Dying clam? - Page 2

Sue Truett · 09-18-2003, 07:52 PM

To me that looked like the clam was maybe shedding it's byssal threads, which they will do. If this clam was small did you feed it supplemental feedings of DT's or something equivalent??

Toadfish · 09-18-2003, 08:03 PM

Yes, I fed it DT's every other day. Direct feeding. It reattached it's self yesterday and this morning it was on it's side. I then moved it up higher on to the rock work...left for 4 hours, returned and it was dead. My squamosa had attached himself to a .5 inch picece of substrate...this morning the same thing, it was almost like it had let go. Needless to say, the bysal(sp.) gland is still hanging on the squamosa. Do you have any advice? He opens up fine, but is now not attached to anything.

Toadfish · 09-18-2003, 11:03 PM

According to this excerpt from FAQ' of Tridacna on wetwebmedia, I fear that I may have killed my clam when I moved him to the rocks. It had probably shed its bysal gland and was vulnerable to worms, crabs, etc... By moving him to the rocks,it exposed the sensitive area. Just a hunch, but it's something to learn by.

Is my clam doomed
I have recently acquired a 2" derasa clam. He was 10" under 200 watts of Smartlight. Last night he jumped down a step on my live rock, but he left behind some white tissue still attached to the rock above (byssal (sp) tissue?).
<correct>
Is there anything I can do or anything I should look for Thanks Jeremy PS other than this he appears to be in good health
<no worries at all... clams commonly abort old byssal tissue. It is generate new at the new point of attachment. Freshly imported/disturbed clams will often do this. Probably just fine. Make sure it attaches soon for its own good (protection of byssal port from crabs, worms, etc. Anthony>

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/tridacdisfaqs.htm

aliendomain · 09-19-2003, 11:00 AM

Toadfish,
For a crocea the best placement is on a flat area of a rock where it can attach with it's byssal. The excerpt "Make sure it attaches soon for its own good (protection of byssal port from crabs, worms, etc." states that if the clam is not anchored to a rock or shell by the byssal then a predator could attack via the byssal opening. Moving the clam to the rockwork did not cause its death unless the byssal opening was left exposed.

Toadfish · 09-19-2003, 01:41 PM

I should have waited until it attached itself to the shell I had place it on. I think the clam fell over exposing the byssal. I don't know for sure since I wasn,t here when it happened, but I believe that a fish or snail knocked it over and at that time became open to predatation. The bottom line is that I should have allowed it to attach itself to the shell in the SB before I moved it.

aliendomain · 09-19-2003, 03:01 PM

Toad,
Do you have any fish that could be predatory on clams? A pigmy angel maybe? Also how is the squamosa doing? I'm trying to figure out what other than a crab or mantis could be attacking your clams, although I still think the clicking noise is suspect of a mantis or pistol shrimp.
AlienDomain

Toadfish · 09-19-2003, 11:12 PM

My sargassum potentially. I have never seen him go after anything, and he isn't nocturnal. I think it may have been my bulbs cooling down when I heard the noise(it's what my wife says), at least that's what I hope.

aliendomain · 09-22-2003, 11:34 PM

ToadFish,
Any update on the squamosa?
Aliendomain

Toadfish · 09-23-2003, 03:54 PM

The squamose has taken hold of an ouster shell that I placed underneath of him...He is fully opened and doing fine. Thanks for asking.

aliendomain · 09-23-2003, 04:58 PM

It's good to hear.

I found that my cleaner shrimp has been messing with my derasas at night, not sure if its going after pods or if its going after the clams but they moved all around because of it. It made me think that maybe something like this could be the issue in you tank. Just a thought.

Toadfish · 09-24-2003, 01:23 AM

It's possible because my cleaners go nuts at night. They are extremely active for pods or whatever food source. It seems to me that the byssal gland would be a nice treat. Prolly just nips at it and the clam retracts it.

Toadfish · 09-25-2003, 12:00 AM

Update on clam death...I found this in my tank a while back and had no idea what it was...I also found this link to a thread on TRT. Culmination, Whelk's kill clams...I now believe I found my predator. Just a heads up.

http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/sh...ighlight=whelk

aliendomain · 09-25-2003, 11:30 AM

Good going, keep your eye out for more of them coming out of the rock.

Casey · 09-25-2003, 11:32 AM

Good catch Toad keep your eyes peeled