Stringy looking thing coming out of clam?

[fishtanker]

I have a 3-4" Derasa clam that i bought a month or so ago. Its doing real well, growing, mantle is out, good response to shadows, etc.

I've been noticing that every once and a while a long string comes out of its siphon? (the one that looks like a nipple ). Its been as long as 12", brown, and looks exactly like a piece of thread that you'd sew with. It doesn't look like algae and it retracts back in to the clam. I researched around but couldn't find anything on that.

Any ideas what it might be?

I'd try to get a pic but i don't think my camera would be able to pick it up.

 

[moliken]

pic needed, even a bad one.

 

[fishtanker]

I see if i can get a good pic tonight.

No one has any guess to what it might be? Picture a long brown piece of thread coming out of this clams siphon.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1791341

 

[reefpix352]

The clam is probably regulating its zoox or else excreting waste.

James

 

[a4twenty]

The clam is probably regulating its zoox or else excreting waste.

exactly, if brown it's zooxanthellae, if it's black it's waste. it's perfectly normal for a healthy clam to expel excess zoox. from time to time, if it was more frequent or the clam started to show loss of colour, there would be cause for concern.


HTH

 

[fishtanker]

Thanks. I did some research last night and you guys are right. It regulating its zoox....its been doing it less and shows no loss of color. Its actually doing real well which is cool since i haven't tried clams in 10years when i bought 2, 2" Maxima's for my 55gal with 200wt of PC's back in the 90's. :eek2: *shudder*

I think they lasted a week.

I want to get either one more Derasa, Gigas, or Squasoma. I figure its an investment to convince the wife i'll need a new tank.

 

[blackthunda77]

haha, i just got my first derasa today and i noticed the exact same thing but mine was only like an inch long, i thought it was algea or something. maybe it was adjusting to the lighting at the LFS. interesting.

 

[fishtanker]

I was able to get a decent pic out of like 25. You can't see in the pic but its coming right out of the smaller opening and goes much higher than the pic shows. Pretty neat.

 

[SeaCole]

Brown stringy waste coming from my Maxima Clam

Brown stringy waste coming from my Maxima Clam

My large Maxima clam has been expelling brown thread like waste like mentioned in this thread.

We are on day 5, but his mantle is fully out a And his mantle color is amazing.


I have a good picture if I can figure out how to post it from my phone.

My question is:
Is there an amount of time this could go on that would be considered bad, even if my clam looks great?

 

[SeaCole]

Brown stringy waste picture

Brown stringy waste picture