ID: Long thin strand of something coming from a Maxima

perverseosmosis · 08/03/2020, 07:48 PM

The last couple evenings, our Maxima has had this very thin, very long, brown filament coming out its exhalant siphon. It looks almost like a strand of long brown hair. I gave it little tug and the clam closed up, so I stopped doing that! The next day it was gone, only to come back later in the evening.

I think the clam is pretty healthy. I've had it for a long time and it's a good six inches across. The only parameter I've changed somewhat recently is to dial down the light on that side of the tank just a bit. The closest thing I've found searching for the cause is the notion that sometimes a clam will expel excess zooxanthellae.

Thoughts? Maybe I'll restore my light settings (although that's in tension with a coral which has grown very high in the tank and seemed less happy)

OrionN · 08/14/2020, 11:05 PM

That is a strand of discarded zooxanthellae .

perverseosmosis · 08/15/2020, 01:00 PM

As a follow up, those threads came out for a few days then stopped.

08/03/2020, 07:48 PM	#1
perverseosmosis Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 68	ID: Long thin strand of something coming from a Maxima The last couple evenings, our Maxima has had this very thin, very long, brown filament coming out its exhalant siphon. It looks almost like a strand of long brown hair. I gave it little tug and the clam closed up, so I stopped doing that! The next day it was gone, only to come back later in the evening. I think the clam is pretty healthy. I've had it for a long time and it's a good six inches across. The only parameter I've changed somewhat recently is to dial down the light on that side of the tank just a bit. The closest thing I've found searching for the cause is the notion that sometimes a clam will expel excess zooxanthellae. Thoughts? Maybe I'll restore my light settings (although that's in tension with a coral which has grown very high in the tank and seemed less happy)

08/14/2020, 11:05 PM	#2
OrionN Moved on Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Coastal Texas Posts: 15,996	That is a strand of discarded zooxanthellae . __________________ Minh My homepage is my album here at Reef Central Current Tank Info: Reboot 320 anemones reef. Angels: Yellow Chest Regal(2), Flame (2). Copperband But. Tangs: Yellow, Purple. Wrasse: about 20 wrasses various species. Anemones: Giantea X4 (Breen, Blue, Purple and Multicolors), Haddoni X1 Red, Magnifica X1 Purpletip

08/15/2020, 01:00 PM	#3
perverseosmosis Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 68	As a follow up, those threads came out for a few days then stopped.