Another new clam question...

[RooFish]

So, I finally got my first clam. Hes a little maxima thats nice blue and green, very cool, in my opinion. I wish I had a picture to show you, but I don't.

Anyway, on to my question; I put him on the sand when I got home, with a little half scallop shell from work underneath him. He attached to it really quick, but his mantle is only out some. The edge of it is about even with the outer edge of his top row of scutes. However, in the middle it seems like the two sides of the mantle almost meet, instead of being like I see in most of your pictures where you can see the middle area. Is this normal, or should he be more open then he is. Since he attached, is he happy and I should leave him, or should I move him somewhere else so his mantle will extend more?

Also, hes a little less than 3 inches, so I want to feed him sometimes. As far as I know, you put the clam in a cup full of tank water, and add some DTs, then let him filter it right? Do I need to put him near the light so he opens, or should I just set him on the table next to the tank? Also, how long should he be in the cup?

If you want tank parameters to go off of for the extension thing; amm: 0, nitrite:0 nitrate: somewhere under 10, sg: 1.023 pH: 8.2
calc: 400-410 alk: 6. Its a 46 with 45# LR, a 175 mh with 2 36 actinc pcs, a hang on refugium (like 5ish gallons) and a remora skimmer. I dose DTs every other day.

 

[firechild]

I would give the clam a bit more time to adjust to its new environment before panicking over mantle extension.
What sort of flow do you have? Clams don't like a lot of flow and will often not open as much in high flow. Also what sort of fish do you have? Have you checked the shell for pyramid snails?

I have never dosed phyto in my tanks or target fed clams so I can't help you with feeding questions.

 

[RooFish]

The two pumps and the outlets from the refugium and skimmer are both at the top, so the clam on the sand doesn't get a whole lot of flow, but I'll check to see.

For fish there is a flasher wrasse, a solar wrasse, a scooter blenny and a purple firefish, none of which I have seen within a few inches of the clam.

I checked the shell for pyrimidal snails when I first got it, and last night. I didn't see anything, but I'm not quite sure what I'm looking for, so I could have missed it. If someone could give a description or a pic, that would be helpful.

I kinda figured I should give it some time to adjust, but I want him to be happy, so...

 

[SurferStevo]

I have never dosed phyto in my tanks or target fed clams........

I've never bowl fed either but apparently you are supposed to leave the clam in there until the water returns to clear.

 

[RooFish]

Thanks for the help, today he was more open, so i guess I was just obsessing.

 

[THE GIMP]

HI!

I also bought two small maxi's for my tank. I bought them on 4/20/03, sunday. They have extended 100% the first day. However, both of them have huffed and puffed themselves 1/2 way into the sand bed (DSB), at about a 25 degree list. The 1/2 of the mantel on the "top side" of both clams are now exended about 70 %, and te lower mantel at 100%. Both clams have angled themselves at opposite angles. They are on opposite sides of the tank. Kinda cool actually.....
I have a single 400w20K.
Firechild, I have about 600gph from the return, with two maxijets at 295gph in each corner. Do you think this might be too much flow for the little doods? They are about 3-4" each. One of the clams huffs and puffs quite regularly, kicking up sand, and in turn getting it in his own face, and then blowing it out. Should i try to straighten them, or is this what they want to do? And if my flow is too much for them, after i reduce the flow, should I put them back on top of the sand? Too much flow actually makes alot of sense, since both of the pH's flows are tward the center, causing the current to come together and flow tward the front of the tank, and then to opposite corners - which the clams are now facing. The pH's are blowing onto the LR, and defusing therein, well, in theory, anywho

Tx, TG

 

[willis]

Just picked up my clam on the 18th, a little 3" maxima. Here's a pic.

 

[willis]

oooops!!

 

[THE GIMP]

I'm such a YOYO.

I just read a bunch of threads here in the clam section. I was under the impression that all they needed were halides.........
What was I thinking. I am going to read all there is and then some. For now, any advice would be greatly appreciated, if not for my sake, then for my beutiful maxis before i screw up again by not researching all there is before I buy. As you can tell by my previous post on this thread, I have not done my home work. Smack me later, first tell me what I should do for thier best interest. Thanks.

FYI: I am going to place one on the LR, about 3" up from the DSB. The other, I will place an Abalone shell under the clam on the DSB. I could place them both on the LR, but it will not be as ballanced. Will get Phyto tomarrow, just incase they need it. Please give me a thumbs up or tell me what else I should do, and thanks again.

BTW, Nice clam willis

 

[SurferStevo]

Gimp - I've seen people placing their clams on shells to get the clam to attach (actually I thought I was the only one doing this ) - then you could move the clam anywhere in the tank. You could slowly acclimate it to your light or in case you make a change it could be moved away from direct current or whatever the case may be. My maximas seem to be happy on their shells on the DSB (10" from the surface of the water), but that's only a somewhat temporary thing until I re-do the aquascaping (something not that exciting to me right now). The only good thing about their location is that they are in a light current under MH.

 

[THE GIMP]

Greetings!

Roofish, how is your clamy doing now that it has been a few more days? I hope he is "Big Smiles"

Srfmon, I put them on shells in the sand, they look better already. I feel pretty bad now that I can see what they were doing, huffing to find something solid to get a hold of.
They are about 14" from the surface of the water, and about 20" total from the 400w halide. I think this is good. Does anyone think they should be closer to the light? I am adding a 50/50 for surise and sunset to cut down on the stress of turning off and on the lights and will cut down on the full blast of the 400W to about 8 hrs, and to have the single 2' 50/50 on two hours before and after the halide.
Thanks for help.....God I love this place

TG

 

[RooFish]

His mantles all the way out, still doesn't open much between though. Oh well, maybe he never will.

I still want to know more about this cup feeding method. So if anyone has experience...