Clams closing more slowly

[s1ndr0me]

Hi,

I have had a 3in Maxima and 4in Derasa for a couple of months now, they have both put out new layers of shell and are fully open most of the time and look to be in excellent condition. My concern is that initialy I was told that a healthy clam closes fast if 'upset'. When I accidentally disturbed them recently I dicovered that they now only close quite slowly expecially the Derasa (intially they were fast). They do close but more at a relaxed rate. As far as I can tell the conditions are pretty good for clams in the tank. Should I be worried? (ph 8.0 - 8.2, no NO2 or NH4, NO3 about 2? , 400W MH clams about 30 inches beneath, 82f, Ca 450, dosed Mg, molybdium, strontioum, iodide)

The first thing that springs to mind is lack of food, I do dose with Reef Snow though. Will a clam still grow shell if it's got plenty of calcium but not enough plantkton? Having said that the mantles seem to have grown too . . .

Could they have just got lazy?

Thanks,

Keith

 

[tacocat]

Keep feeding them, especially the 3" clam. It sounds like your clams are comfortable with your system. They have gotten use to all the fish swimming over them. Only croceas colse quickly after settling in.

 

[s1ndr0me]

Ok, no probs then, thank you for your advice!

 

[Ti]

Yeh my maxima got used to the fish going over them, Sometimes they don't even flinch depending how close the fish is over them.

 

[tacocat]

I forgot to add that. I have fish that perch on my Maxima, and it doesn't close. The crocea, well that clam can't stand it.

 

[s1ndr0me]

Thanks - so if I ever wanted to selll my clams I'd have to 'torture' them a bit first to teach them to close fast again so somebody else would buy them ))) (Not that I want to, I really like my clams for some reason)