Crocea question

Steve C.S.

New member
I just got my first clam. Its a 4" crocea (purple if it matters) I have it in a 65gal tank with a 250 65k mh and 110 watt pc's. Should I put the clam on a rock or on the sand and on the bottom or near the top? I hope to get more clams latter but this one was free ( a trade) so I want to be sure it does well so my wife will agree to more later. Any help would be great and as soon as I find a dig. camera I will add a pic. Thanks for the help.
Steve
 
Hi,

T. crocea is a rock burrowing bi-valve, so I would place it in the rockwork but better if it's already attached to a small rock or oyster shell or whatever. If you place it unattached to anything onto a large rock...when it attaches it'll be difficult if not impossible (w/o harm) to remove.
This of course after the fellow has acllimated until it wasn't removed under stressfull situations and similiar lighting...


HTH
 
Steve, Crocea's are found on hard substrates in the wild. So rocks it is. The Crocea is known as the boring clam. Not ho-hum boring but boring as in drilling. Crocea's are capable to actually dig themselves into solid limestone. They use a combimation of mechanical, and chemical means to dig and dissolve the rock. This is done for protection, the only thing that sticks out is the mantle sometimes.

While acclimating a new clam to your tank, the sandbed is a popular choice, but Crocea's and Maxima's are found in the rocks on the reef, not in the sand.

Best of luck, we look forward to a beautiful picture soon.

Rob
 
If the tank it came from had less intense lighting than yours, I would highly recommend acclimating it on the substrate initially. Clams expel some of their symbiotic algae when under lower lighting conditions, and many a clam has fried inside when placed in more intense lighting conditions too quickly- like not having enough of a tan to lay out in the sun.

If you start with it on the bottom for a week or two, then move it up into a comfortable spot in the rockwork, you will give it the best chance for a successful transition to its new environment.

If the tank it came from had much more intense lighting than you do, you will want to start it off in the rocks where it will get the most benefit from your halide.

Good luck on your new addiction! (Clams are like Lay's potato chips- you can't just have one!)
 
Crocea will do just fine on the sand. You should have enough light in your tank to keep him on the bottom of the tank. They look much better if you look doen to them rather than side way. You will like your clam much better on the sand.
It is true that in nature, they are found attach to rock, however, I have mine on the sand for years. My Crocea triple in size over the years without problem on the sand. For disease control, you may want to keep them on the sand for the first several months. Take him our to clean and look for parasitic snails every few days for the first several months.
Good luck.
Minh Nguyen
 
I strongly agree about the view, Minh. There is no comparison to the viewing pleasure of seeing the clams from above vs. from the side.
 
Actually, since T. crocea IS a burrowing clam (like was said), I'd put it on some low rockwork, and then if it moves put it on the sand.

Sorry I seem to be messing many of my clam posts up lately... :D

RE
 
I strongly agree about the view, Minh. There is no comparison to the viewing pleasure of seeing the clams from above vs. from the side.

So when buying crocea, it should be viewed from the top of the tank or side( eye level)? I have two crocea in my tank now. When i see it (side) through the glass the clams is brown with some blue. When viewing from the above the clam is more beautiful with green color? On the other hand, I stopped by LFS today and saw some Crocea with the same of viewing. IS it nature of crocea? maxima?....or something wrong?
 
It is the nature of the mantle to reflect colors in the direction the light is coming from. For this reason, they look better when viewed from above as much as possible while getting them plenty of light.

This is for all of the colored-mantled clams, not just Crocea.

:)
 
Which pic?

Almost all of my clam pictures are taken from above the clam looking through the front glass at an angle. I also like to take them from directly above, but it is hard to keep the flash or halides from glaring off the surface.

I have experimented shooting through plastic or glass on the surface of the water also.
 
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