Clam Health - Crocea Coloration

[gmckinley]

I have a question regarding healthy coloration in my crocea clam. The center of the mantle has a washed out brownish look to it, versus the bright blue that I think it used to be. The rest of the clam has retained its bright blue color and the clam is acting well. Water parameters are all good and no signs of parasties or predators. I've had it for ~1 1/2 months. It's small (2 inches) and sits about 2/3 down the water column in my 90 gallon. My lighting is 2x150W HQI + 2x96W actinic. Finding good clam health resources is difficult, so any good advice is appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Peabody]

Have you been feeding him? He would need regular feeding of live phyto if he's that small. (Most people use a bowl or feeding bell)

 

[gmckinley]

I've been periodically feeding him - but maybe incorrectly - approximately 1-2 times per week. I've been mixing Kent phytoplankton with aquarium water and using a kitchen baster to direct the mix over the clam. Is this OK or would you recommend something else?

 

[Peabody]

That's not particularly good for 2 reasons....first spot feeding with a baster can clog a clam's gills and kill it. That's why peoplle do the bowl/bell feeding....it's super diluted and gives the clam a long time to filter it out. The other thing is the Kent isn't very good. It's dead and very "clumpy" (too big for the clams often) See if you can get some DTs

 

[gmckinley]

Any suggestions on how often I should feed it, how long should I keep him in the bowl, and how much DT's I should put in there? Thanks for your help.

 

[Peabody]

I haven't done it for a while (my clams are grown up), but I fed 2-3 times a week. I diluted 1 o r2 capfuls in a bowl and let him feed for 20-30 minutes. The water would turn from light green to clear in that time. Search more on this forum for more detailed info that I can recall

 

[Snprhed]

I don't bowl feed. My clams are in a 20H right now I just treat the tank, treating a 90 would probably be expensive. However I think that Peabody is dead on with the advice.

 

[OldmillXxX]

Since the search feature still isn't working can someone explain bowl/bell feeding to me? Do you literally take the clam out of the tank and place it in a bowl? All the handling isn't stressful?

Thanks.

 

[dwiseman]

I would also like to know. I would think that by removing the clam every other day would be stressful. Feeding the entire tank with cyclopeeze with the pumps off is not enough???

 

[Peabody]

Cyclopeeze is unsuitable forclams. It's MUCH too large.

The 2 common methods are the bowl feeding method descibed. Or, you can make a feeding bell our of a 2liter bottle, airline tubing and an arline valve. You place it over the clam and the sand, squirt enough phyto in and close the valve. Then after 20-30 minutes, remove the bell. Make sure you serve live phyto!

I had a 2 inch maxima almost double in size in one year thanks to this, while other reefers who I knew lost their babies to under feeding.

 

[The steven liu]

I culture live phytoplankton of my own and feed my clams daily (I do have a large concentration of animals to my tank)

 

[dwiseman]

where do you buy your culture sets to start growing live phyto. I have read flame angels 10 step culture and will begin to try it.

 

[OldmillXxX]

The bell method sounds like a clean and easy method. I'll have to try that when I get my tank to that point and introduce the clam(s).

Thanks.