Is my clam damaged?

[Reefer07]

This weekend I picked up 4 clams. (all croceas) One of them my buddy took and I kept the other three. The 2 smaller ones the bottom musle is nice and clean and there is nothing hanging.
However, on the psychodolic one I got which is significantly larger there is something hanging out. I don't know if it is the gland or what. It was attached to a rock at the person's house I bought it at and we got it off the rock. When I got home there was a little rock it was attached to which wouldn't allow the clam to sit upright so I took that rock off as well.
So does the byssal gland produce more strings to attach itself?
How would I go about determining what is hanging out from the shell.
I can't really explain it but there is some sand and stuff in there.
I can say that the clam is fully expanded during the day and very responsive. The siphon is not open and the colors are still great on it.

Any help is appreciated,
Zac

 

[skinz78]

Can you post a pic?

Did you cut the byssal threads or just pull it off the rock?

Pulling the clam free can kill it. If you cut it it should be fine.

The clam will drop old bunch's of threads when it gets too many in the way. This is perfectly normal. They can make new byssal threads at any time given that they are happy and like the placement.

 

[Reefer07]

Wow, I am really surprised. I actually cut the threads really close to where it they were attached on the rock. I really didn't want to mention anything about that until I saw what you guys had to say because I was afraid I made a mistake.
I will try to get some pics up but I also had one other question.
How far should a clams syphon be open?
2 of my clams syphons look the same but one of them looks a little more open. What is weird is one of the clams is a little bleached down the center but it's syphon doesn't look too far open.
The one that actually looks open is the one I think is the healthiest one. It anchored like 2 hours after putting it in the tank and there is no bleaching or anything.

 

[skinz78]

Can you post a pic?

 

[johnnybravo234]

The best thing for you to do is get some pictures on here for us and not touch the clams. Most of the time they are fine if you let them be. Not every clam opens up the same even though they are the same species.

 

[Reefer07]

The only thing that is bothering me now is that one of the smaller clams I have higher up in my tank is open for a few hours and then just stays shut.
When I say higher up, I am talking 10" below power compacts. (T-5's will be here monday)
If I feed my tank or am doing test it tends to be responsive but not come out as much every time. You guys know how if you put your hand between the light, etc. they close up and come right back out. Well this particular one closes and comes back out but not as far every time. I would say after 4-5 times or retracting it is pretty much closed. When I say closed the mantle is just barely coming over the shell. I tend to do all my maintenance on my tank in the morning/night. My lights go on at 2 and I get home from work at 4. I do some dosing and feeding at 4 and this is when it tends to close up. Today the same thing happened. I got home about 1.5 hours after the lights were on and the thing was open and happy as all hell. I fed the tank and did a few tests and now it is almost all the way closed up and I suspect it will stay that way for the rest of the day.

 

[skinz78]

Can you post a pic?

When the clam closes up it is an unatural position for it to be in. This causes stress which eaquils death eventually. Try not to make it close.

 

[Reefer07]

It stays closed though, I try not to irritate them or touch them as much as possible.
Here is my psycho. one which seems to be very healthy. One small corner of the mantle is under that overhang and I tried to move it sideways but it was anchored and it just turned back to the way it is here. (picture is sideways)

Here is a shot of underneath the mantle to show how far the actuall shell is open.

Here is the other smaller clam. The only one that hasn't anchored yet.

And here is the clam that is higher up. This is what it looks like for most of the day after it has contracted a few times. Like I said, it is nice and open when I come home and within a few hours of having light it closes up like this. I am trying to decide because it's hard to tell but a few parts on the mantle may be turning a little tannish. I am not sure if it's getting to much light or something but as I said it is about 10" under power compacts.

 

[skinz78]

With power compacts I gaurantee it isn't getting too much light.

What fish and inverts do you have?

 

[Reefer07]

A clown goby and a black clown and regular clown. (Occelaris)
Fire shrimp and peppermint, no hermit crabs and a few snails. Because you ask what I have for livestock I have a question.
On the 2nd clam I showed up there with the spots, on one side of the shell there is like a growth on it and inside there is a snail. I can see it poking out and the clam lifts up that part of the mantle. Should I be worried about this bothering the clam and try to kill it?
Also, about the lighting. When I get my T5's will it be getting too much light 10" under?
About that clam that was closed up. Like I was saying, I came home today and it is still opened up nice, lights have been on for 2.5 hours. I will let you guys know when it closes if it does.
I also have one more question. What is up with all the spider web like stuff that the clams are excreting?

 

[Reefer07]

It is now closed at 6:00 pm.
I am guessing it stays open for around 3-4 hours of light only and then closes half way up. When it is open though it looks real good.

 

[Reefer07]

Edit: It's 11:30 and it has been open for the past few hours. I don't know what its deal is but maybe it is just taking some time to get used to things.

 

[Reefer07]

Well today it has been partially closed up for most of the day again. However, tonight when I was looking at my tank I noticed on the right side of the shell there is a polyp looking thing. It looks like a zoo but I don't think it is. It is also not an aptasia.
I don't know if there is any kind of spider or anything that can irritate clams but maybe some of you have an idea?
Whatever it is it definitely looks stationary and I will try to get a better look at it tomorow.

 

[weluvfish54]

+1 for not enough lighting...

 

[Reefer07]

Well how can I not have enough lighting when the 2 other clams are lower in my tank than the one that is having a problem and they are perfectly healthy and open everyday?

 

[skinz78]

Power compacts isn't enough light for clams, especially crocea. They may look like they are doing great but I guarantee they aren't. It is to them as it would be to us like trying to survive on rice cakes and nothing else.

The polyp is probably a majano nem, they are as bad as aptaisia, remove it asap.

 

[Reefer07]

Well I got my T-5's today and they are already up and running.
The clam was only open for a few hours as usual today but I noticed that the syphon is open pretty wide.

 

[Reefer07]

Now both the smaller clams are closed for most of the day.....I don't know what is going on. My psycodelic is doing great and it is lower than the both of them.
The T-5's do make a huge difference in their color. Before, one of the crocea's was just a nice dark blue under the PC's. Now under the T-5's I can see all the lines and spots in a brighter shade of blue...they look real nice....when their open :/