Me and my baby clam need help, Please

[Awibrandy]

Before you all start telling me of, please just help me help my baby clam.
I bought this little baby Australian Maxima Clam 1.5" at a local lfs. I asked the manager there who is supposedly very knowledgeble on reefs if the baby needed MH, He said no. I asked if I needed to acclimate the clam, He said no. So, I bought the little guy put it in my 30gl., under 110watt pc. When I got home from work the shell is a little open, but the mantle is all balled up. The lights had been on for 6hrs. by the time I got home. I poured some phytoplankton directly where the clam is. Little later, I saw it spit something out.
What else can I do to help it? Or is it to late? My lights are on 11hrs. a day.

:sad2:

 

[Alex]

Well MH will be very important for the clam as it gets bigger. Once the clam is 3+ inches it will rely on light for most of its energy. You should bowl feed the clam 3 times a week. Take a bowl or container with tank water and put a cap full of DT's or some live phyto in with it and let it sit in it for 20-1 hour and then place it back in the tank. as for not having the MH's now it could cause the color of the clam to change because of the lack of light. I would have read up on clams before deciding to buy one.

Alex

 

[Awibrandy]

Baby Clam

Baby Clam

"I would have read up on clams before deciding to buy one."

Hello Alex, I want to thank you for your advice, it is very helpful for future reference.
BTW, I had read up on clams before I decided to buy one. Which is why although my 30gl. has been running for a year I had not purchased any clams. All that I had found on clams, never referred to "Baby Clams", which is why I asked the manager of the lfs for more info. And when he told me that they do not need that much light, and I knew that I would have the MH long before the little guy got bigger I saw no harm.

The one thing I have learned from this experience is what one member in the general discussions offered. I will not purchase another clam, unless I have someone with me that can tell me if it is a healthy clam. I had posted this question in the "General Discussions" prior to posting here. That member stated something to the effect that he had seen the clam I purchased, and that all of them where "gaping". When I saw these clams at the lfs, I thought that they should have had there mantle coming out of the shell fully. But I was told that that is how babies look.

As for the MH, yes I do know this much. The little guy would have been moving in to my 120 which is awaiting it's canopy. Canopy will have dual 250 watt MH, plus 440 watts of VHO. 2-actinics, 1 50/50, 1 aquasun. Canopy should be ready next week, someone is making it for me Memorial weekend. I had no intentions of keeping it under pc for the rest of it's live. Although there are members here that keep their clams without MH, and insist that they don't need the MH. There is so much contravercy in these forums, it leaves us Newbies a little out of the waters.
Once again thanks.

 

[ADS]

Awibrandy-
An open shell w/a retracted mantle is not a good sign. The clam will still react even if it is dying.
I agree that when in doubt ask for a knowledgable friends advice.
Smaller clams are difficult to keep. It sounds like the light was not the issue but the clams state of health when you bought it.
Always ask how long the livestock has been in your LFS. And a few simple questions to the LFS owner will quickly determine his knowledge level on the subject.
Sorry-but I hope all works out. Adam

 

[Awibrandy]

Baby Clam is gone

Baby Clam is gone

Just to update. :sad1: My baby is gone. There is absolutely no doubts anymore. This morning the shell is totally empty.
Thank you for all your help. The next time I go to purchase any clams I will bring someone more knowledgeble. If no one is available then I will just let them be.

 

[BigDaddy]

If this clam died w/in 24 hrs, I would suspect it was already close to death in your LFS and that nothing you could have done would have saved it.

 

[Awibrandy]

Baby Clam

Baby Clam

Thank you BigDaddy. Your words are comforting.
At least I know that I didn't kill it.:sad1: :sad1: :sad1: :sad1:

 

[traveller7]

Unfortunately the deck was stacked against you from the start.
The "babies" are far tougher to keep.

Try to stay above the 3" mark and look for a Derasa, Squamosa, or Hippopus for the first specimen.

