Clam On Its Side-update, has a hole?

[owenj]

Update- decided not to start a brand new thread, new issue a few posts down.

 

Got a new crocea for my IM 20 and it keeps scooting away from where I'd like it to be. That's fine, it only moved about two inches, but it's now mostly on its side with a slightly upward tilt.

 

I haven't tried to move it since it settled here as I already re-positioned it twice within a few hours of it being introduced to the tank and don't want to fuss with it anymore. It opened up right away and is reactive to light/shadow. Should I leave it be?

 

Lighting is a Maxspect Razor 16k that's being upgraded to a NanoBox Duo whenever Dave has it ready so I think I'm set on light for it. Have some phyto and a few different dry filter feeder foods.

 

[anizato]

following, I am also interested in what the wizards have to say (:

[tetraodon]

Leave it be, clams like nems will put themselves where they like, as long as they are looking healthy, just leave em be

[owenj]

Leave it be, clams like nems will put themselves where they like, as long as they are looking healthy, just leave em be

Thanks

[owenj]

Clam is still on its side but I've seen it move around and then decide to go back to this orientation so I'll leave it be. But, it looks like it has a hole in its side. If you look through the intake siphon hole (which seems open really wide) you can see clear out the back to the substrate and rock behind it.

You can see it a little better in this pic. It's still plenty reactive to light/shadow, so I'm not sure if I'm worrying over nothing or not?

[tetraodon]

Clam is still on its side but I've seen it move around and then decide to go back to this orientation so I'll leave it be. But, it looks like it has a hole in its side. If you look through the intake siphon hole (which seems open really wide) you can see clear out the back to the substrate and rock behind it.

You can see it a little better in this pic. It's still plenty reactive to light/shadow, so I'm not sure if I'm worrying over nothing or not?

i fail to see what your saying, looks good to me

[owenj]

i fail to see what your saying, looks good to me

Got a more clear pic. You can see straight through the siphon hole to the sand behind the clam.

 

Tried to get a pic from the side but it's not very clear.

 

Other pics I've seen of clams show the siphon hole open where you can see into the "body" of the clam, but here's it's like there's a hole in its side.

[tetraodon]

hhmm im not sure, keep an eye on it,

[CrazyCarl]

It may have had it's bysall gland torn (google torn bysall gland). Was it forcibly removed from a rock? It does appear to be gaping in your latest pic. If it is still reactive that is a good sign. If its gland is torn it is not necessarily a death sentence. I would wait it out and see, there isn't really much you can do for that as far as I know. Just make sure you don't have any clam predators in the tank and try not to move it or stress it. I am not that experienced with clams, but I did accidentally tear my croceas gland and it died about a week after. Hopefully someone who has more experience can chime in.

[owenj]

It may have had it's bysall gland torn (google torn bysall gland). Was it forcibly removed from a rock? It does appear to be gaping in your latest pic. If it is still reactive that is a good sign. If its gland is torn it is not necessarily a death sentence. I would wait it out and see, there isn't really much you can do for that as far as I know. Just make sure you don't have any clam predators in the tank and try not to move it or stress it. I am not that experienced with clams, but I did accidentally tear my croceas gland and it died about a week after. Hopefully someone who has more experience can chime in.

Hmm, that might be it. It came attached to some long "rubble" pieces that were flopping around, and I remember thinking they looked positioned more to the side than dead center. I always thought the foot was in the bottom center of the clam. Time to play the wait-and-see game.

[metrokat]

Check up on it at night a few hours after lights have gone off. If it is gaping at night then we have something to worry about.

[owenj]

Check up on it at night a few hours after lights have gone off. If it is gaping at night then we have something to worry about.

With the tank lights off and the only light coming from comp monitors and a small desk lamp, clam closed up more and only has a little of the mantle extended (still reacts to movement/shadows. The siphon hole is still open, but not as wide.

[jedimaster1138]

Turn it upright so it's facing the sun...er...light.

 

If it's attached to something, rubble or a piece of rock, bury the something in the sand as you turn it upright.

 

If it's not attached to something, you should put it on a flat rock etc because it wants to attach to something especially being a T. crocea. The bigger the rock it attaches to, the better, as the rock acts like an anchor/foundation to keep the clam in one place and upright. If you only have something small, or if it came attached to rubble, that's fine. Just get it all oriented so the foot/rock is on the bottom and the mantle is on top :-)

 

Bottom line - mantle needs to see as much light as possible, so upright is the key. If you see it on its side, get it facing the sun. If it's constantly on its side then the flow in the tank is knocking it over and it needs different positioning or angle against the flow or better/heavier attachment partner. (ie the rock it's attached to) You said it's moved a few times...so something is knocking it over. My $ is on flow. Turn it a little so the long axis of the shell isn't broadside to the flow. If that doesn't make sense I can try to draw it. heh

 

I would not describe the condition of the inlet siphon as gaping. It is open a bit wide in the latest picture, which could be nothing, or could be it wants more nutrition because it's not getting enough light due to laying on its side.

 

That it's not gaping at night is a VERY good thing. Looks pretty healthy to me. No need to panic. He'll get settled in, just get him upright consistently.

