Another 'gaping' issue?

[Nicholas Ang]

Hi,

been crazy over clams. all kinds of clams infact. brought to my attention of clam gaping recently. I still cannot figure out if my clams are gaping ?

can some kind soul out there advise if my clam is ok?all clams are with me for over a few months to a year except for my newly derasa (a few days). all clams are very responsive to light though

Is this gaping?(age of crocea 1year)

 

[Nicholas Ang]

how abt these((age of two croceas ard 1year maxima ard 2months)

 

[Nicholas Ang]

these two maximas looks gaping to me as well (age of maximas ard 2months+)

 

[Nicholas Ang]

this crocea definitely looks like gaping(age of crocea is ard 6months)

 

[Nicholas Ang]

this derasa got it last friday 05/12/2003...gaping?

 

[fishforlife]

Looks like many of your clams are gaping according to the pictures.

Does anybody else think that too? Maybe there is something wrong with the param or lights?

 

[SoKaL ReeFiN]

They all look like they're gaping. I'm not quite sure what the cause of it is though.

 

[tatoofr]

Hello,
NONE of them are gapping.
If they were the mantles would be withdrawn into the shell.
See Sprungs book vol. 1, it clearlys shows gapping.
See mine on my web... mouth wide open, out grew the tank!
Frank...http://www.freewebs.com/reefking/

 

[danmar26]

Frank, Awesome tank! I remember seeing a pic of your 75 in Marine Fish Monthly back in the mid --late 90's and it looked really good then.It looks like you've taken it up a notch.-----Ralph

 

[tatoofr]

Hi,
Wow you remember that! I've been doing this a while!
Thanks,
Frank

 

[Nicholas Ang]

Sprungs book vol. 1, it clearlys shows gapping.

err....any where i can view in the net? your clam(derasa????) do not 'gap' as much as mine though? but my clam mantle not retracted in the shell though as what you mentioned

 

[fishforlife]

yeah, how do you know if a clam is really gaping.
I've seen a lot of picture with quite a big syphon hole in it
And some member posted their gaping clams at it looks like Mr Ang pictures???

 

[fishforlife]

And some member posted their gaping clams at it looks like Mr Ang pictures??? [/B]

Should have been written as:
And some member posted their gaping clams and it looks like Mr Ang pictures???

 

[electric130]

my maximas don't gap, the sides of their siphons pretty much touch with great mantle extension. i thought my crocea was gaping when i first got it, but it had great mantle extension. i posted a pic of it here and someone said they didn't think it was gaping, but just had an enlarged siphon. so i thought it was okay. it was on the sand at first to settle in, so i decided to put it up on the rocks. within two days, the siphon drastically closed up and the mantle was still extendted the same. so after seeing both of these situations, i now know that it was gaping at first, but it had great mantle extension. the mantle would gently blow around in the current, and i don't have a lot of flow. so i think it is possible for a clam to be gaping and still have good mantle extension. as long as the mantle looks good, i wouldn't worry too much about the clam immediately. it can take months for the clam to settle in and become happy again after being moved. this is what the crocea looked like at first:

but now, it looks more like my maximas:

see how the siphon basically touches on the sides? that's how the crocea is now that it's up on the rocks.

 

[Reeftropicals]

Wow, I can't believe that's the same Crocea! Looks totally different. Coloured up nicely btw.

 

[Reeftropicals]

Oh, now I get it, it isn't the Crocea, just a picture to show how the siphon looks now? And these pictures are actually of a Crocea and a Maxima?

 

[Nicholas Ang]

my maximas don't gap, the sides of their siphons pretty much touch with great mantle extension. i thought my crocea was gaping when i first got it, but it had great mantle extension. i posted a pic of it here and someone said they didn't think it was gaping, but just had an enlarged siphon. so i thought it was okay. it was on the sand at first to settle in, so i decided to put it up on the rocks. within two days, the siphon drastically closed up and the mantle was still extendted the same. so after seeing both of these situations, i now know that it was gaping at first, but it had great mantle extension. the mantle would gently blow around in the current, and i don't have a lot of flow. so i think it is possible for a clam to be gaping and still have good mantle extension. as long as the mantle looks good, i wouldn't worry too much about the clam immediately. it can take months for the clam to settle in and become happy again after being moved. this is what the crocea looked like at first:

but now, it looks more like my maximas:

see how the siphon basically touches on the sides? that's how the crocea is now that it's up on the rocks.

:eek2: wow...nice colour up by the so call 'crocea'. Nice! :thumbsup:

AM i correct to assume that the outlook of a clam's mantle is more important than the gaping siphon hole?

 

[electric130]

:eek2: wow...nice colour up by the so call 'crocea'. Nice! :thumbsup:

those are 2 different clams. the first is my crocea. the second is one of my maximas, shown for the siphon example.