Mysterious death of clams

[cityofangels]

About 3-4weeks ago, a friend's crocea in my tank perished without any warning or signs of distress. When I retrieved the clam from my tank, I found bristle worms at the base of the clams. I know bristle worms will not attack live clams. So the worms must have started feasting on the clam when it was already dead.

2 days ago, one of my croceas also decided to give up on me and died.

All my parameters are ok (i.e. 0ppm). I've been dosing Ca, making sure my pH, SG & Alk are stable. I also dose Liquifry Marine in my tank once every 3-4 days.

I am using 150w MH with my chiller set at 26degs.

What's going on? Why are clams not fated to be in my tank? I still have 2 croceas & 1 squamosa in my tank. I don't want them perishing too..

There don't seem to be any parasitic snails or chitons. As far as I know, none of my fishes are pecking on the clams. Out of all my fishes, the only fish that even goes near my clams is my algae blenny and he merely perches on the side of their shells.

Is this what they call, 'myterious clam disease'? Is there no cure?

[tivoli]

Hi for me, I had two nice crocea growing happily .....

until I bought a new maxima, then suddenly all three clams starting

pinching and all died in a month.

I was under the impression that clams from diff locations are mixed

together, they may spread microscopic disease and bacteria and

infect each other.

So now I am very careful. i only have one maxima clam and it is

growing healthy by it self ....

[Bob]

Yo Tivoli.

Your Avatars is cool,

Is that Gaia?

[acidjazz]

sis, its not mysterious clam disease. Remember what i warn you?

i worried for the rest of ur clams.

[cityofangels]

If it's not a mysterious clam disease, then what's happening to my clams? Something must be causing them to go one by one.

[tineng]

maybe you want to describe a bit more of the symtoms??? was it gasping, was the syphone tubes inverted, was the mantle of the clam pinch....etc....how are the other clams doing....

vist clams direct discussion forum, they have very good information to help you identify and solve problem.....http://www.clamsdirect.com/phpbb2/

[cityofangels]

tineng: There were no symptoms whatsoever. That's why it is so puzzling! Their siphons were not inverted, no pinched mantle and no gasping. They both looked perfectly fine the day/night before!

My remaining 2 croceas & 1 squamosa seem to be doing fine at the moment. But frankly, after reading several other SRC reefers experiences with clams, I don't have faith that my other clams won't perish along with the others. I've heard of entire clam colonies wiped out over a couple of days/weeks.

[Tigger]

sometimes keep clam is like that wan. me also, oneday fine, then 1 day all maty

[cityofangels]

Why do I foresee impending doom for the remaining clams in my tank? I don't want a clam graveyard!

[tineng]

tineng: There were no symptoms whatsoever. That's why it is so puzzling! Their siphons were not inverted, no pinched mantle and no gasping. They both looked perfectly fine the day/night before!

My remaining 2 croceas & 1 squamosa seem to be doing fine at the moment. But frankly, after reading several other SRC reefers experiences with clams, I don't have faith that my other clams won't perish along with the others. I've heard of entire clam colonies wiped out over a couple of days/weeks.

i think you are getting paranoid.....clams are one of the easist to keep and toughest to die if given a modest water condition with good enough lights. Unless you brought the clam new, death from the 'myterious clam disease' is unlikely especially if it has been in a reefer tank for sometime....

there are some of the things that you might miss from the visual inspection, for example, snails already bore into the base of the clams, boring sponges, centralize bleaching....etc

also what did bro acidjazz warn you about anyway??? no need to be so mysterious about his inital diagnosis....