Clam spinning itself around after attached?

JerseyMarc · Apr 22, 2010

I added a Crocea Clam a few weeks ago. It attached to the rock I put him on and seems happy. He opens up wide and seems to open up more and more as time goes on. He seems have moved himself to hang off the edge of the rock and he is pivoting around in a circle. When I come home from work its like the hands on a clock he has moved. Is that normal?

Stray32 · Apr 22, 2010

They will move around until they are happy. I have two clams that seem to move around a bit every week.

I had a Flame Scallop, back before I knew they normally starve to death in captivity, that would hurl itself around my tank with a jet of water. Neat to watch, but he knocked down anything that wasn't firmly attached. He finally settled in under a large piece of LR until his demise

whip1 · Apr 22, 2010

Hmmm are you dosing Vodka? That makes me spin a bit :bigsmile:

JerseyMarc · Apr 22, 2010

Thanks guys. I came home today and he is going down now. I think after being on the rock for a few weeks, he wants to go back to the sand. I know they are rock boring clams, but is it possible they can like sand more? Maybe I maybe it angry. I have turned down the flow on the MP10 a tiny bit, but he is still getting good flow where he is.

skinz78 · Apr 22, 2010

Can you post some pic's of it?

Likely it is getting too much flow where it is.

JerseyMarc · Apr 22, 2010

When I first got the clam I had him in a spot where I don't think he was getting as much flow as he has been the past few weeks. He jumped off the rock and into the sand each time I put him there. I moved the rock out into more flow and light and he has been staying in the same spot ever since, it is just the past few days he has pivoted around. He is still attaching to the rock though. Here are two pics

Picasa Web Albums - 1971GTO

Picasa Web Albums - 1971GTO

skinz78 · Apr 22, 2010

Great looking Crocea!

What lighting do you have it under?

It will not stay on the side like that, you will need to put it on a flat surface.

From what I see in the pic's flow shouldn't be any concern.

JerseyMarc · Apr 22, 2010

My tank is a nanocube HQI it has a 150w MH. I thinking it might be moving back up, if that is possible? I am afraid to hurt it by pulling it off the rock and moving it myself. It doesn't seem to be totally locked on, but he is attached. Do you think it wants to be higher up? I am a confused that it attached and stayed put for a while then moved itself.

skinz78 · Apr 23, 2010

Crocea's are one of the most light demanding clams, I would move it up if you only have 150w.

You can take a sharp knife and gently cut the byssal threads as near to the rock as possible. It won't hurt the clam if you don't rip it. The threads are like our fingernails. If you rip them though you can cause damage to the byssal organ causing infection and death.

JerseyMarc · Apr 23, 2010

I figured 150w would be good, since my tank isn't that deep and the light is almost right on the water. How much higher do you think I should move it up?

skinz78 · Apr 23, 2010

at least half way on the rocks.

JerseyMarc · Apr 23, 2010

Well I came home and he is now completely off the rock and back in the sand. I am looking around and trying to figure out a spot for him. I'm wishing I didn't just glue down a bunch of frags... Is there a way I can tell how it is responding to the light? I rally thought it was happy. It was opening up its mantle pretty wide and its colors seemed to be getting brighter. Is there any rule of thumb about how close a clam can be near corals. There is a flat spot near a montipora frag. and maybe some spots near birds nest frags or a leather.

JerseyMarc · Apr 23, 2010

Ok, I put him back on the rock and he started attaching again after only an hour or so. I then rearraged a few things and got him higher up. let me know what you think. Also, I was looking at your tank thread you mentioned the clams bleaching. How do you know if that is happening. I will try to get a good shot, but when he opened up his mantle all the way its only colored around the edges. The inside parts are brownish. Is that normal?

here is a pic of the new spot.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/8Auem3iXXLxX_UmdLLzS5smqSlMLyt50-MPak8HSyck?feat=directlink

skinz78 · Apr 23, 2010

I think the clam will be fine where you have it.

I wouldn't worry about bleaching, if you have bleaching it will be obvious and the clam looked great to me.

You can put them among most corals. They are actually found mixed in amongst the sps's in the oceans. The only corals to worry about stinging are frogspawns, hammers, torches, plates, elegance, etc and anemones.