Baby Ultra Corcea

[Shift_9k]

Hey guys finally took the plunge and got a clam. However, I know hes gonna need special care since hes probably around 2 inches or so.

I have him on the sand bed now. No hyperextended mantle, looks good, open and flat. Color is a bright neon green but looks purplish blue from the sides.

I have a couple of questions. I know hes gonna need to be fed, my tank is only 24G but I have 150HQI MH with a 14k bulb. So i think im good on the lighting.

I was thinking of taking him out into a clear bowl and mixing in some DT's phyto in tank water in the bowl before I put him in. Let him clear of the water, pick him up put him back in the sand. Once every other day. Would this work?

Will the stress of constantly picking him up and putting him in the bowl cause him to freak out and you know...die!

Does it matter if hes attached to anything? Since currently hes not just got him yesterday and is on the sand bed.

Thanks for any help on this, I wanna make this bad boy grow!


Pics to come.

 

[ezcompany]

bowl feeding not necessary. it will just stress him out more as they hate being handled. if you want to dose dts, dose directly into your tank. if you want him to attach to a rock place it under the substrate and he will find it to attach. post pics

 

[Shift_9k]

Awesome. You dont think that would throw off the water? I just didnt want to sacrifice water quality.

 

[Shift_9k]

oh and camera charging!

 

[a4twenty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10756154#post10756154 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Shift_9k
Awesome. You dont think that would throw off the water? I just didnt want to sacrifice water quality.

no, just start small and slowly build up. as ez has said it is not necessary if you have a regularly feed fish population but it won't hurt in moderation.

the 2" size is not as much of a concern as the with other species because crocea's grow a lot slower than the other clams and a 2" crocea is much older than a 2" ( insert other species name here ).

 

[Shift_9k]

So Im thinking I have a 24g tank. On the DT Live Plankton bottle it says 5ml for 15G. Im thinkin I'll cut that in half or maybe more. I'll squirt in about 2.5ml or so into the tank. Or should I dissolve it in some tank water before it goes in?

 

[Shift_9k]

Here are the pics fellas.

FTS:

 

[skinz78]

your tank looks too new and undeveloped to host a clam, add some more fish and coral before adding anymore.

 

[Shift_9k]

Im not adding anymore clams. Gonna pick up a pair of true percs today. I had a pair of ocellaris up til three days ago, I traded them in on a incoming shipment of percs so, today i'll have fish in there again.

 

[reefkoi]

From all the reading I have done (including presentation with James fatheree), feeding of any sized clams is not needed.
On a recent public aquarium tour I heard from the "volunteer tour guide" they like Krill but we all know they'd reject something that large out anyway.

Feeding a clam phyto? are the herbivores? I don't know but I can't see that being the difference between them living or dying.
Chris

 

[seapug]

The only clam "feeding" system I've seen work for a hobbyist is keeping the clams in a plastic tupperware tray with sand in it. When feeding time came, phytoplankton was squirted into the tray and a lid was put on top for about 15 minutes. It was interesting, but really only worthwhile for super-baby clams (1") that need more direct feeding. Good strong light and fish poop work way better for clams of average "starter" size that are most often available from retailers.

reefkoi, clams are herbivores, but the plant matter they eat are really much smaller and different than anything you can really buy in a bottle. In a tank they get enough nutrition by photosynthesis and by consuming ammonia/nitrate from the fish.

 

[reefkoi]

seapug, do you know what percentage an average tridacna uses symbiotic algae for its survival? I've heard from 100% to 200% so it stands to reason they don't need to be target fed at all if they can utilise the byproducts that the little algae give them.
I don't know if that makes them an herbivore, but in a sense they host algae to live off of, but don't eat said algae instead use the sugars and proteins from them so really they could be.
Chris

 

[seapug]

Actually, they have a fully developed digestive system and are capable of "eating" large quantities of phytoplankton of specific types, just not the kind you buy in a bottle and squirt in your tank.

I'm in agreement with you about this and coral feeding in general. People have a tendency to dump way to much junk in their tanks nowadays.

 

[ezcompany]

according to James F, clams also take in zooplankton.

 

[Shift_9k]

Guys the clam has been doing great, you can see some white growth marks when he closes his mantle. The only thing is, I put a rock which i buried underneath him maybe a good 1.5 inch and some of it stuck out behind him.

Its not picked the rock up over him and is laying on his side. Normal?

Pics forthcoming.

 

[1QuickSubaru]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10834403#post10834403 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ezcompany
according to James F, clams also take in zooplankton.

I heard him speak at MACNA. He mentioned that clams do not need to be directly fed. They will take phyto and zooplankton as well as the cheapest food of them all... detritus... Lighting is the key... btw, I dont think that clam will survive very long in a immature tank like yours... good luck though