Clam not opening up (pics)

[SaltyNewb]

Picked up a clam today, very nice looking blue (not sure the kind)Anyways I put him on the sand in my 29g and I have a giesemann 150w NovaII HQI pendant with 20k BLV bulb. It seems that the clam is not opening up all the way and hardly sometimes. Water parameters are fine.

Ph stays between 8.0-8.1 during the day, should i dose supplements every day to keep it at 8.2+, i figure since it's a semi-new tank i should just keep it steady with the alkalinity and calcium. Water parameters have been great since I've had the tank, no problems at all.

I unplugged one of the mj's in my tank in case he was getting too much flow.

Could he not be getting enough light? Don't they hyperextend when they don't have enough? He hasn't come out enough for me to tell yet. Any input is appreciated.

Thanks

Daniel

p.s.: there are these little sprout looking things on the clam shell, i'll try to take a picture but they are hard and wondering if anyone might have any clue as to what they were.

 

[mbbuna]

how did you acclimate the clam to your tank?the clam is a crocea and they come from shallow water and the 20k that you have is more for deep water,and the intensity of the 20k is going to be low for what the clam needs.i think the clam is just having acclamation problems to your new water and lighting. do you know what type of lighting the clam came from?

 

[SaltyNewb]

well at the LFS if i remember correctly, it lookd to be in a tank with 2 mogul halides, most likely 10k with super actinic supplementation. I have a 13k bulb I can put in, would this be better?

I used the drip method to acclimate the clam.

 

[SaltyNewb]

edit, it's been 3 days since i got it (saturday)

 

[mbbuna]

6500k to 10k would be the best but the 13k would be much better then the 20k,has it been like that for 3 days or is it getting better/worse?

 

[SaltyNewb]

the first day it looked good but has been like this today and yesterday, if you think it'll make a big difference i'll put the 13k in.

 

[mbbuna]

i can't gaurentee that its going to perk up right away put that bulb is closer to the lighting that that SP. of clam has evolved to over its existance,there could be something else doing it but i would start with that.

what do you add to your tank?
what fish are in your tank?
have you checked for any snails?
do you have any crabs?
you said that your water is right on, post the #'s

 

[SaltyNewb]

HEY! I think my god damn bi color blennie keeps nipping at it! I'm taking him out asap as soon as I can make a trap!

Roomate just told me he was doing it yesterday too!

 

[mbbuna]

bingo!

 

[SaltyNewb]

what is the best way to catch one of those, they are quick! shoudl I make one of those two liter bottle things?

 

[mbbuna]

when ever I try to catch a fish I get po'ed and just start breaking stuff down so I don't think I can help you there,but if you have a clear 2L bottle you can take the cap off and cut it so that you make a dome and then cut some slats all around it so water can still flow good and place it over the clam.that will give the clam some relief for now till you get the offender out.

 

[SaltyNewb]

what are those things sticking off of the shell though?

 

[mbbuna]

they are just some type of tube worm nothing to worry about