Holy Crap!!

[ansonluna]

I came home to find my $30 Copper Band Butterfly cleaned out my $55 Maxima clam!!!!! It had been in my tank for over 2 months WTF!!!!! I'm about to have a fish fry since the CBB is the only thing I have added in the tank beside that clam and SPS.

[Henry]

wow that sucks. Had the cbb been picking at the clam prior to tonight.

[ansonluna]

not at all, thats why I am so surpised.

[carlinsa]

i didnt think cbb ate things like that. i know a few people who have them mixed an no problems. did the clam maybe just die? i am just askinf cause i am curoious too cause i really want one when i do my reef but i will have clams.

[demodiki]

From liveaquaria.com

**Caution should be exercised if housing these fish in a reef aquarium. They may pick on invertebrates, especially anemones and feather dusters. They are an excellent fish when used to control aiptasia, or glass anemones, in the reef aquarium. **

[ansonluna]

the CBB cleared out my feather duster problem (infestation) within a couple of days :o . And I had been advisd that they will pick on new clams because of some sort of stress feramone that attracts the CBB, so it is good to protect your clam initially, but like I said...that clam had been in there for a couple of months.

[ansonluna]

OK, my CBB isn't particularly fat, is it possible if the clam died and my cleaning crew did it's job. The clam didn't look sick.

[pilot_bell777]

Very possible....how big was the clam? if large, wouldn't think a CBB by itself could finish it off by morning?????

Anything else in teh tank that "Might" mess with it or help out teh CBB?

[ansonluna]

about 3 in. still a pup. nothing has ever bothered it before. introduce this fish and now a tasty treat....i'm no sherlock holmes though but i can put two and two together. 7 isn't it?

[Reef69]

Ive lost two small clams that way..both to hermit crabs..so, blame the crabs..

[ansonluna]

I'ma have to go to Planed Parenthood for something to get rid of those crabs. How did you find out it was them?

[pilot_bell777]

ROFLMAO.....

that small...ya, the CBB but I would still lean towards the crabs. Mine would destry my snails even with empty shells in the tank.

that small they are still easy to loose and you could have lost it and then they just cleaned up the mess.

[Reef69]

Because when i turned on the lights, i saw 3 of them inside the empty shell of the clam..mother#$%&s... a .45 cent crab munching on a $60 dollar clam..****ed me off..lol

[pilot_bell777]

throw them up in the air and use them for targets!

[demodiki]

I have some crabs I am thinking of getting rid of...they have gotten a little big and predacious. I wish I had a sump.

[LoneStar]

I have a CBB and two clams, one of which is quite large. The CBB hasn't picked at them at all. I would say just keep him nice and fat with other foods and it won't mess with the clams. Although I have two medium size aptasia's in the tank I'm watching to see if the CBB will pick on and eat. No dice there as of yet........

[Brett Wilson]

I would doubt your hermits killed your clam. I bet your clam died and your hermit crabs ate the dead/dying clam.
Hermit crabs are cleanup critters... cleaning up dead animals (and sometimes algea) is what you have them for. :roll

Clams can die and 'melt' in a manner of hours....

[blueboy]

i've got just the place for them, in my mantis tank!!

[cbianco]

Mm mm clam dinner! :)

Sorry to here about the loss.

Christopher

[SueT]

My copperband had been kept with all my clams in my 180g. Sold the 180g and moved the clams and copperband to my 120g. In the 180g the copperband never touched or even looked at my clams, now in the 120g the copperband was caught picking on my tear drop maxima. I would of never thought this sweet, pieceful fish would do that but I caught em red handed.

I had to build a cage to keep the tear drop in. Thankfully it healed fine of the 3 holes this fish put in the mantle.

The copperband is hit or miss with clams. Mine stays full with mysis and it still was hitting on my tear drop.

[pilot_bell777]

I wouldn't say that it wasn't the crabs. They are opportunist feeders and will kill as well as scavenge if they can. Mine would go for months not messing with my turbo snails and then one day for no reason they would flip one over and kill the snail then eat it.

[ansonluna]

How long does it take to get over the loss of a beautiful clam :cry . I left his shell in the same spot as a memorial, but it sucks to stare into the white emptyness of the shell. Maybe this weekend I'll give him a six fin salute and retire his shell to the fuge.

[ansonluna]

....but the investigation will continue. CSI San Antonio Whispering Creek Villas Division (SAWCVD) is on the case.

[demodiki]

Did you ask if anyone had seen anything?

[Thunderkat]

Hermit crabs can be evil, especially in large numbers. I would bet the CBB nibbled on the clam and the hermits came in to finish it off.

[hobogato]

did you put up the yellow crimescene tape all around your tank? i think that might help :P

seriously tho-stinks about your clam. :(

[ansonluna]

I'm pulling a couple of bigger hermit's work visas because of this and deporting them to the fuge.