My First clam, wish me luck =)

t.priscu

t.priscu

New member
Hi Guys,
Picked up my first clam, went with one of the cheaper ones i could find just to make sure i can keep it healthy and happy.

When i picked him up here is what i was told to check for.
1. Make sure it reacts / retracts to movement (your hand above the tank as an example)
2. Make sure the mouth is not all gaping.
3. Make sure you can see scillia(spelled correctly?) around the mouth.

If this guy does good for a few weeks/months I'd like to get a Maxima clam, besides these 3 points did i miss anything to check for?

Thanks

<a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i186/tpriscu/fish%20tank/?action=view&current=Clam02082011resized.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i186/tpriscu/fish%20tank/Clam02082011resized.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
 
Congrats! Another thing to check for is to make sure the foot/byssal gland is not damaged. The byssal threads can be cut without harming it but if the gland is damaged in the process it can be fatal. Do you have anything under the sand for it to attach to? If not, it may flop around trying to find something to attach to and end up where you don't want it. If you put a piece of rock or tile just beneath the surface of the sand it can attach to this and if you decide to move it in the future it will be much easier.
 
that angel isnt in your tank is it? If so it might not matter what you do the clam might not last long as angel food! I had angel that acquired a taste for clam and needless to say it was easier at the time to move the clam to a better home free of angels.
 
From what I know the mantle will open very wide, and eventually the clam will wither and die. I dont think they send a giant warning message....

Hopefully you have it under some metal halides...

Might want to figure out what kinda of clam it is and then do some research on it.. looks like a maxima from the pic but I could be wrong.
 
tall_jason79 said:
that angel isnt in your tank is it? If so it might not matter what you do the clam might not last long as angel food! I had angel that acquired a taste for clam and needless to say it was easier at the time to move the clam to a better home free of angels.
Click to expand...

I do not have the angel anymore which i guess is good, i was hoping to have another in the future but i guess thats not an option now. I didnt know angels picked at clams.

Thanks for the info!
 
spooda420 said:
From what I know the mantle will open very wide, and eventually the clam will wither and die. I dont think they send a giant warning message....

Hopefully you have it under some metal halides...

Might want to figure out what kinda of clam it is and then do some research on it.. looks like a maxima from the pic but I could be wrong.
Click to expand...

I believe it is a Crocea, Right now i have it under T5's which i was told would be acceptable..hope this is the case..

Might have to bump him up higher in the tank if not?
 
With the right bulb combination (more daylight less actinic) you might be ok, but 24in sounds pretty far to have it from the light to me. If you are heavy on the actinic side your par will be much lower and I would definitely move it up on the rocks to give it more light. I run halides though, maybe someone with t5s will chime in.
 
out of curiosity what kind of halides would i need to cover this tank?
and would there be a way to combine the lights i have with halides basically so my current lights do not go to waste?
 
250 watt halides would do the job. at least 3. you could sell your light and build a setup on your own that way your curent light doesent go to waste
 
I apologize for my noobness, but lets say i wanted to switch to halides and tried to go used to save money. How do i know what halides will work and which wont?

Lets say i hit up craigslist. Would something like this work?
( i just grabbed the first link i saw for halide)
If yes then why, or if no then why not?

http://stlouis.craigslist.org/grd/2205760546.html


Thanks Guys!
 
Those look to be high pressure sodium. Not exactly the best option. I would say something like a lumen bright or lumen max with ballasts. Try to get a electronic or digital ballast because they are far more efficient than a magnetic ballast. My tank is a 200 gallon 7ftx24x24 i am running 2 400 watt metal halides with lumen bright reflectors. I kind of wish i had 3 250 watt to help even it out but with the way my 16 inch wide brace is it would nullify the extra anyways.
 
lights are nothing to go cheap on.... if youre into keeping clams, SPS, and other high light creatures you wont be let down.

250s are a good option. I have 3- 400sover my 250g and my tank is WAY to hot. but then again I can keep anything I want on the bottom of my tank.

you might want to move the clam up higher on the rocks just to be safe.
 
I poked around on sites like marinedepot searching for lights but i am kind of lost.
Would i want 3 250 watt individual setups or find a 60 inch fixture that has halides + t5s in it?

Thanks for the help guys.
 
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