My first clams
- Thread starter alde
- Start date
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Fish-o-holic
New member
Pretty clams. The one on the left is gaping a bit. Hopefully all will go well for ya. 
alde
Premium Member
Oh, a question for you clam experts. The clam on the right came attached to a rock, so I put it in the sand and it looked happy right away. I tried putting the other one on the rocks just above where they are now but it would jump off every time. He seems happy in the sand and has dug himself in. Is he ok in the sand?
piercho
New member
Al,
next time you order out, let's buddy up on costs! Did you get my PM?
The short answer is that I think it will be OK on the sand with your lights. Croceas are rock-borers in nature, so in nature that is where they are found. They are found in clearer, shallower water than some other clams, so they are generally accustomed to intense light and may become browner under weaker light lower in the tank. Those are some considerations.
I keep my blue max higher in the tank under a 250W 6500K. The squamosa and gold max go on the sand and the gold max has attached through the sand. The squamosa never has. Before they attach, they will kick around some and try to get into a secure spot with a good orientation to the light. While doing this they fall off the rocks. One trick I used was to put the blue max in the concave side of a large horseclam shell, then fix the shell to the rock. The clam kicked around till it got oriented, then attached. But the clam got bigger and bored into the attachment point, and after 10 months it snapped the shell into pieces when it was flexing shut.
A better method is to take out the rock that you want the clam to attach to, and using a hacksaw, saw a groove shaped for the clam into the rock. The groove tend to keep the clam on the rock until it attaches, unless it really wants to move.
If you see a clear snot starting from the base and going up the side of the clam's shell, I think it is making an attempt to attach. I've seen the snot prior to a clam becomming attached.
Have you considered feeding and would you be interested in feeding
Instant Algae? I've been want to use their coral and clam diet product, but am not willing to pay shipping on small quantities. Maybe we can organize a group order? I know of at least one guy who uses it in Kitsap and he knows other guys...
next time you order out, let's buddy up on costs! Did you get my PM?
The short answer is that I think it will be OK on the sand with your lights. Croceas are rock-borers in nature, so in nature that is where they are found. They are found in clearer, shallower water than some other clams, so they are generally accustomed to intense light and may become browner under weaker light lower in the tank. Those are some considerations.
I keep my blue max higher in the tank under a 250W 6500K. The squamosa and gold max go on the sand and the gold max has attached through the sand. The squamosa never has. Before they attach, they will kick around some and try to get into a secure spot with a good orientation to the light. While doing this they fall off the rocks. One trick I used was to put the blue max in the concave side of a large horseclam shell, then fix the shell to the rock. The clam kicked around till it got oriented, then attached. But the clam got bigger and bored into the attachment point, and after 10 months it snapped the shell into pieces when it was flexing shut.
A better method is to take out the rock that you want the clam to attach to, and using a hacksaw, saw a groove shaped for the clam into the rock. The groove tend to keep the clam on the rock until it attaches, unless it really wants to move.
If you see a clear snot starting from the base and going up the side of the clam's shell, I think it is making an attempt to attach. I've seen the snot prior to a clam becomming attached.
Have you considered feeding and would you be interested in feeding
Instant Algae? I've been want to use their coral and clam diet product, but am not willing to pay shipping on small quantities. Maybe we can organize a group order? I know of at least one guy who uses it in Kitsap and he knows other guys...
alde
Premium Member
Hi Howard,
I think it might be time for a new computer. It has been giving me problems latley
.
Thanks for all the clam info. The one that jumped off the rocks seems to have dug itself into the sand and is looking great. The other one seems to be pinching a bit now. I'm not sure I'm ready to try a fresh water dip though. Maybe some more time will tell.
Yes, I did get your PM. Sorry I did not get back to you sooner. It's been a little crazey between work and stuff at home.
I would love to share shipping on orders of clams, corals, food or anything. Count me in for some Instant Algea. Let me know when you are going to order and I can give you cash or PayPal. I am also thinking of getting another clam or two in the near future if I can figure out the problem with the one I have.
I am going to Vancouver this weekend, but I would sure like to meet you and show you my tank and see yours.
I think it might be time for a new computer. It has been giving me problems latley
.Thanks for all the clam info. The one that jumped off the rocks seems to have dug itself into the sand and is looking great. The other one seems to be pinching a bit now. I'm not sure I'm ready to try a fresh water dip though. Maybe some more time will tell.
Yes, I did get your PM. Sorry I did not get back to you sooner. It's been a little crazey between work and stuff at home.
