acclimating clams`

[heedicus]

hello,
I have got my first clam comin in on tues, and am curious to find out if there is any special other than normal acclimation ( a turkey baster of tank water ever 15 minutes in a bucket for 2 hours or so.) with the ligthing i just start em off on the sand cause they will walk around anywho right? I have a 125 with 3x250 mh.
thanks,
tren

 

[JDT]

heedicus;
I can only tell you what I do with the clams I put in my own tank at home. Any time I acclimate I use an IV tube that lets you adjust the drip that you want, I normally put my clams in a Styrofoam box and let it drip for about 2 hours. As to placement, the only clams I will put in my own personal tank are farm raised as I no longer trust wild clams with all the problems we have had keeping them alive. I know where they are coming from and the fact that before shipping they have been kept under good lighting so I can place them in my tank and not have to acclimate them to light. I also check them closely for any of those nasty critters that can attach to clams but so far, knock on wood, have never had a problem with finding them on any of my clams.

As to your placement of your first clam, is this a wild or farm raised clam, what species clam is this? Squamosa and Derasa clams do fine in my tank on the sand bed, but Crocea and Maxima's I find the more light they get the better they do, this would also apply with the lighting you have in your tank. If wild you might want to give him just a couple of days on your sand bed, but that depends on where he has been stored recently (ie under good lighting already), but then move him up closer to your light if the species is Maxima or Crocea. If you have been reading some are also suggesting quarantining clams for awhile if this is a wild clam. You should also check on feeding your clam with many of the links in the clam section, they do need food and calcium.

I have the same size tank as you the same MH bulbs but with 560 watts of VHO actinic lights. I put my clams mid way and higher in the tank, clams and sps are all I put in this tank, I have lost count how many clams I have, at least 12 and I have 2 more that I am taking home today. My biggest problem is seeing these clams when they first come in it can be very difficult not to take them all home with me!

Good luck with your first clam and I am sure you will become HOOKED like the rest of us!!
Jack

A picture of some of mine at home!

 

[jim norris]

JDT,
AWESOME picture! I basically acclimate mine to their new water the same way. Then as for their lighting requirements I start all off under PCs. After acouple of weeks the higher light loving clams will then go under 250 watt mhs. Then the last step is some with go under 400 watt Mhs. All 3 steps have actinics either PCs , VHOs or Nos systems.
heedicus,
Your methond will also work fine IMO. Go as slow as possible (it's hard) but worth it in the long run.
JDT,
how about some more pictures of your personal tank?
Jim

 

[heedicus]

wow those are some awesome lookin clams,
it is a farm raised 2 1/2 maxima, so should i put it on the rock right off the bat? i thought it was bad to put them up there cause they might walk of the edge or something? cant wait for this guy to come in on tues.
because of his size he will not be as dependant on food right? he is on the transition to more photosynthic?
thanks
tren

 

[K. Lee]

JDT,

Those are indeed beautiful tridacna. I especially like the blue with goldflake pattern. I never saw one like that, simply awesome color.

 

[JDT]

heedicus;
I wanted to check with this link today to see if you had written about the arrival of your clam that was due to be delivered yesterday to find that a reply that I had made on Monday never was posted, not sure why, but I will reply now to your last question.

With the size of the maxima that you received and the lights that you have, and depending on what kind of lights this clam had been stored under, I really don't see the need to acclimate this clam to your lighting, but that is a decision for you to make. If you can find out what kind of lights this has been stored under that can help you decide. With all the clams I have taken home to my tank, ok I counted this past weekend and I have 16, I have never acclimated them for lighting. Your concern about putting them on rock and them walking off, they might do that any way, I have to go in on occasion and pick clams up that have fallen because of snails knocking them over, but have never lost any because of this. If you have a place that you can place this clam that secures him or surrounds him then I don't think you should have a problem.

As to the food, the only thing I put in my tank is Golden Pearls and other then adjusting Ph, alkalinity and calcium levels when needed, I don't add any thing else. The reason why I don't have a need to do this is because I am changing 20-25 gallons of water each week and this adds supplements to the tank that I don't need to add, if you don't make that kind of water change then you might need to add something like DT's. It is easier to add something on a regular bases then at a latter date if this clam does not get enough nutrition, that again is a decision that you need to make. Remember that what we put in our tanks has to depend on us to help keep them alive! Also don't forget we want pictures of your new clam!

jim norris;
I have refrained from posting pictures of my tank as I don't want to give the impression that I am try to get business with what I have in my own tank. The occasional picture like the one in this link is one thing but doing more, maybe some day.

