Help! What should I do?

[crgeltn]

I just returned from the LFS. I normally do not go there but my daughter needed a water bottle for her gerbil. Anyway, I took a look at the fish section and in the first tank was 20 asssorted clams hippo., squammy, maxima, and deresa under 250mh. The problem is five were dead and the rest looked kinda bad but not horrible. I talked to the kid that worked there and he told me that they had been there for a few weeks and they hadn't sold one and had lost 3 others. I asked what they were being fed and he told me thay didn't need to be fed since they are filter feeders. I currently have a 40 gallon breeder which I just set up a month ago it has a 3" live sand bed, some live rock plenty of light and all water parameters are good. Now for my question. I am very tempted to offer to buy the 15 live clams. Should I attempt to buy them? How much should I offer? The posted prices are 39.99 and 48.99 depending on size. They range in size from 3" to 6" the bigger ones being squamosa. The squamosas looked the best. Sorry for such a long post and needless to say i am sick over this!

 

[Eduardo cavalcanti]

i wouldnÃ"šÃ‚´t buy.your tank is only running one month. clams should be added after the tank is well stabilished. also, the 15 clams there you said that that werenÃ"šÃ‚´t 100%. so, the chances for future deaths is even bigger. finally, i donÃ"šÃ‚´t think that 15 clams would do fine in a 40g. they would grow very quicly if you provide the correct needs and would overgorw the tank in months.

 

[KORE(67)]

If the clams dont look 100%, dont buy them, let alone 15! find a nice healthy looking specimen and try one for starters, before blowing your money on 15, which all could die.

 

[crgeltn]

I should have explained better!

I should have explained better!

Sorry, but I should have explained better. My current tank situation is as follows; I have had running two 40 gallon breeder tanks with a 3" live sand base and live rock for approx. 2 years both of them have 1 36" customsealife MH/PC fixture each over them and are both running on the same 55 gal sump and are on the same DIY stand. The newest 40 gal which has been running about a month is also on the same system and added to the stand. Most of the live rock and sand were from the other two in the system. The lighting is also the same. My plan is to eventually have one more 40 on line in the next year to complete the system. I went this way to be able to expand by just adding tanks to the system and be able to keep a variety of animals in the same system and still keep them separate. So the new tank isn't really a brand new environment. I also currently have 16 squamosa clams in the two others and have been keeping squammys for almost eight years with great success. My plan was to take the best of the bunch (about 8 of them) and get them healthy again to either sell, keep or give away. They would go in my 30 gallon quaranteen tank (up for 3rys) for about 2 weeks and into the new 40 gallon until 100%. I spoke to the owner and am able to get as many as I would like for 20.00 each. Please let me know what you guys think as I would like to save them sooner rather than later! I also think most of the clam's problems are from poor lighting, water contidions and a total lack of food! I feed daily with DT's Phyto. I can get pics. of my system soon if anyone wants to see! THANKS!!!

:mixed:

 

[traveller7]

It is certainly a shame to watch them die, but they are a very high risk investment. Even after a few weeks, you could introduce some disaster into your other system and wipe out existing clams, etc.

If you are really going to try it, plan on keeping the new "coffin candidates" in a separate group of tanks for at least 4-6 months. In addition, I would select the biggest candidates you can find, as they may have larger reserves to weather the storm.

Best wishes with whatever you choose.

 

[Peabody]

I agree. It could be a time bomb that would kill all your current, healthy clams. If the LFS had them under NO bulbs it would be easy to understand why they were sick and dying. But, under 250watt MH, something is wrong with their tanks, clams, or both. The fact that they are losing them does not bode well for the clams in the future.

If you are willing to make that kind of investment, I would just get a healthy order from clamsdirect.com

But, if you really want those clams, be sure to keep them in a system completely isolated from your others for at least 6 months. I just fear you putting one from the store in your tank and having a complete clam wipeout like too many people have had.
Best of luck!
Jeff

 

[crgeltn]

Looking good!

Looking good!

I went back this morning and did get the two best ones if you can call them that! One squamosa about 3" and one gold maxima about 2.5" I have acclimated them to my 30 Q tank and the squammy opened right up! The maxima is just starting to also. When I got there the dead ones were gone and the others were still looking kinda sad these two were the only ones that would show any sign of life. I brought my little hydrometer with me and checked the water while nobody was looking and it read off the chart over 1.030 the little plastic hydrometer only goes that high. I have a pic. of the squammy I will try to post I will take a pic. of the maxima tomorrow if it is open. Thanks for all of your advice!

 

[KORE(67)]

Glad to hear, but remember just because these two clams are fine, don't go rushing of to buy the rest....u might have just picked the best in the bunch.....

 

[crgeltn]

Thanks!

Thanks!

Thanks for your replies! I will be leaving them in the Q tank (no longer a Q tank) for good. They look kinda nice in there. I know that the salt level was really high and they were not being fed at the LFS and hope that is all that was wrong with them! I cannot see anything wrong with them at all since they have opened up! Needless to say I won't be going back there! I don't understand how the LFS could just let them die!

 

[crgeltn]

UPDATE!

UPDATE!

Well, I did go back there the next day and bought 6 more clams all for 20.00 total. All of the clams are now doing great! In about a month I will be either selling or giving up for adoption all of these clams on this forum. I am waiting for my new digital camera to get here (Gateway) so I can get some pix. I dropped my old camera in my sump accidentally on purpose! LOL Stupid thing! Thanks again for all your opinions!

:rollface: