think it's predatory attack but do not know what. I have no shrimps and the bristleworms only show up when the clam is dead, so it rules out bristleworm attack. I've no pyramidellid snails infestation. If it is bacterial or viral then all the clams should be hit at the same time, not systematically one by one. Something is going from clam to clam and eating them.

Surprisingly this strange malady affects clams one by one... i did a search on 'clam disease' on RC and found that it's a common thing.

One by one!

????!

I am putting my last green crocea on the rocks up near the water surface. Let's see if it affects it as quickly.

Tango... clams process some nitrates but are not wholly dependent on them. It's the younger clams which need phytoplankton to survive (smaller than 2 inches).

[X_Japan]

when did u buy it?

[Achilles Tang]

I think about a month and a half or two months ago.

[wedgee]

I dont think UV helps right Tanzy? U said it is useless for marine use, that day...Yikes, just got my first clam yesterday, and now u guys are talking abt clam-losing stories...(Sorry abt yr loss AT - i remember u had a few large ones right?)

Now not sure if i can get the bugger past the first month...Btw, anyone knows if these starfishes eat clams? I had the brown guy climbing all the way up to the clam from its normal low positions, and it had one of its legs almost touching the clam mantle...SCARY....

[Tanzy]

If the pathogen or problem is waterbourne than a properly working UV sterilization unit will help, but almost 100% of the aquarium UV sterlilizers do not work properly.

[jason]

HEY AT,

REMEMBER I POST " IS MY CLAIM HEALTHY", MY CROCEA CLAM DIED EXACTLY THE WAY YOU MENTION WITH CLEANER ON TOP OF IT TRYING TO CLEAN IT.

BY THE WAY, I ALSO BOUGHT MY CLAM FORM LCK 110.

[Morgan]

AT

Sorry to hear this.

Try to isolate the infected clams in another tank. You would not want it to spread to your squamosa.

I willl be devastated if it happen in my tank. Sorry, can't offer much help.

[Achilles Tang]

OMG! IT'S A PLAGUE!!!!

How many people are experiencing this?????!

[Achilles Tang]

I have two croceas now in my tank with cleaner shrimps on them eating their shrunken flesh.

I am rather depressed now

Anyone knows where I can get tetracycline to control this gram-negative bacteria that may be responsible?

AT

[Tanzy]

Me, if I'm around.

But chances are it's not bacterial and it will only serve to wipeout your good bacteria. Also tetracycline might stain the coral skeleton yellow.

[X_Japan]

Sorry to ask.......

but how many clams do you have left, AT?

[harlequin]

LCK 110 , Harlequin and some other get their clams comes from RW.

Take a closer look at their holding tanks next time. That's all i can say.

My recent clams from RW are still doing fine. I think both Nanno and myself bought about 12 from there. Probably we already taken out the best lot.

Last year, i lost about 5 Croceas due to a bird wrasse and clown coris wrasse problem, even though i have a 5 inch Harlequin Tuskfish and a 6 inch Scissors Tail Wrasse. Only the bird wrasse and clown coris have the energy and drive to eat clams. They can push the clams down to the sand bed or attack the clams from underneath (for those that are situated on the sand bed). I've personally seen my clown coris swim out from the mouth of a Gigas !

Once they harassed the clams too much, the cleaner shrimps will take over from there. Personnally seen 2 of my cleaner shrimps and fire shrimp having nice late supper on 2 Croceas. Left with nothing in the morning. Again most probably the hermits crabs also joined in.

I still have that Harlequin Tuskfish and Scissors Tail and they don't touch clams.

I do not have any cleaner shrimps left in my tank (may be the reason why the clams are still doing fine.)

Oldest Croceas that i have right now is about 8 months.