Finally got one!

[12gallonbaby]

So I just bought my first ever clam and placed him in the sand bed in a spot that has a lot of light. He has moved himself around a little as if to wedge his foot into the sand. I bought some phyto-gold S to feed him and some liquid reef to help with my calcium levels both products are made by brightwell aquatics. He is opened up almost all the way and looks happy so i guess wish me luck with him!

<a href="http://s249.photobucket.com/albums/gg216/wldctgymnst/?action=view&current=DSC00704.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg216/wldctgymnst/DSC00704.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s249.photobucket.com/albums/gg216/wldctgymnst/?action=view&current=DSC00705.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg216/wldctgymnst/DSC00705.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

[a4twenty]

nice crocea, good luck and keep us updated please.

 

[12gallonbaby]

i will!

 

[IslandCrow]

Croceas are rock boring clams, and it's best to put them on a flat rock as opposed to directly on the sand. Mature clams probably won't actually bore into the rock, but that's a good rule for most Tridacnid clams. You can put it on the sand if that's where you want it to be, but still place a flat rock beneath the clam and then cover the rock with sand. That way, you don't have to see the rock, and the sand will also help keep the clam upright. The reason you do this is because predators will sometimes attack the clam through the bissal foot.

One additional note. You may already know this, but don't squirt the phytoplankton directly at the clam. And definitely don't subscribe to the process of removing the clam from the tank and placing it in a bowl of phyto saturated water. Both methods are tantamount to shoving food down the clam's throat. Just feed the whole tank. Truthfully, in 99% of the tanks out there, the clam is going to get plenty of food with or without supplemental phytoplankton.

 

[12gallonbaby]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13072104#post13072104 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by IslandCrow
Croceas are rock boring clams, and it's best to put them on a flat rock as opposed to directly on the sand. Mature clams probably won't actually bore into the rock, but that's a good rule for most Tridacnid clams. You can put it on the sand if that's where you want it to be, but still place a flat rock beneath the clam and then cover the rock with sand. That way, you don't have to see the rock, and the sand will also help keep the clam upright. The reason you do this is because predators will sometimes attack the clam through the bissal foot.

One additional note. You may already know this, but don't squirt the phytoplankton directly at the clam. And definitely don't subscribe to the process of removing the clam from the tank and placing it in a bowl of phyto saturated water. Both methods are tantamount to shoving food down the clam's throat. Just feed the whole tank. Truthfully, in 99% of the tanks out there, the clam is going to get plenty of food with or without supplemental phytoplankton.

thanks! i just started to spot feed because the lfs told me it was best but i wont do that again! and thanks for the info about the rock base. that could be why he is trying to dig himself into the sand bed. if i dont have a small rock to set underneath him should i use a shell? i have heard of people doing that before.

 

[IslandCrow]

Yes, a shell will work just fine. Even a piece of ceramic tile will work. Just about any hard, flat surface. If you want to do some additional reading on giant clams, both James Fatheree and Daniel Knop have excellent books:

http://www.amazon.com/Giant-Clams-S...bs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217703323&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Giant-Clams-C...=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217703323&sr=1-2