New/1st crocea

[YZ]

Well today I traded in a good sized piece of pom-pom for $100 and got a 4" crocea among other things. It looks pretty good opening right away, 'farted' water at me when I put it in the water. I'm wondering about the byssal?? thing that attaches to rock. it was just on the sand when I bought it and I think it might have a damaged one? how would I tell? Also any care tips for it? My tanks doing really good (coraline ALL over the glass/rock, sps doing good etc) so I figured I'd try a clam.

The lady at the LFS steered me away from a maxima that looked a little white in the center. I guess that's a bad sign?
Thanks

[OrionN]

Check your clam closely for small white snails on it. You need to remove all of these parasitic snails or else your clam will not do well. Leave him in the sand for now so you can easily remove him to clean the snails.
These clams like bright light. You will not able to provide too much light for it. They do need to slowly getting use to higher light level. Ca and Alkalinity need to be high.

I'm wondering about the byssal?? thing that attaches to rock
The byssal gland is inside the shell. You won't be able to see it. It will protrude out when the clam decide to move, or attach itself to rock. It is white pointed and move like a tongue.

Where are you? I am curious because it is great that you can sell your Xenia for 100 dollars. Also you can get one 4 inches Crocea for less than 100. My LFS sells a 4 inches Crocea full of parasitic snails for 120 (poor gold color that is fading under two VHO) and I can not even sell Xenia to them because the buy the Xenia from me for 5 dollars and sell them for 25 dollars.

[YZ]

My jaw dropped too when the lady said $100. But it was a massive piece on a figi brick. And their corals there go for a little higher than normal, probly due to location/rent and they keep the tanks well taken care of. It probly had 20 stalks on it too. i usually only get about $40 for a piece a little less than that from other places. About their clams they was $80 a pop. Not super bright ones but not too bad either. The maxima's didn't look too hot though so I had to choose between 2 crocea's. Oh yeah, I'm in denver and I took it to Reef Gallery. What really surprized me is that I called a bunch of other shops and no one would take em. I still have another piece, almost 2, the same size and RG only wanted one. Go figure?

About how big are those snails? thumbnail size? smaller. Just so I know what to look for.

[MiNdErAsR]

Originally posted by YZ
About how big are those snails? thumbnail size? smaller. Just so I know what to look for.

About the size of a grain of rice. Check at night, when they are most active.

[OrionN]

I am a Vietnamese and eat rice daily. A rice grain is larger than these snails. They are elongated piramid shape that are up to .5 cm on lenght and about .1 cm in writh. (One end is .1 cm ant he other end is pointed)
Richard Durso website have pictures of these snails. By far, there are the number one cause of mortalitly in aquarium clams (if the water quality and light is adequate) IMO. I alway clean my new clams really well befor I put him into my tank. I first put him on the sand and remove and clean him weekly until I no longer find any snails for several weeks. After this, you can place the clam anywhere you like and if you think that he will do well there. I also look for snails if one of my clams is not doing well. Several times, I was able to save several of my small Maximas from death by catch and remove these snails before they cause too much damage.

Good luck with your clam.

[MiNdErAsR]

Originally posted by Minh Nguyen
I am a Vietnamese and eat rice daily. A rice grain is larger than these snails

Since you brought race into this, I guess I will too. I'm Puerto Rican, and also consume my fair share of rice. Rice does come in varying sizes. Notice I said about the size of a grain of rice.

[YZ]

Well I didn't see any today so hopefully there isn't any. I did see some kinda bump on one side of the shell but it wouldn't come off...looked like part of the clam. Isn't there some kind of fish that eats em? i think some guy told me there was but I can't remember the species for the life of me.

PS I'm a pure, white bread american mutt...and I have been known to consume rice on occasion... :)

[OrionN]

Originally posted by MiNdErAsR


Since you brought race into this, I guess I will too. I'm Puerto Rican, and also consume my fair share of rice. Rice does come in varying sizes. Notice I said about the size of a grain of rice.


:) :p :p :p :)

[OrionN]

Originally posted by YZ
Well I didn't see any today so hopefully there isn't any. I did see some kinda bump on one side of the shell but it wouldn't come off...looked like part of the clam. Isn't there some kind of fish that eats em? i think some guy told me there was but I can't remember the species for the life of me.

PS I'm a pure, white bread american mutt...and I have been known to consume rice on occasion... :)

Some wrasse may eat them, but many bite the clam mantel also. About 3 years ago, I tried a yellow 'banana' wrasse. It did not work too well. He was fine with the clams until he went postal and just repeated attack my clams. I got him out before he kill any clam, but he got chunks out of several of the clams. I also tried a pair of six-line wrasses. This did not work either. The six-line pair attack and kill my female mandarin, so I took them to the LFS when I trapped them. No wrasse for me now.
I think the only way you can eliminate the snails from your tank is just by careful hunting, and not introduce any new one into your tank.