Crocea Dropped From Spot

[jawfishjunky]

I have a Blue Crocea who did great for 2 years, but his spot in the rock was more a vertical "hanging like a picture" than "sitting on a bed".

I found it on the sandbed this morning , still alive, but its whitish strands torn from the rock.

I placed it back more "sitting" and higher towards the lighting. It is still alive but a section of the mantle is a bit receded and discolored.

Can it bounce back? I think part of the problem is the tank can get a couple of degrees too warm during the summer.

Any suggestions to help get it back in shape or to keep the tank cooler without investing hundreds in a "chiller" would be much appreciated.

thanks..................Jawfishjunky

 

[melosu58]

I hope the clam will be OK but I`m not sure after tearing those cords. I`m hoping for the best. Run a fan over the top of your tank to cool it off.

 

[ryshark]

Typically after the clams foot gets torn it doesn't do well. However, a similar situation happened with my crocea clam, it fell of its spot and part of the foot was still attached to its spot. I thought it was dead, but it was still alive and made a full comeback.

 

[melosu58]

That sure is good news Ryshark.

 

[jawfishjunky]

Thanks for all your info. This Crocea actually has quite a history. When I started my first reef tank 2 years ago I ordered a bunch of hermit crabs from an online dealer. They mixed up addresses and sent me about $300 worth of Coral and the Clam by mistake. The owner said the stuff wouldnt survive mailing it back, so he let me keep it.
I was in a panic. I put the Clam up on the rockwork, but the next day it was on the sand , half open and unresponsive to the touch.
Newbie me took it for a dead clam. I cleared it out of the tank and actually threw it in the kitchen garbage!
Something in me made me dig through the Garbage a few hours later, and sure enough, the clam was tightly shut! I felt like such a fool.
Well---I put it back on the rocks, upgraded my lighting within the week and the thing actually flourished as the tank center-piece for 2 years.
I also got a Half-dollar size Orange Montipora in that package---now its the size of a dinner plate.
Anyway---the family got a lot of enjoyment out of that "Free Clam"--- so I`m hoping its still as tough as it was when it survived a few hours in a Suburban Garbage can.

best regards---
Jawfishjunky

 

[ryshark]

Wow, thats a cool story! I hope it can pull through this. Then again, I wonder what the life expectancy of a clam is??? My guess is more than a few years, but I dont know.

 

[land locked]

What is your tank temperature? Now and in winter?
Mine stays on the sand bed year round.
I have a story about like yours. We thought a bright green toadstool 4", we had bought was dead (it never poked its polyps up after we got home). but the shell it was on had some cool mushrooms on it so we wanted to keep the shell. We cut the toad stool down to the base. about a month later it was 1/2 inch high with bright green polyps all over the top. Amazing surviver.

 

[tuanmai111]

Wow, for free!, **** i wish that happened to me. But it would sucked if it was the other way around and i ended up with a couple hermit crabs instead. Geez i wonder who got the hermits you ordered haha. But i'm pretty sure your clam will make it, just put him in a position where he is absolutely still with no stress and he'll recover.

 

[jawfishjunky]

Crocea Update:

OK--I put the thing in a different place on the rock. I set it a certain way---but it always moves to a slightly different angle. I can see behind the clam, and it is re-attaching to the rock with those thin white strands. The mantle looks the best it has looked in over a week.
My concern now is that the bottom of the clam is about 1/2 inch from the rock it is attaching to. The connecting strands are totally exposed. Any other critter in the tank has access to these very fine strands if they wanted.
I have pushed the clam flush to the rock so that it wouldnt have to excrete the strands to such a vulnerable length, but like I said, the clam keeps repositioning where it wants.
For the long run, Is it likely that it will be able to attach itself properly from this distance? Also--is there a water additive that will strengthen the Crocea`s ability to
make a viable connection to the rock?

thanks again..............

 

[melosu58]

Also--is there a water additive that will strengthen the Crocea`s ability to
make a viable connection to the rock?

thanks again..............

Not that I know of. I`m glad he seems to be doing better.

 

[tuanmai111]

Yes, in time it should be able to reposition itself. It sucks because this is really a delicate time because for it as it tries to reconnect itself, and it also sucks when hermits and snails crawl all over the place possibly slowing down it's healing process. But maybe you can stack little rocks around where the strands are just to give it a lil more security. Just like a new born plant, it's weak in the beginning of it's life trying to grow strong roots, but in time it should be back to it's former self. As for the additive's, i wouldn't put anything in there (but that's just my opinion) just check your calcium level and alkalinity and make sure it's at the correct number with good light source. Also make sure the clam doesn't get moved at all while recovering. Hope it makes a fast recovery.