Snails ate the clam!!!!

mujtba · #1 08/14/2007, 08:29 AM

so this morning I saw my clam opened up totally and my NASS SNAILS eating him..

the clam was fine last night b4 the lights went off. This was a smaller clam so probably could not handle the nasses.. my other clam is bigger, and some of you may remember it attacked my blue hippo, well thats fine-- so far.

I cant believe these NASS snails dug into it!!!!

skeeter-doc · #2 08/14/2007, 08:44 AM

Nass snails are not predators, they are scavengers, so chances are, your clam was already on its way out, sorry

RichConley · #3 08/14/2007, 08:48 AM

Thats the biggest problem with clams.

99% of the time when they die, theres absolutely no warning. They look good up until the last second.

J. Montgomery · #4 08/14/2007, 09:58 AM

I'm going to second that opinion . . . snails ate your dead clam (you should be thankful, thats what you bought them for, right?).

mujtba · #5 08/14/2007, 10:06 AM

well if it DID die, then yes, snails did a great job.. i just thought they ate him alive.. DAMN!!!

masterswimmer · #6 08/14/2007, 10:08 AM

I wholeheartedly agree with the consensus here. The clam was on its way out or had already died. Nassarius are not predators, just scavengers.

swimmer

rustybucket145 · #7 08/14/2007, 10:30 AM

Is this the same tank you were using the ICH medicine in?

mujtba · #8 08/14/2007, 10:36 AM

yes, but dont worry.. it has nothing to do with the medicine.. the medicine was not dosed for over a month.. i have another clam right next to it that is healthy as hell.. and like i said, last night at 10pm when the lights went off, this clam looked great.. this morning at 6am, the snails were in it... who knows...

stevedola · #9 08/14/2007, 12:17 PM

I have personally had this happen before with nass. snails. A 3" crocea clam fell victim to 2 of these snails. The clam was healthy for well of a month but I had caught the snails on the shell of the clam a few times. I didnt think much of it because they supposedly arent predetorial. However I learned my lesson when I woke to find the clam half eaten with nass. snails in the shell. Since then I have the clams attach to a large frag disk before I put them on the sand or Ill simply keep them on a piece of LR.

You all can make your own judgements but I have had this happen and dont consider my eyes faulty.

tkeracer619 · #10 08/14/2007, 12:29 PM

every clam I have had and that has perished looked great one instant and dead the next.

mujtba · #11 08/14/2007, 12:29 PM

yes, i suspect the snails ate the claims softspot on the back, and worked their way inside... unbelievable...

masterswimmer · #12 08/14/2007, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by stevedola
I have personally had this happen before with nass. snails. A 3" crocea clam fell victim to 2 of these snails. The clam was healthy for well of a month but I had caught the snails on the shell of the clam a few times. I didnt think much of it because they supposedly arent predetorial. However I learned my lesson when I woke to find the clam half eaten with nass. snails in the shell. Since then I have the clams attach to a large frag disk before I put them on the sand or Ill simply keep them on a piece of LR.

You all can make your own judgements but I have had this happen and dont consider my eyes faulty.

Your eyes didn't see the reason the nassarius were on the shell or on the flesh. They only saw the fact that they were on there. Go talk to Barry at Clams Direct. Ask an authority if you doubt the information given here. Nassarius snails will only scavenge dead or dying tissue, not healthy animals.

greenbean36191 · #13 08/14/2007, 01:00 PM

Quote:

The clam was healthy for well of a month

There is no way to tell that the clam is healthy without killing it first and doing a dissection. They don't have a whole lot of ways to show distress, and even if they did it's not an evolutionarily smart move to let predators know you're weak.

There is also the possibility that your clam truly was healthy and the snails were misidentified. I've seen dozens of different predatory whelks erroneously called Nassarius within the hobby. All bets are off with them. The OP's snails are scavengers though.

UrbanSage · #14 08/16/2007, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by mujtba
yes, i suspect the snails ate the claims softspot on the back, and worked their way inside... unbelievable...

There is a good reason it is "unbelievable", it is because it isn't what happened.

PrangeWay · #15 08/16/2007, 11:26 AM

A few good ways to tell how a clam is...

1) They 90% of the time react to light, if you shadow them they should flinch closed.
2) They always react to touch, if you touch its mantle it should flinch closed.
3) At night they should be closed or partially closed.

Sick/Weak clams stay open (not closed), if a clam is unable to close it's definelty on the way out. Those are just the easy ones I've picked up, I'm sure there are more advanced one, the clam forum and clams direct are great sources btw!

PW

stevedola · #16 08/16/2007, 11:42 AM

I dont have time to argue over trival matters such as snails and clams. I just gave my account and my expirence with this problem. Dont like it then dont listen. I just think that mujtba could have had a snail eat his clam because I witnessed it in my tank also. Iguess it could be a snail that was wrongly IDed either way it seems possible to me that a snail could have eaten the clam since they do eat clam meat. Its my opinion and you wont change it just like its your opinion that its IMPOSSIBLE that the snail at his clam when it was alive.

TWallace · #17 08/16/2007, 11:52 AM

I thought you didn't have time to argue?

I have 5 clams of 3 different species, and several nassarius in my tank, all living happily together. Nassarius don't eat healthy clams.