[Tom@HaslettMI]

I would move it onto your rockwork. Crocea clams are called "rock boring" clams. It will not do well long-term on your sandbed. Otherwise it looks healthy in the pics.

 

Tom

[owenj]

Thanks for the replies! Who knew this thing would be so stress-inducing

 

Here's where we're at this morning:

I need to move the gorg over because it keeps swaying over the clam and making it retract/expand.

 

Turn it upright so it's facing the sun...er...light.

 

If it's attached to something, rubble or a piece of rock, bury the something in the sand as you turn it upright.

 

If it's not attached to something, you should put it on a flat rock etc because it wants to attach to something especially being a T. crocea. The bigger the rock it attaches to, the better, as the rock acts like an anchor/foundation to keep the clam in one place and upright. If you only have something small, or if it came attached to rubble, that's fine. Just get it all oriented so the foot/rock is on the bottom and the mantle is on top :-)

 

Bottom line - mantle needs to see as much light as possible, so upright is the key. If you see it on its side, get it facing the sun. If it's constantly on its side then the flow in the tank is knocking it over and it needs different positioning or angle against the flow or better/heavier attachment partner. (ie the rock it's attached to) You said it's moved a few times...so something is knocking it over. My $ is on flow. Turn it a little so the long axis of the shell isn't broadside to the flow. If that doesn't make sense I can try to draw it. heh

 

I would not describe the condition of the inlet siphon as gaping. It is open a bit wide in the latest picture, which could be nothing, or could be it wants more nutrition because it's not getting enough light due to laying on its side.

 

That it's not gaping at night is a VERY good thing. Looks pretty healthy to me. No need to panic. He'll get settled in, just get him upright consistently.

To be fair, I'm not sure what exactly gaping is going to look like. I've seen it described as open really really wide, or mantle receded and clam open wide. I guess my clam isn't doing either of those things if you all think the amount it's mouth is open isn't too bad.

 

Got it back upright, but facing more or less in the same direction it was when on its side and so far it hasn't tried to move. Still reacting to light/shadow.

 

I would move it onto your rockwork. Crocea clams are called "rock boring" clams. It will not do well long-term on your sandbed. Otherwise it looks healthy in the pics.

Tom

Unfortunately, it came attached to some long, cylinder-shape "rubble" pieces I think a lot of vendors use for clams/nems because it makes it easy to take them out for transport. But, it isn't very stable if I try to put it on the flat piece of rock I had ready for it. I could try to move it on top of the flat piece but am worried it'll fall over since its foot is attached to the cylinder rubble pieces. I'm a bit leery of trying to glue the rubble pieces to the rock.

[sangheili]

I have seen this "hole" in many clams. As far as I can tell, it is not a negative thing and is normal. I could be wrong though.

[jedimaster1138]

 

Here's where we're at this morning:

I need to move the gorg over because it keeps swaying over the clam and making it retract/expand.

 

To be fair, I'm not sure what exactly gaping is going to look like. I've seen it described as open really really wide, or mantle receded and clam open wide. I guess my clam isn't doing either of those things if you all think the amount it's mouth is open isn't too bad.

 

Got it back upright, but facing more or less in the same direction it was when on its side and so far it hasn't tried to move. Still reacting to light/shadow.

 

Unfortunately, it came attached to some long, cylinder-shape "rubble" pieces I think a lot of vendors use for clams/nems because it makes it easy to take them out for transport. But, it isn't very stable if I try to put it on the flat piece of rock I had ready for it. I could try to move it on top of the flat piece but am worried it'll fall over since its foot is attached to the cylinder rubble pieces. I'm a bit leery of trying to glue the rubble pieces to the rock.

 

Looks good. Yeah that's not gaping at all. That's just mouth open nom nom. This is gaping:

 

 

 

So he's attached to some small pieces of rubble. That's fine. Wiggle him and the rubble into the sand some so he's better anchored. Don't be afraid to bury him a little, it's fine.

 

I think you'll be OK. Just keep him upright. If you have to move him back a little next to those rocks to shield him from the current, that's totally OK. Clams can take a surprising amount of manhandling, don't you worry

[owenj]

Wiggle him and the rubble into the sand some so he's better anchored. Don't be afraid to bury him a little, it's fine.

 

I think you'll be OK. Just keep him upright. If you have to move him back a little next to those rocks to shield him from the current, that's totally OK. Clams can take a surprising amount of manhandling, don't you worry

Thanks for the reassuring and advice I buried the flat slab of rock next to its rubble in the sand (shallow sand bed ~1") and it's staying upright. I've seen it wiggle around a little but not the big movement it was doing yesterday when it moved itself over.

 

Fed phyto this morning, not sure if it ate or not but the siphon hole looks "normal" now to this noob's eyes.

[Bingo1213]

I have a derasa you can see through as well. It isn't gaping or anything but if you look just right you can see the substrate below it. I attribute mine to the fact that it had pyramid snails when I got it a year ago and I think they did a number on it's bysal gland. (Thanks to my Melenarus Wrasse I was able to save it) Mine too loves to sit slightly tilted so I let it. Mine is growing very quickly, has no pinched mantle, and isn't gaping. Mine is very happy and reacts to light as well. Just keep an eye on it but don't worry too much!