How long can a 1-2" Maxima go without food?

[HuBu]

i just got a 1-2" Maxima from saltwaterfish.com and i m about to leave for xmas break. i dont know if i can get someone to feed the clam for me over the break. so i m just wondering how long the clam would be able to survive without food (phytoplankton)?

its sitting inside a 29 gal tank with 1 175W MH. my alk is at 8 mEQ/L and my calc level is around 400-500.

 

[jet]

IM CURIOUS TOO. ALSO, WHAT IS THE BEST THING/WAY TO FEED THESE GUYS. WHAT IS THE BEST ACCLIMATION PROCEDURE WITHOUT GOING NUTS. IS A FW DIP NECESSARY??????

 

[HuBu]

since i bought it from an online store. i trust their tank water, and doubt they would have any parasites in it. so i didnt FW dip mine. to acclimate the clam. i would out in a shot glass of my tank water every 10-15 min, until i double the water amount, then i would remove half to 3/4th of the water and use the shot glass method until the water lvl is double the original. i had my hood open the entire them, moving the clam slowly closer to the tank each 30 min. now the clam is doing great in my tank, all open.

you should read up on the feeding method using a 2 liter soda bottle.

 

[cromax]

Hello clammers, with a healthy tank and a small population of clams (1 to 3 baby clams per tank) for your tank size, I really wouldn't worry about feeding it. Your clam has everything it needs in your tank, HuBu.

Let us not forget that even though the babies do supplement their dietary needs with phyto and other microscopic planktonic organisms, you've got plenty of these floating around in a healthy, established tank to feed a few baby clams.

2 or even 3 weeks won't hurt it if you leave it alone. Feeding it should be the least of your concerns. At the size of an inch or so, I would be more concerned with an unforseen tank inhabitant nibbling at its mantle or eating it. Your baby clam has many enemies in your tank - starvation is not one of them.

 

[HuBu]

oh ok thanks. yeah one of the things i have been trying to watch out for are worms on the mantle. but so far (more than a wk) the clam is opening up nicely everyday. i just hope some unforseen thing doesnt occur.

 

[cromax]

Cross your clamshells! Your clam will probably be just fine. Do you have a reliable water top-off device? Make sure that thing is in order before you leave.

 

[HuBu]

hahaha i wont make the same mistake again. i went home for thanksgiving break (4 days) didnt have a top-off system at the time. when i came back, all my corals were dead. this time, i bought a float switch from a reefer who makes it, connect it to a MJ1200 pumping water into the tank.

 

[ReefEze]

Can you post a pic?

I recently got 2 small one inch clams and they arn't opening up evenenough to see there syphonal intake, etc.

Are yours?

RE

 

[mgk65]

Smaller clams (<3.5-4") get their primary nutrients from phytoplankton and nitrates in the tank. Their mantle is not big enough to support energy requirements with the zoox.

Clam experts will suggest that these small clams should be fed with phytoplankton a couple times per week for optimal health. The best phytoplankton available is DT's Phytoplankton. An easy way to feed them is to remove them from the tank with some tank water and put some DTs in the water until it slightly turns green. Leave them there for 20-30 minutes and put them back in the tank. Discard the water, or put back in the tank, depending on if you want some more phyto in the tank.

Clams require a stable environment, this means no wide pH, good ca and alk, and salinity.

Acclimation should be done just like you would any other precious coral. Slowly and carefully. Adjust temps, then stabilize salinity. Note the lighting they came from and where you are putting them.

Worms do not eat live clams. Most of the worms we see are benign and can't even rip healthy flesh. They just don't have the mouth parts. I have hundreds of bristleworms around my two clams without incident for the past 1.5 years.

mgk

 

[mgk65]

I would suggest you read Minderaser's post here : http://www.reefcentral.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=70806 for more information.

mgk