first clam help?

[ezhoops]

done all the reading but still have some questions

want a derasa or squamosa for my 55 gal. I know that they grow to large sizes. I'm using T-5 lights and plan to place the clam within 8inches of the lights. I'm concerned about its placement in the rocks, does it have to be wedged between rocks tightly or should I just lay it gently upright on a semi flat rock and hope that it will attach. What happens if it falls?

food, is cyclopeeze a good food choice or is DT's necessary? lastly, what is their rate of growth

 

[rmesola]

they don't eat cyclopeeze.. plankton is necessary if under 3 inches, otherwise good lighting is enough...

DT's always help... if you can afford it...

I have mine on a flat piece of rock... I propped it up with rubble on both sides at first... now that it's attached, it balances itself without any propping...

 

[ezhoops]

so if over 3 inches will it eat cyclopeeze? and other items of that particle size?

 

[acroconut]

I like to place my clams on a piece of rubble, or half clam shell, and let them attach to that first and then place the clam on to my rockwork. It can be very difficult to move a clam (should the need arise) once it has attached its byssal threads to your main reef structure.

 

[acroconut]

rmesola is right. Clams won't eat cyclopeeze at any age. They get the energy they need primarily from the zooanthellae in their mantles (which is why most clams require good illumination). Clams under 3 " require the feeding of phytoplankton, since their small mantles can't produce the necessary energy for their survival.