clams as a growth aid for sps? Bizarre...

[Sk8r]

Sometimes you end up with unplanned things in a 'community' tank---community in the sense that I don't do all the specimen selection for it: one of the unplanneds---a crocea clam which refuses to get into the rockwork, and sits on the sand; a HUGE bubble and a pretty huge frogspawn that no, can't be traded. So I've got a little acropora microphthalmia that had done zip, that I moved in practically under the mantel of the crocea just to be sure it was safe from its blowsier neighbors. Well, the crocea has readjusted its position to shade the little frag...but the frag has responded by growing half an inch in a month and a half, twice the growth of anything else in the tank.

Odd, eh? I don't know if my water is that dirty and it likes being in the 'breath' of the clam, or if it's being stimulated by a mild warfare with the clam, or if it's just in love...

Anyone ever notice anything like?

But

 

[Cody Ray]

My guess would be that the clam is attempting to prevent corals from growing to close to it.

 

[rodd1rj]

could be a reaction to stimulus. As its shaded by the clam is responds by growing into the light. Sounds good atleast.

 

[Sk8r]

I'm sure the clam is a higher order of intelligence than the little frag...and it's moved and claimed more of the light. But here we are on the bottom, 20" down from a 250 mh, [which of course the crocea loves], and the little acropora, which is supposed to be VERY high light, is thriving and growing like crazy in the shade of the crocea's mantle. Maybe IT'S trying to reach daylight and get out of the shade, but it sure is strange. I have a little ululata that hasn't done a darn thing since I got it, and I'm thinking of moving it into the clam's neighborhood just as a second test subject.

 

[panic]

the negatives are that if the clam shades it too much, the coral will fade and die, and if the clam dies the corals close to it are toast. I have had both happen. I admit that the coral close to clam that I had to move is one of my fastest growers.

 

[rtbm]

how does the color look?

 

[djmuzzi]

There is a new book out by Wayne Sheng (sp). I think he is a memeber here? He has a massive sps tank and he attributes his success to stocking many clams as a source of essential natural filtration

 

[Sk8r]

Interesting. It's a grayish acropora micropthalmia that was supposed to have green polyps and an overall pale blueish tint. The pale blue tint is back at the growth ends, and I'm hoping the polyps will start showing up again. I got it from Foster/Smith, and it just had 'failed to thrive' where it was, no longer extending polyps, etc. I wonder if clams might not be an asset in a frag tank. I know my lfs keeps sale clams with frags. Maybe it's purposeful. I should ask.

I also turn out to have had a massive hidden phosphate problem, which is hand-over-fist improving with the inclusion of Phosban. I'll be interested to see overall what changes this is making. I do note my acropora aculeus is extending polyps much further, and that specimen is my hardy grower: it's starting to look like a colony, after languishing at about the size of the micropthalmia for two months. Now you can actually see growth habit on the thing, and it looks like the reef pix. If I can just get the subulata to do likewise, I'll be happy.
I live in an area which has a number of routinely fragged good colonies, but everybody has the same ones: I'd hoped to import and grow a few which aren't seen in our area, and this little micropthalmia staghorn looks to be a candidate now....give or take a year.

 

[djmuzzi]

Kalkwasser helps with phosphte removal too. I have never had the courage to make the jump over to kalkwasser though.