??Need some help??

[dazed]

Late; Saturday night I get a call from a friend that his glass tank has sprung a leak and he needed some help with storing some livestock. Long story short I ended up with this clam. My current tank is a 40g 36"w x 16h. and is currently lighted by 2 96w pc's. I know that this not the ideal lighting for the keeping of clams but earlier this week I ordered and I'm currently waiting for my new sunpod 300w m.h. system to arrive hopefully this week. I currently have the clam placed as high on my rockwork as possible. So my questions are these:
1. the lighting right now is not ideal but is the placement okay for now?
2. I have never kept a clam and would like to know what the condition of this one looks like from the experts?
3. When my new m.h. arrive I should move the clam down to the sandbed? correct?
4. Would like a id of the clam "Crocea" is my guess?
Thank you for any help/suggestions.

 

[Jeffrey Porter]

It should be okay for a short time, but when you get the new lights, move the clam to the bottom and gradually get it used to the bright light until it goes back to your friend.

looks like a crocea to me.

 

[shag26272]

croceas prefer the rocks to the sandbed move him down when you get the new lights maybe but I wouldnt put him in the sand, if he attaches to the rocks I would just leave it alone instead of trying to get it off

 

[dazed]

Okay; so that's one vote for in the sandbed and one vote for on the rocks...Thanks for the responses anyone else have any suggestions?? I know that when i get the new lights I will have to move him down right now he is about 4-5" from the top of the tank.

 

[a4twenty]

i would say to move him down only to aclimatize to the new lights. i'm assuming that your fixture comes with (2) 150W lights? the clam is a crocea and they love light, i keep my crocea 12" down under 400W MH's. by the time your lights come he will have probably attatched to the rock he is sitting on so you will have to move him with the rock. but i wouldn't move him to the sandbed, maybe for a short period to get used to the new lights but then move him back up.

in the wild clams are usually found on the rocks of the reef. the reason we keep some clams on the sand bed is that they get so big they become unstable perched on the side of a rock..

HTH

 

[dazed]

Yes the new fixture is (2) 150w lights, I have been reading about how some people suggest using some screen to help with adjusting to the new lights. Example I guess would be 2 layers of screen and I would start by removing one and then the other to allow the whole tank a gradual change to the new lights? What kind of screen is used I'm guessing window/door would work?? And from your post it would seem that with the new lights I should find a place somewhere in the middle of my tank for him to stay? That would place him about 8" under the surface of the water would this be okay??

 

[dazed]

My new fixture should arrive today; guess I will use the window screen method to help with the acclamation period and then move the clam back up to a higher position on the rocks?

 

[a4twenty]

you could just decrease the photo period. start him off with a few hours a day, increasing a few hours each day. upgrading to 150's isn't going to be a huge shock to him, more of a return to normality after a few cloudy days. don't get me wrong the upgrade will help immensely but the shock shouldn't be to bad ( depending on your friends lights )

 

[dazed]

Sounds good but don't I have to slowly acclimate the rest of the tank as well; not just the clam. Or can everybody get by with the reduced photoperiod?
Thanks for your help.

 

[a4twenty]

depending on what you have, sure .... just like a rainy day or two. your upgrading the light to the whole tank. everything is going to get a bump in light, it may not be as necessary for everything else but it won't hurt.

 

[dazed]

Well I got the new lights WOW what a difference; did find that the clam has attached to the rockwork where i placed him a fairly large piece of rock so rather than try and remove him I figure that he has been stressed enough i used 2 layers of screen and will run the tank on a 5 hour photoperiod for a couple of days and go from there. The new lights are about 2" off the top of the tank which puts him about 9-10" from the light source he should be fine there right?

 

[a4twenty]

yeah, he should be better than fine

 

[dazed]

Thanks for your help.

 

[a4twenty]

NP