Clam question - Is this a problem?

[jpc763]

I noticed this in this Clam's incurrent siphon a few days ago.

The clam seems fine otherwise, opening nicely, just won't open up the siphon very much.

I tried flushing it away with a turkey baster, but no luck.

 

[a4twenty]

is that his byssal thread???

is he attached??

if not please pick him up and try to get a pic from below.

is there anything under the clam ( other than rock )?

please try to post another couple pics when you can.

 

[jpc763]

I will post some more pics tonight...

Here is the story on this clam.

I got him last July and placed him in my 55g tank that had T5 lighting on a rock. He hopped around continuously until I let him settle himself in the sand. I upgraded the lighing to 250W MH in that 55g and he lived happily in the sand.

January this year I upgraded the tank to a 125g with 3x 250W MH and VHO Actinics. I moved this clam into his new tank and placed him on the rock. He sat there for about a month and then hopped off. In that month I have been changing the flow around to where it is today 2x6000 Tunze on a 7091 controller.

He was in the sand and scooting toward the front glass where he would press up against the glass. Each time that would happen, I would move him back a little.

I noticed this "thing" last Sunday when I was feeding the fish. At first I thought it was something in the fish food so tried to flush it away with a baster. It was all white on Sunday. Today it is tinted a little green.

I moved him back onto the rock yesterday and then took the picture so he is not attached. He has byssal threads coming off the bottom as I saw them when I picked him up.

Feel free to ask more questions. I will try to answer.

Thanks for your help.

John

 

[jpc763]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14752496#post14752496 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by a4twenty
is that his byssal thread???

is he attached??

if not please pick him up and try to get a pic from below.

is there anything under the clam ( other than rock )?

please try to post another couple pics when you can.

Here are some more pics. He is partially attached to the rock. There is nothing else under him. I was able to lean him over.

 

[IFbettas]

In the last picture it looks like some kind of fungus, but I have never heard of clams getting fungus like that before. For now I would try to leave him in a place where he hopefully will settle down, and give him some time. It could be that the constant moving is stressing him out.

 

[a4twenty]

you can see the byssal thread coming out the bottom, does this not look the exact same??

can you see in his byssal opening?? or is it plugged with something??

try to look in through his incurrent siphon and see if it's attached to his foot.


the good thing is it doesn't appear to be bothering him but it's weird that it's growing up and down.

 

[jpc763]

Well today (while I was at work) it got significantly worse

Here are updated pics. What is it?

Thanks, John

 

[mustang51js]

any updates

 

[jpc763]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14840535#post14840535 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mustang51js
any updates

Wierd. I expected to find an empty shell this morning and was suprised to find that whatever it had it spit out. The clam appears to be totally fine.

Whatever it was is now out somewhere in the tank.

 

[DAS140]

Any updates? I just found the exact thing with my clam. Anyone have any idea what is going on?

Thanks.

 

[jpc763]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14859310#post14859310 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DAS140
Any updates? I just found the exact thing with my clam. Anyone have any idea what is going on?

Thanks.

Someone from another forum suggested that it was a bysal thread bundle and no big deal. My clam is totally fine now.

J

 

[Mentat]

Glad all turned out ok. Wonder if clam jettisoned the whole bysal gland or just a bunch of derelict threads? Is clam re-attached to rocks or just laying on it's weight?

 

[jpc763]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14867874#post14867874 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mentat
Glad all turned out ok. Wonder if clam jettisoned the whole bysal gland or just a bunch of derelict threads? Is clam re-attached to rocks or just laying on it's weight?

Good question. This particular clam does not like to attach to the rocks. I have had it for 9 months (in 2 different tanks) and it has never secured to a rock. I have given it ample opportunity and it prefers to be in the sand. It usually puts some bysal threads in the sand.

When in the sand, it likes to manuver itself so it is pressing up agains the front glass which is kind of a pain so I have had to scoot it back so that is probably why it had to jettison it's bysal threads and/or gland.

I have moved a flat rock between the clam and the front glass so it is no longer pressing up against the glass and so far it seems very happy.

My other clam put down threads (6 inches away from this guy) and secured itself to a rock within the first day of being in the new tank.

 

[DAS140]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14867874#post14867874 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mentat
Glad all turned out ok. Wonder if clam jettisoned the whole bysal gland or just a bunch of derelict threads? Is clam re-attached to rocks or just laying on it's weight?

Thanks for the reply. It seems my clam is okay as well.

 

[ludiNano]

That looked like the bunch of threads left behind when i moved my clam. Strange it grew from the top, thank you for sharing.

Great lookin clam too, just a little guy.

 

[E.intheC]

that's very strange. Great to hear it's doing well.
It almost looks like a feather duster or 'coco worm' of some sort (I realize it's not; just drawing a comparison)

 

[JAustin]

wow! great thread!

 

[Thunderstruck34]

+1... Never knew that