Gaping Crocea ...help!

[OJsreef]

I HAVE A 5" CROCEA THAT IS GAPING AND THE MANTLE HAS RECEADED PAST THE SHELL. THIS WAS CAUSED BY A MONSTER BRISTEL WORM (1/4"BY 7") MUNCHING ON THE BASE OF MY BABY. I'VE ALWAYS SEEN LARGE WORMS IN MY SYSTEM BUT NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH THEM UNTILL NOW. I ASSUME IT WENT AFTER THE CROCEA ONLY BECAUSE A COUPLE DAYS BEFORE, I REMOVED IT FROM THE ROCK IT WAS ATTACHED TO (NO I DIDN'T RIP IT OFF THE ROCK, I CUT IT OFF AT THE BASE OF ITS BYSUEL THREAD.) AND MOVED IT FROM THE SAND BED UP ONTO THE LR.
ANYWAY HAS ANYONE EVER HAD A CLAM RECOVER FROM SUCH A THING? IF SO WHAT IF ANY PROVISIONS DID YOU GIVE THE CLAM.THE ONLY THNG I COULD THINK OF WAS GETTING IT AWAY FROM THE WORMS AND ADD PHYTOPLANKTON AND IODINE. ANY HELP WOULD BE GREAT.
THANKS:OJsreef
:smokin: :( :mad:

[Guy]

These are my thoughts:

1) Bristle worms eat dead flesh.

2) Gaping Crocea means it's dying.

3) Bristle worm is just eating the dead flesh of the Crocea.

4) The Crocea is dead. I'm sorry for your loss :(

5) I wonder if somehow it reeived an infection from the bysal thread wound. Or (probably) it was just barely hanging onto life and the disruption was too much for it.

[geofloors]

This was a very beautiful crocea. It's a sad thing to see it this way.

George

[OJsreef]

CLAM WAS FINE TILL AFTER THE WORM WAS ON IT.SEPPERATED CLAMS BEFORE WITH NO ILL FX.
THANKS:OJsreef

[OJsreef]

YOUR A FUNNY "GUY".
I BAUGHT THE CLAM GAPING 5 OR 6 MONTHS AGO BUT THAT WAS DUE TO POOR TANK CONDITIONS AND IT RECOVERED WITHOUT A PROBLEM. TANK CONDITIONS AREN'T LIKE YOURS.
THANKS FOR YOUR THOUGHTS???????????????????

[Adam]

OJsreef,

NO NEED TO SHOUT! ;)

Anyway, I agree in large part with Guy. If you check Knop's book on clams, he talks about the fact that a clam can look fine, expanding it's mantle for weeks while it is slowly dying and the internal organs are rotting away.

I have witnessed this myself. I had a maxima that had great mantle extention, but if you looked into the incurrent siphon, there was almost nothing inside! Needless to say, it died soon after. The day it finally checked out, I cut it open and all that was left was it's adductor muscle and the mantle.

The worm was more than likely eating the dead and decaying internal organs of your clam.

FWIW, I have picked up clams and had large (6"+) bristle worms scurry away. The clams were and remain healthy and alive.

Adam

[MiNdErAsR]

I have to agree with Guy and Adam. The clam was already dead/dieing and the bristleworm was just doing what comes naturally. Cleaning up decaying matter. Refer to the book (Giant Clams by Daniel Knop) Adam mentioned for more information.

[OJsreef]

THANKS FOR THE INPUT ADAM. SORRY ABOUT THE CAPS, NOT TRYING TO SEEM LIKE I WAS SHOUTING, IT'S JUST HOW I WRITE.
I KEEP ALL MY CLAMS AT THE FRONT OF MY TANK. THE VIEW DOWN THE INCURRENT SIPHON SEEMS TO SHOW THAT THE GILLS AND OTHER INTERNAL ORGANS THAT ARE VISIBLE ARE INTACT.I DIDN'T MEEN TO SEEM SO SHORT IT'S JUST THAT SOME PEOPLE SHOULD DISPLAY MORE TACT IF THEY ARE GOING TO ACT AS THE AUTHORITY ON A SUBJECT,"IE" NOT EVERYONE IS A NOVICE AND YOU KNOW AS WELL AS I DO IN THIS HOBBY THERE ARE EXSEPTIONS TO ALMOST EVERY RULE.I OWN THE KNOP BOOK ON CLAMS.THANKS ONCE AGAIN ALL.

[Guy]

I never intended to portray the image of an expert. I prefaced my statements with "These are my thoughts:"

If you need more tact then I feel you are too thin skinned to even ask for opinions. I'm very sorry you lost your clam (or will soon lose it). That doesn't mean it's my fault it just means I feel bad that you have to go through the trauma of losing a prized animal.

"SORRY ABOUT THE CAPS, NOT TRYING TO SEEM LIKE I WAS SHOUTING, IT'S JUST HOW I WRITE."

Your typing method is incredibly annoying. It increases the difficulty of comprehending your questions. If you are asking people to spend time attempting to help you then I feel you should make it as easy as possible for them. I also think you should refrain from insulting dialog directed at someone who is just trying to help you.

[jim norris]

OJ
Sorry. What the other guys are saying is true. And Daniel Knop did write a good book in 1996. I have over 40 clams never lost one to a bristle worm but if I happen to see a biristle worm anywhere near a clam of mine it's gone ! I remove it to a non clam tank.
Jim

[OJsreef]

Sorry Guy i didn't say you portrayed the image of an expert. (Authority) "Webster's-a person delivering opinion or tesimony".
I'll have to go tan to thicken my skin so I might post a question.
Thank you for your condolenses about the clam but it hasn't gotten any worse yet.
I don't recall placing any blame on you, don't worry it's not your falt.
My sincerest apologys for my incredibly ANNOYING and grade school at best typing method. Sorry you had such difficulty with it and felt you had to reply. :beer:

[OJsreef]

Jim sorry, didn't see your post that last reply wasn't directed to you. i wasn't argueing the point about the worm posibly going after a weakend clam
actualy I beleave that to be right on, but didn't think the clam was adversly effected buy cutting it from it's host rock. Thanks :OJsreef

[jim norris]

OJ,
Everytime you cut---there is a chance. But sometimes clams just done make it for some reason or another--even though you have given it the best home. I have tried many croceas and have found them to be very hard to keep much more so than maxs, squamosas, derasas, hippopuses and gigas. I have only one in my collection and he has been with me years I just think I am lucky with him. As for the others I have 35 plus of them and they ALL are doing fine.
Jim