got a new/first clam! derasa!!!

[NoobieNemo]

I got my first clam today!!! it's very exciting!!! it's a derasa...probably 3-4 inches long I think, and I put him in my 90 gallon tank with 2-250 watt 15,000k halides.. I have just a few questions...

can I put frozen cyclopeeze in there, and it will eat that??? during the day? or night?

and at night, do clams close up all the way? i cut my lights off, and i looked in there, and it was open, came back a little later, and he was closed...

i put it on the sandy floor...can they move at all?

and I have 2 cleaner shrimp...will they mess with it at all???

thanks a lot...

and if yall have any tips on keeping him healthy, let me know please!!!

thanks!!!

Noobie

 

[str8fan3]

mine is about 5" and it partially closes at night. It does not close all the way shut.

 

[Electrobes]

Very few clams can actually shut almost all-the-way. Derasas usually do not shut all the way even at night.

Clams can not eat anything that size, not even close. The only thing they really feed on is phytoplankton when thatsize.. at least in the hobby-aquarist world.

Clams can actually move, and I've come to find its usually at night. My 7-8 inch Derasa sometimes likes to scoot to the front. This usually happens when something in your floww didn't make them happy... like me rearranging powerheads, or cleaning them.

Cleaner shrimps is an iffy issue. I have read a number of times that they tend to irritate clams, enough so the clam does not open and starves to death. This isn't to say it can't happen as I have seen a number of newb and veteran reefkeepers alike have clams and shrimps together in the same tank. Just make sure you keep them well fed so they don't get overtly curious.

My derasa seems pretty happy, as well as my other clams, if you want to know parameters, equipment, etc that I do/use go to my website (click the red-house thingie). HTH

 

[Nuhtty]

pics?

 

[Barry N.]

Cleaner shrimps is an iffy issue. I have read a number of times that they tend to irritate clams, enough so the clam does not open and starves to death.

Like said above, cleaner shrimp are hit and miss. I would keep an eye on them....

 

[RTaylor]

I have a deresa and a squamosa w/2 cleaner shrimp and never had a problem, didn't even know it could be a problem. My deresa sits on the sand and in the morning the sun comes up a couple hours before the tank lights come on and he tips on his side and opens up to the sunlight untill the tank lights come on then he uprights himself for the rest of the day.

 

[headonkey]

I just recently got a derasa too (did you get yours from Reefscience?). I add some DT's phytoplankton once or twice a week. Are you back in town yet?

Chad

 

[NoobieNemo]

nah not yet, my girlfriend from Spain comes on wednesday, then we are going to the beach for a week! I can't wait to see her! I will come back to UNC shortly before classes start, did you go to that meeting in Raleigh?

I'm staying in the verge with two girls! ;-)

 

[headonkey]

Haha you dog! The meeting was awesome and I have SO many new corals that I got there. Holla at me when you get back in.