You might want to try the online folks for your next purchase as well. The Vendor Experience forum is a good place to look, or just head to the Reef Central Sponsor page

 

[Awibrandy]

Thank You Traveller: I know that you, and BigDaddy are absolutely correct. Especially since I went back to the lfs to talk to one of my buddies there, and I was informed that they had received 100 of those babies. And 90 or so had died before they were sold. This person informed me that the other two staff members had lied to me as to it's health, and acclimation procedures. I was asked to please let the owner of the lfs know of the lies told to me by these two individuals. Which I intend to do. Perhaps it will make a difference, I won't hold my breath. Perhaps he will talk to his staff concerning the misleading folks just to make a sale.
I will definitely follow your advice. Also, I have no intentions of buying another clam unless I have someone that I can trust with me.
:fish1: :fish1:

 

[battplus]

I have a 3 " crocea, which I kept under VHO for four months,
I now have MH, and the clam loves it. The Manager, I will give the benefit of the doubt, you can keep clams under flour. but
your water quality needs to be rock steady at the proper levels.

Def. do the research yourself, then when you find out, go test
your LFS and if they give you the wrong answers you will know
what to expect.

 

[Awibrandy]

water quality needs to be rock steady at the proper levels.

water quality needs to be rock steady at the proper levels.

How's this: ph 8.1, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 0 - or undetectable, salinity 1.024 - 1.025, temp 79?
:fish1: :fish1: :fish1: :fish1: :fish1: :fish1: :fish1:

 

[traveller7]

Not a bad start but add a Calcium and Alk test kit to the shelf and you might want to check the pH just prior to the lights coming on and the pH just pror to the lights shutting off. Might be surprised by a significant pH swing. (mine swings 0.3 with a low of 8.0)

I tend to follow the philosophy, "Some nitrate in a clam tank is good." Ironically you may want to dirty your water a bit

I also follow the "keep the salinity swings to an absolute minimum" pack and use an automated top off system and salinity monitor.

Best of luck.

 

[AttackDonut]

FWIW

FWIW

I have a 29 bowfront, and when I got my Squamosa clam I had 110 watts of PC lights. It was happy, but even more so when I added another 100watts.

Good luck in the future, clams are very rewarding!

 

[onegreenray]

awibrandy,

check out www.eastcoastclams.com. rob at east coast is great and he has some really nice clams. i would do you have daniel knopps book on giant clams? good reading material.

 

[Awibrandy]

do you have daniel knopps book on giant clams? good reading material.

do you have daniel knopps book on giant clams? good reading material.

Good Morning Guys:

Thank you for all your good wishes. I sincerely hope I do have God on my side the next time I purchase a clam.
I will follow all your great advice. For starters I will pick up a copy of Daniel Knopps' book.
Traveller: I didn't test the cal. because it has always been at 500. You see, I don't have any sps in the tank, only leathers, 2 lps, palips, and shrooms.
As to the ph swings with lights off, and lights on. My fugium light comes on when the mane tank lights go off. So I'm not sure I would see a difference. Guess I should check any way.

Guys, one more question. From what I understand some feel that VHO is enough lighting for clams, others feel that they absolutely need MH. Which is true? This debate is leaving me very confused. Needless to say if I really do not need the MH, and their heat I would much prefer to leave them out of the equation. My tank is a 120gl. tank - 60"X18"X27" with a DSB of about 5", and I want to place the clams on the sand bed. As to what else I would like to keep will be, leathers, lps, shrooms, palips, and anything else with movement. I don't know that there are any SPS that sway. The only sps I have ever seen have been stationary, such as the acraporas.
Sorry, if I have placed a question not adequate for this forum. Of course the clams needs will be the priority.
Thanks.:fish1: :fish2: :fish1: :fish2: :fish1:

 

[battplus]

This has been a big debate, you might want to search the forums for other info. This site is a great start if you want to use VHO
for LPS and clams. www.garf.org These guys use VHO, and
standard lights and their SPS grow like weeds. The tanks also
contain maxima and crocea clams. I would look for a deresa to
start, especially with a 120 being that deep. The best would be to put the clam closer to the top on the rocks. With my metal halide the colors are more intense and sps and crocea opens
farther. I would check into a possible addition to your vho, with
MH lights. There are a lot of inexpensive kits available.
check this out- www.hellolights.com