I would love to share shipping on orders of clams, corals, food or anything. Count me in for some Instant Algea. Let me know when you are going to order and I can give you cash or PayPal. I am also thinking of getting another clam or two in the near future if I can figure out the problem with the one I have.
I am going to Vancouver this weekend, but I would sure like to meet you and show you my tank and see yours.
piercho
New member
Ugh. I'm sorry to hear that you are seeing pinching. IME it starts in one specific area in the periphery of the mantle and slowly spreads. IME it can cross infect to other clams. IME, the more advanced the pinching condition, the harder the clam will take the dip. The apparently unaffected clam I dipped showed no signs of stress afterward. The clam that was clearly effected by pinching...I thought it was a goner it gaped so badly afterward, and it continued to gape for weeks.
I followed Minh Nguyen's advice on dipping. If you make some searches, you will find the thread where Minh describes his experience with pinching condition and how to dip to clear a tank with multiple effected clams.
Good luck. I'll be out of town the weekend of Feb 14, so maybe the weekend of Feb 21? That is the weekend Anthony Calfo will be giving a presentation to PSAS in Seattle.
I followed Minh Nguyen's advice on dipping. If you make some searches, you will find the thread where Minh describes his experience with pinching condition and how to dip to clear a tank with multiple effected clams.
Good luck. I'll be out of town the weekend of Feb 14, so maybe the weekend of Feb 21? That is the weekend Anthony Calfo will be giving a presentation to PSAS in Seattle.
alde
Premium Member
I may try a dip tonight if it has not changed or looks worse. I read all the threads where Mihn Nguyen talks about this. It just seems so strange to do.
Are you going to the PSAS presentation? I am not a member but have been thinking of joining. If I do, would you like to carpool to it? I would be happy to drive if you would navigate. I have read Calfo's books and it would be great to see his presentation.
Are you going to the PSAS presentation? I am not a member but have been thinking of joining. If I do, would you like to carpool to it? I would be happy to drive if you would navigate. I have read Calfo's books and it would be great to see his presentation.
alde
Premium Member
Mihn,
OK, I will hold off. I will take a picture tonight and post it to this thread. My first thought was stress from shipping and a new tank. Could this cause pinching? Have have look close and see no snails or anything like that. It also reacts fast when a fish gets too close. It just snaps shut and opens right up again. It does look like pictures I have seen of pinching though.
I do remember you saying that the condition takes a long time to develope. This happened very fast. Almost overnight. The mantle does not come out over the shell at all and near the middle it is pinched even further. This clam came attached to a rock. The crocea that was not attached to a rock has moved around a bit but has now settled into a spot in the sand and has dug himself in about half way. This clam looks great.
I would hate to loose one of these wonderful animals. I know it's a little late, but I ordered the Knop book last night. Should have done that before I got the clams.
Thanks for your help.
OK, I will hold off. I will take a picture tonight and post it to this thread. My first thought was stress from shipping and a new tank. Could this cause pinching? Have have look close and see no snails or anything like that. It also reacts fast when a fish gets too close. It just snaps shut and opens right up again. It does look like pictures I have seen of pinching though.
I do remember you saying that the condition takes a long time to develope. This happened very fast. Almost overnight. The mantle does not come out over the shell at all and near the middle it is pinched even further. This clam came attached to a rock. The crocea that was not attached to a rock has moved around a bit but has now settled into a spot in the sand and has dug himself in about half way. This clam looks great.
I would hate to loose one of these wonderful animals. I know it's a little late, but I ordered the Knop book last night. Should have done that before I got the clams.
Thanks for your help.
piercho
New member
Al,
yes I'm a member. The meetings tend to be in East Seattle so it's a pain to get to them. I usually go in early and visit some of the Seattle-side reef stores like Blue Sierra before the meeting. This meeting will be at Mercer Island Community Center.
http://www.thepsas.org/forums/showthread.php?postid=8637#post8637
http://www.thepsas.org/forums/calendar.php?action=getinfo&eventid=2
Car-pooling would be good. I'll contact you 2/17 to see if you are still interested.
I'd defer to Minh's advise for clams. I've only had clams a year so I'm pretty inexperienced with them.
yes I'm a member. The meetings tend to be in East Seattle so it's a pain to get to them. I usually go in early and visit some of the Seattle-side reef stores like Blue Sierra before the meeting. This meeting will be at Mercer Island Community Center.
http://www.thepsas.org/forums/showthread.php?postid=8637#post8637
http://www.thepsas.org/forums/calendar.php?action=getinfo&eventid=2
Car-pooling would be good. I'll contact you 2/17 to see if you are still interested.
I'd defer to Minh's advise for clams. I've only had clams a year so I'm pretty inexperienced with them.