4 clam questions

[Navyblue]

1. How do we know that the clam is feeding? Or like what we are feeding it?

2. When the clam mantle is not fully extended due to current, does it do much harm to the clam?

3. How long does it took your croceas to stop gapping?

4. I've seen 2 croceas in the LFS with mantle super extended, bigger than anything than I've seen, is it a good thing?

Thanks.

 

[Scuba Dog]

1. I only feed baby clam directly by adding live phytoplankton (green water to a cup or bowl) I add just enough to give the cup water a slight green tint...then after some time the water clears thats how you know the clams in the cup are feeding...larger clams I just add some water directly to the tank...not much though there have been studys done that state once a clam reaches a certain size that they loose the ability to filter feed...but that releates to maxmas and croceas..

2. if the clam is bothered enough by the curent I sugest to move it to an area that has less curent .

3. by nature the croces just tend to gape more than the other species of clams, my 4 croceas do...why I dont know...

4...what kind of lights to the LFS have over the display tanks, a major extension of the mantel can be a sign of a light poor system....

 

[Navyblue]

1. I only feed baby clam directly by adding live phytoplankton (green water to a cup or bowl) I add just enough to give the cup water a slight green tint...then after some time the water clears thats how you know the clams in the cup are feeding...larger clams I just add some water directly to the tank...not much though there have been studys done that state once a clam reaches a certain size that they loose the ability to filter feed...but that releates to maxmas and croceas..

Mine are croceas (about 3.5"), do you feed your large clams?

2. if the clam is bothered enough by the curent I sugest to move it to an area that has less curent .

It is opening but probably not the widest, it has stuck intelf on the rock so if possible I'll prefer to leave him.

3. by nature the croces just tend to gape more than the other species of clams, my 4 croceas do...why I dont know...

Yea, weird fellows.

4...what kind of lights to the LFS have over the display tanks, a major extension of the mantel can be a sign of a light poor system....

That's what I think too. They are under 150w DE MH and looked a little brown out. And the darn LFS owner told me it is because of the good "ionic balance". He preach dosing trace elements btw.

Thanks.

 

[Navyblue]

do you feed your large clams?

Please ignore this question

 

[Scuba Dog]

Depends on how much phytoplankton I have, at the moment I am in short supply so I just bowl feed the small clams....when I have larger amounts on hand ill add some to the refugium to feed the pods and a small amount to the display....Need to get my tail in gear and start culturing my own phyto....

But since your over in the asian rim....I bet yall have some excelent clams to choose from, down here its like pulling teeth just to get some ultra max's and when some are available they disapear quickly.....

 

[Navyblue]

Actually, it is quite a rare occasion when LFS carries clam, and once they have they are snapped up fast too. And most the more "normal" looking. I have never seen those fancier looking clam in person, except on US websites like RC or CD. But I guess livestocks here in general are cheaper than in the American or European continent. Both of my 3.5" crocea cost me less than 15 USD each. A false perc or damsel normally cost about a dollar. But the premium SPS are probably as expensive.

This is what I heard from an Indonesian in a local forum. Indonesia is a preety big source when come to livestock, although they can get soft corals, anemone and local fishes cheap, more expensive livestocks like SPS are rare, because the exporter put them in high priority for export as it makes more money.

So the moral of the story is, it has got nothing to do with proximity, it is all about the cash you can stick out.

 

[jda]

I suggest buying clams from the LFS out of the bag from the supplier. Unless they have provided a propensity to keep clams, you need to assume that they have been slowly wasting away since they got them.

This is the only assumption that I make about clams at the LFS.

 

[Navyblue]

Well although I can't catch which day that the LFS has new stock, but my religious pilgrimage to the LFS make me sure that the clam is in LFS not more than a few days.