my new clam and questions?

[Guygettnby]

well i finally got a myself a clam. i paid $25 for it at a huge sale so i just had to buy it. it is in a 58g oceanic RR tank under 1 150w 14k MH and 4 21w T5's. im not sure on what kind of clam it is as the colors are alittle off from what pictures i have seen.

here is a picture of it with the flash.


and here is a picture without a flash


in person it is blue and purple, bt that could be beacuse of the light i am using and as of right now it is laying on it's side. i tried to put it facing up and this is how it was after 1 day in the tank. it seams to be healthy as far as i can tell. so here i go onto the questions.

What kind of clam is it?
is it ok for it to be laying on its side?
from what i have described do i have enough light?
what can i actually feed it? i know it is a filter feeder but will it benefit from suplemental feedings like some DT's?

thanks for all the help. i am very excited about finally having my own clam instead of having to just see everybody elses! :lol:

Guy:bum:

 

[basser1]

Very nice crocea! They like a lot of light and prefer to be placed on rocks since they like to bore in them. I would try to locate it up more and find a nice spot for it somewhere on your LR.

Good Luck!

 

[rc02116]

Yes. It is a Crocea (one which requires strongest lighting of all Tridacnids). How deep is the sand bed from the light? Try putting some rock rubbles (preferably flat pieces) or emply clam shell underneath and cover with sand and let him attach his foot. Once attached, you can move the clam and his rock to higher on LR if needed. Just monitor him and see how 'happy' he is and move him up gradually if the light is not strong enough. Make sure there is a moderate flow around him but not directly at him (observe if his mantles are fully opened)... Congratulations and G' luck. :thumbsup:

 

[Guygettnby]

ok, thanks for the info. from the pictures does it look like it is fully open? that is as much as it has opened since i put it in the tank.

right now the sand bed is about 20-23in from the metal halide. i am assuming that it needs to be moved up?

 

[Guygettnby]

i forgot to ask again, does the clam need to be facing up? or is it ok kinda on its side? i didnt want to move it if it will be happy there. most of the clams i see are all facing up?

 

[rc02116]

It should be facing up to the light (He looks like facing up in the pic though)... If he keeps moving to the side, he may not like his current position (flow, light etc...). Due to the depth from the light, I would try to put something underneath where he can attach his foot and prepare to move hime up gradually.

 

[Guygettnby]

ok cool. thanks for the help all!

 

[Guygettnby]

got one more question. fromthe pictures i took, does the clam look like it is open all the way?

i see alot of other clams open way more and they have a wider mantle? even clams of the same size are open way more then mine....i really dont want to loose the clam and want to make sure it is healthy.

also i noticed that on the side of the clam part of it is white almost clear? is this normal? i will see if i can get some good pictures of what i am talking about.

 

[basser1]

IMO, your clam looks fine. Sometimes when clams have their mantles stretched out, they are reaching for more light.

If you're talking about the top edge of the clams' shell where you're noticing the white, that's a good thing! It means it is getting new growth on the shell!

 

[Guygettnby]

the white i am noticing is at the corner of the mantle. were it should be blue it is white almost clear. i still need to take a good picture of it. i just moved it up further in the tank and it is looking alot better.