Help - Crocea Byssus is missing
 

Hi Forum,

i tried the search, but i can´t find something about this.

I just came home from work and saw my crocea is missing the byssus .

My other clams are all fine, water-conditions are normal.

It´s still alive. I moved the clam into a bucket with aminos and vitamines to help her to regenerate the byssus.

Does anyone know what i can do else to help the clam? How about antibiotics to prevent infections - if yes - which kind and how much?

Best regards

Kristof

Welcome to RC!

Mine had the same problem, and i think he got infected...All i can say is try not to move him any more, give him plenty of light, pristine params (watch PH and dKH)

Mine didn't make it, i was out all one day when i should have been trying to cure him T.T...

it probably just dropped its byssal threads. clams will do this from time to time. i would remove it from the bucket, i dont think that is helping at all. just place the clam back into the tank and leave it be

Hi Forum,

thanks for the quick answers!

i think it has lost the whole byssus.

When you look into it´s influx-syphon (hope the word is right) you can look out of the clam through the hole were the byssus should be.

I will replace it in one hour (when i finished making a bucket with a lot of holes). I will hang the bucket in the water without contact to the ground.

So it gets enough light and water, but won´t be disturbed.

Best regards

Kristof

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11551195#post11551195 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kristof1 [/i]
[B]
When you look into it�s influx-syphon (hope the word is right) you can look out of the clam through the hole were the byssus should be.
[/B][/QUOTE]

that is normal, you can see through the incurrent siphon and out through the byssal opening. did he drop just his byssal thread or the whole organ??

if your not sure can you post a pic?

but as long as he did it himself, he should be ok.

PS: if the organ came with it, what color was it??

Thats a good idea. Dont worry like the others said, its normal,and he'll grow back with good care.

i would remove it now. i dont think its a good idea to have it in a bucket with high levels of amino acids and vitamins. place it back where it was. the hole in the bottom is normal, all clams have one.

Hi Forum,

the hole where the byssus should be is completly empty.

It´s not the first clam i own and normally you CANNOT look through the whole clam out into your tank and watch your corals - i´m sure the byssus is away.

The byssus was gone when i came home, so i can´t say which colour it had - i think it was good food - pure protein.

Now - 10 hours later it looks not really bad


Best regards

Kristof

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11556355#post11556355 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kristof1 [/i]
[B]the hole where the byssus should be is completly empty.

It�s not the first clam i own and normally you CANNOT look through the whole clam out into your tank and watch your corals - i�m sure the byssus is away.
[/B][/QUOTE]

we are not trying to suggest you don't know what you are talking about. have you kept any large tridacnids? ones that no longer require a byssal thread anymore? the reason you usually can't see through the byssal hole in your crocea is because the thread is blocking your view, the hole is always there and now that the thread is gone.......

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11556355#post11556355 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kristof1 [/i]
[B]
Now - 10 hours later it looks not really bad
[/B][/QUOTE]

just to clarify, does this mean he looks good? ( i'm not trying to offend you but you have put a negative in front of a bad condition )

Hi Forum,

sorry for my rough words and my bad english (i´ll do my very best :) ).

I own a Squamosa that is larger than 1 foot and some other clams which are smaller.

There is always graft around the clamshells. My Crocea has nothing between the shells anymore - there only the clamshells.

I meant, the clam looked better. Now, 20 hours later, it is still alive reacts nearly as fast as a healthy clam.

I will leave the clam in the bucket. Does anyone know what will happen with the byssus in the future?

Best regards

Kristof

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11558380#post11558380 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kristof1 [/i]
[B]sorry for my rough words and my bad english (i�ll do my very best :) ). [/B][/QUOTE]

please, there is no need to apologize i was just trying to make sure we are talking about the same thing. :)

i would be very surprised if your squamosa was still using byssal thread a 1'. as the larger of the giant clams grow they begin to rely on their weight to hold them down and their byssal opening can actually grow closed. i bet if you take a good look from above with the mantle extended you'll be able to through him as well.


the byssal thread will grow back when the clam needs it and if he's doing good there is no reason not to put him back in the display.


here are a couple of links to some of James Fatherree's pics.

click on the second pic down, you can see the mantle of the clam below right through the incurrent siphon of these crocea's.

[url]http://www.picsbase.com/james/default.asp?catID=303&offset=60[/url]

and if you click on the last pic on this page, you'll see the rock right through this squamosa.

[url]http://www.picsbase.com/james/default.asp?catID=295&offset=15[/url]


i hope this helps set your mind at ease :)

Hi Forum,

in the first link, the 4th pic you can see a clam from the bottom. There´s graft between the clamshells. My Crocea is missing this graft so you can look inside.

The clam seems to be in good condition- the mantle is completely opened again.

Best regards

Kristof

that looks like the pedal mantle, the mantle the clam uses to bore ( dissolve the calcium carbonate ) into rock. you're clam could just be holding it inside.

it sounds like he isn't bothered and is doing well, i think he's going to be just fine :)

I second that! My maxima was the same and he did just fine.