3 Dead Cleaner Clams

[mantisman51]

I have kept saltwater aquariums for almost 2 years (October) and fresh water aquariums for 22 years. I am brand new to inverts. I bought 3 cleaner clams from SWF and didn't see them for 3 weeks, then they came to the surface of my DSB and after a day they opened up and were clearly dead-coral banded shrimp had a really expensive seafood buffet. My 125 gal tank has been established since January. I used the established (from my 55 gal tank) Fluval 404 with a supplemental Fluval 50 gal underwater filter. I bought live sand and added my sand from the year and a half old 55 gal tank. Nitrate is 0, Nitrite is 0, Ammonia 0, Salinity is 1.0245, PH is 7.9. I used copper safe in the previous tank to treat ich. I didn't overdose, but after much reading I am wondering if any lingering Coppersafe in the sand may be the problem (I treated the 55 gal August of last year). When I set up the 125 gal in January, I replaced the carbon in the 404, but kept the other media to jump start the cycle. I didn't put the clams in until late April. The only inhabitant was my lined puffer for 3 months. The coral banded shrimp and hermit crabs were added at the same time and are doing fine. I have put turbo snails and nassarius snails in on 3 occasions and they all died within 1 week. Any other possibilities beside residual copper in the sand?

 

[reefforbrains]

Climate.
Most of what the industry considers "cleaner clams" are little neck or similar variety from cooler northern waters.
The warmer water we keep our tropical tanks is often too much for them.
Some do great while some die within days/hours.
Acclimation method and tank stability of lower temps seems to be biggest considerations.

 

[alexknight]

I had almost the same problem I added in 3 or 4 never saw them again into the came up and my ( old ) Black Brittle Starfish ate them!! i think he dug them up... but also i found him eating one of my Flaming Scallops! I took him back to the store. I have herd that can be hitch hikers so keep a look out.

 

[prime311]

I buy the same thing from my grocery store for .70 apiece and most of them die within a week. I've had 1 in my tank for a couple months though, the rest became snacks.

 

[forsfed50]

i picked up 3 little necks from the grocery store put them in saltwater from tank. after about 2 hours i watched them open and close a few times.1 never responded at all. i gently touched the soft tissue on the 2 prospects, both closed. i placed them in a quarantine tank. the next day both are still on top of the sand bed. how long before i should consider them a potential water quality issue from actually being dead? the hermits are not eating them yet. they did not respond to the touch today.

 

[tbcseod]

I have done the grocery store route a couple times and have seen them take 3 or 4 days to bury themselves, I wouldn't worry to much until you see them open up/being eaten.

 

[forsfed50]

ok the little necks didnt make it. should i try a better acclimation? i thawed them in aquarium water then placed them in quarantine. salinity too high? has anyone tried to revive completely frozen, i mean in the freezer sealed in a freezer bag, little necks ? or just the ones on ice in the tray at the market?

 

[dsgmm9]

i got 2 with my reef package and i have not seen them since the day i put them in if i had a choice i would have got something else

 

[dshin1]

i found out the clams you get at the grocery store won't last long because they come from colder water and the tanks we keep are a lot warmer. you need to get the clams from the Caribbean. you can buy abalone from a grocery store and they will live a long time.

 

[forsfed50]

Abalone they look very similar to little necks. I'll look at the store to see if they carry abalone but if I remember correctly the sign had "clams" not little necks or abalone. How to know the difference is the tough part.

 

[1knight164]

Try this thread. It may help:
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/264945/the-truth-about-cleaner-clams

 

[rldavisou]

If you're buying the clams that are frozen and sealed, they're already dead. They almost never survive the freezing process, and if they do, then the sealed bad kills them for sure. You want the ones from the fresh seafood counter. Make sure you ask for ones that are tightly closed, as the ones that are open slightly out of water are dead.
It is important to follow all acclimation procedures, but in addition, it's important to "burp" them. You should put them in a bucket to acclimate them, and then wait for bubbles to be released. When the bubbles come out, that means that all the water that was stored in the clam is out. That water is nasty in every sense of the word, you do NOT want it in your tank.
Follow these guidelines and you should have a decent success rate. I used to buy little necks 20-30 at a time and store them for my Clown Trigger to eat later.