Feeding Clams

[Mekong]

I am feeding phyto feast to derasa and sqamosa.

I put about 2ml of Pyhtofeast in to a 15ml beaker and dilute it to 15ml with tank water. Then I use a pippet to gentaly squirt the clams mouth with a little pyhto, it opens and closes, each clam gets one pippet, and the rest on my dusters.

This is how the LFS told me to feed.

Is this correct? Another LFS told me that I should just pour it in the flow of a power head with the skimmer off.

 

[mbbuna]

i wouldnt squirt it into is incurent opening,id ether put the phyto right into the tank or remove the clam and place it in a large bowl with tank water and the phyto for 1/2 hour and just add enough phyto to tint the water green

 

[Scuba Dog]

Ditto what mbbuna stated above. I have used the bowl technique and it has worked consistantly for me.

 

[Mekong]

!!! you remove the clam to feed it? Thats shocking, makes sense but I would figure that the clam would get ****ed off from being picked up and moved...

I am fallowing the directions on the phytofeast as to how much to feed.

 

[mbbuna]

i remove all 20 of my clams every week or 2 to clean shells, tank and inspect clams,it shouldnt bother them

 

[Scuba Dog]

My clams dont mind being picked up off the sand bed, mind you I dont allow them to touch air. After a whyle they dont even close up when I move them to the feeding container, my theyory is that they are conditioned to being fed. Also it will take some time for the clams to catch on and feed this way...I have to baby piglets that clean the bowl super fast, and I have some Im not even sure they are filter feeding...but after a few weeks the clams will "learn" and start feeding like piglets! at least thats the obesrvations I have made over the last year of feeding baby maxs....

 

[Mekong]

So do you have any light over them when you feed them? Just abiant light or any extra light?

Thanks!

 

[Scuba Dog]

No need for light since they will be in the bowl/cup for only 15 to 30 minuits, just be sure not to forget about them though.

 

[Peabody]

Agreed...and never squirt phyto in a clam's incurrent syphon. It can literally choke them. (The gills are both for feeding and respiration!)

 

[Mekong]

My derasa is attached to the rock, I think removing it would hurt it...

Squamosa on the other hand would work.

It seemed that my clams werent enjoying getting squirted.

Thanks all!!!

 

[Peabody]

If you cannot remove the clam, a "feeding bell" (usually constructed out of a 2 liter bottle and a few other things) are the best things

 

[GROSSR]

So when you remove the clam, you dip the bowl into the water, put the clam into the bowl, take the bowl and clam out and feed it.

thanks

Rich

 

[lgnd95]

How big is your clam Mekong? I just squirt some phyto in the general area of the clams.

 

[Mekong]

I put the squa in a tupperware container and fallowed as directed, I put just enough to tint the water. My clam seemed very unhappy, it didnt close but rather slummped down into its shell. I waited 15 min and with out exposing my clam to the air put it back in the tank and after a while it went back to looking as good as ever, but this seemed really stressful to it.

The derasa has really attached itself to the rock so I just let it be, its looking great ever since I moved it to the display from the fuge.

The squamosa is about 5.5" and the derasa is almost 5" already, its been growing qutie a bit.

I think I might just stick genral area method, when they are this size they dont need much phyto right?