K. Lee;
See what I mean about the problem of seeing what comes in first, it is a hard burden that I have to put up with on every shipment. I try my best not to take everything home so I have to limit my search to only the unusual and hard to find!

Jack

 

[jim norris]

Jack,
I understand!
Jim

 

[heedicus]

JDT
I got the clam from you! It took me this long to figure that one out=) A great looking clam too, you should put those on the weekly special more often!! so with that in mind any sugguestions on acclimating him to light? I have him on the sand bed now and he is as happy as a clam(sorry cheezy pun). but should i move him up?
Again thanks for such a great service with your company.
tren

 

[JDT]

Tren,
Glad you liked that clam. I can tell you that when I ordered those Gold Maxima clams they had been advertised as only 1 1/2 inches. Because they ran out of that size they sent me the 2 1/2 inch at the same price and even hand picked them for us, and the colors we got don't look like most Gold Maxima clams, needless to say one went home. I ran out of those and have ordered more but have already been informed that this time I will be getting the 1 1/2 inch ones, so for those of us who lucked out with that special...enjoy.

I had those clams stored right under a 400 watt MH so I don't think you need to do any acclimating to your light. I am glad to hear that he looks happy on the sand bed but over time I can tell you that he will not do well, so move him up at least half way to the top of your tank and if you can under one of your MH bulbs. If you have an area that you can tilt him you will see the color better.

When I ordered more clams the other day they informed me that they had gotten a maxima that was very close to being a tear drop but that some of the drop circles were not complete, of course something that different I wanted so he will be here today, ok that puts me up to 17. Picture to follow.

Tren, I hope you enjoy your first clam and that he does well in your tank. You know of course that your first clam leads to your second and on and on!
Jack

 

[heedicus]

I was delighted when I found that I was getting a 2.5=)
I would love to see some more pics! I will even post the pic of mine here in a little bit.
I will move em up, I have got a perfect place for him right under a bulb so that should be good. Do i need to worry about him walking off any ledges or off the rocks? and as far as current what should I go for on this lil guy?

And I am fully aware that one leads to another ot another to another, I just hope all my clams will be as happy and beautiful as the ones in the picture you posted!
thanks
t

 

[JDT]

Tren,
If you have a perfect place to put this clam and are worried about him walking off the rock try to surround him with something that will keep this from happening. Sometimes this works sometimes it doesn't work, as I mentioned earlier there are times I have to go in a pull clams off the bottom of my tank because they have fallen over.

As to the current, mine get a good steady current because of the way I have my returns from the sump. I have replaced both returns that come with the All Glass tank with pvc with holes drilled, the pvc goes along the entire back of my tank and the I have put an end cap on the end of each and then braced the two in the middle. I use a Mag 2400 pump that I have only about 3/4 of the way open and I get so much current across the top and down my tank from this that the sand at the bottom of my tank gets blown around at times, I have come to the point where it is easier to have open spaces on the bottom of my tank then to go back in and move the sand back each day. The clams that were in the picture are in front of the tank and gets a steady current, clams don't like very strong current but I find they do like a steady current, this is something that you will have to play around with. If the mantle opens wide and looks happy I would say it likes where it is.

Tren, I am sure that if you take care of your tank that the clams you end up getting in your tank will do as well as mine do. Looking forward to the picture of the clam you got.
Jack

 

[heedicus]

well its not a very good picture, but its a picture none the less=)
my favorite clam

 

[heedicus]

and i am sorry, but i have to post a pic of these lil fellas,
i love em

 

[JDT]

Tren,
I remember picking that clam out now! He looks happy on the sand but remember to bring him up a little higher he will look much better. I was good last week I only took 2 clams home for the week!

Nice picture of the Basslets.
Jack

 

[JasonF]

Tren,
I remember picking that clam out now! He looks happy on the sand but remember to bring him up a little higher he will look much better. I was good last week I only took 2 clams home for the week!

Nice picture of the Basslets.
Jack

I just finished acclimating one of those "special" clams from you, looks good. So you would recomend placement on the rocks? I have a 58 gallon oceanic with about a 3" to 4" sandbed, with a 400watt radium (HQI Ballast) 11" over the water. How often would you recomend feeding DTs and Golden Pearls? Thanks.

Jason