Crocea jumped AFTER attached to rock. Normal?

[Yonghui]

I had a Crocea clam that has been in my tank (75 gal mixed reef) for about 5 weeks now. It's about 3" and I think it's doing very well as seen in the following photo taken about 2 weeks ago:

It had already attached to a piece of live rock that is about 6 inches away from a 175W MH light.

Last night I added about 25 lbs. live rock bought from a local reefer, so I rearranged the clam a little bit to make it face the tank front. Then this morning I found the Crocea had jumped off the attached rock, leaving a piece of flesh behind. I checked its bottom and the abyssal gland seems perfect (no opening or bad-looking wound) and the clam is reponding to my touch. I understand that the clam can and will jump off if they don't like the particular spot, but for an already attached clam to de-attach himself in one night?

So, my question is: Is this normal for an already attached Crocea to jump off the rock? Is there anything that I should worry about, esp. about the abyssal gland? --I heard so many bad things about a damaged abyssal, it really got me worried...

Please help.

 

[koga57]

Change

Change

Did you change the location where to water flow is different? According to clamsdirect.com, they jump if they do not like the flow or lighting.

Just an opinion.

David

 

[jmaneyapanda]

yes- you say it jumped after you moved it? This is what caused it to move. Try not to put too much vertical (gravity) force on the clam also-you mentioned you tried to tilt it.

 

[Yonghui]

Thanks for the suggestions.

Well, the clam's location was indeed changed a little bit, but definitely not dramatic: Raised one inch to be closer to light, then rotated about 30 degrees to make him face forward. These changes made the clam closer to the flow path of a powerhead, but his mantle wasn't flapping as a result of this...

In fact, I wasn't really surprised by his moving since they tend to do this. What I'm really worrying about is the way the clam severed his byssal flesh within 12 hours after having attached to the rock for a few weeks. Just don't know if this is normal or not.

Anyway, I relocated the Crocea onto another piece of LR with a cuddling crevice and he's trying to re-attach himself again. Hopefully, this incident won't cause any harm to the clam since it has been said everywhere that a damaged byssal gland can kill a Crocea.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

It probably just dumped its byssal threads, not flesh or foot. This is normal for a clam on the move, whether it has been there for a day or a year. If the stimulus aren't to its liking, it will drop the threads to get a better spot.

 

[jnarowe]

I am having trouble with a tear drop that spins in circles and seems unhappy on the bottom of the tank. I moved him into the rock work as suggested by others, and twice he has jumped. The last time, he jumped inside the rock and it took me 3 hours to extricate him in 35" of water. For now I am leaving him on the bottom again...tough to please this one!