New Clam.

R

Renzema

New member
I have been reading for quite a while about clams and today I found a healthy bunch at a LFS for a great price. I can't help it. I got a 5" crocea for only $30, considering going back and getting another since they had 6 of them. It is very responsive, it was fully open at the store and close as soon as someone reached over the tank.
Now I have it in my tank and I was wondering how long I should wait to feed it for the first time and how long will it take for it to completely open. It is opening half way but keeps closing as soon as a fish swims by. Also do I have to worry about my Coral Bueaty Angel missing with my clam since I know they are known to mess with corals(never seen mine touch a coral). One thing I am worried about is this brittle star that disappeared in my tank a few weeks ago and I have searched the tank for it but I have come up with nothing so far. I have been moving rocks trying to find it but haven't as of yet. Are there any other fish I will need to worry about. I haven't read that I need to worry about any of the fish I have.

Thanks
Renzema
 
What are you planning on feeding? A good thing to feed is dts phytoplankton and dont wait at all feed asap! Good luck! Dean as far as the brittle star goes, dont worry! i have 2 big ones in my tank and they dont bother my crocea and I have had the clam and the brittle stars for over a year.
 
Thanks, now I don't have to worry about that brittle, but what about the Angel.
I already have DT's I am going to pick a turkey baster tommorrow for feeding.

Thanks
Renzema
 
I had to tear down my tank two nights ago to take out my coral beauty. He was a well behaved fish until I put in my second clam, than he decided he liked the taste. Just keep a close eye on him. If he's fine now, he may change his mind down the road. Good luck.
 
UH, clams this large don't really rely on "food" as you are wanting to feed it. Please study up on Tridacnae and you will find the smaller ones need to have food supplemented to them until their zooxanthellae multiply and develop in their mantles (up to 2"-3") after which they rely almost totally on, get this, sunlight. They do also "feed" on nitrates and ammonia in the water column but to a very small extent on actual food particles floating by. It sounds as though you have not studied clams but bought on impulse. LOL. Please do yourself a favor if you want to keep these bivalves for an extended period of time. Hope this steers you in the right direction. Freed
 
Just want to echo Freed's comments regarding the size. Once clams grow larger than ~3", they start relying on light as their primary "food" source. Do check out the crocea info here on RC. These clams require intense lighting, and stable levels of Ca & Alk. Good luck, I hope your clam does well in its new home. Post a pic when you get a chance.

Edit: This isn't meant to be a flame (hopefully, it doesn't read like that). Just trying to answer your question about when to feed.
 
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Please don't assume I have not study up on them. I have read plenty, I am just conserned because you can read all you want but when you see things that seem wrong you get worried since there is nothing to go on. I am getting very sick and tried of these response assume ppl just impulse buy. I never do and I don't appericiate a wasteful response like that. If you don't want to help then just shut up. I have never had these problems any where else but this forum. Just because you have more knowledge does not give you the right to look down on ppl.

Also yes I know they don't requirer food but I have been told by a few ppl that keep that it adds to their health to feed them once a week. So please don't assume, you know the saying.

I keep everything perfect since I have a calc reactor, THAT i BOUGHT JUST FOR THIS CLAM.

Thanks
Renzema
 
Renzema,

I have clams as big as seven inches and I still feed my clams phytoplankton a few times a week. Trust me when I feed them they react to it. Keep on you are going in the right direction. What kind of lights do you have as this is the MOST important part for that clam and do you have any pictures? Thats what we all REALLY want.

Oh almost forgot about the CB....It's a gamble. I LOVE my clams I would not put an angel in my tank..they can nip at the clam stressing them out. IMO get another tank for the CB or cross your fingers and pray to the reef gods.
 
I would rather get rid of the CB but I have this nagging in my ear, ie Girlfriend, that its the only thing in the tank that she likes. So I will just have to sneak it out and say it passed away...lol, have to think of something.
I have 2 400w MH 10,000k w/ 160w of t5 actinics. I know lighting is not a problem since my tank is only 21" deep not counting sand bed and the clam is sitting up in the reef like I have read they like to be.
Also I have heard that they like higher nitrates and in my tank they are undetecable since I use a refugium w/ macro algea and all my other parameters are perfect, 0 accross the board(tested with my test kits and at the LFS, always want to be safe). ph of 8.2 and I have an autotop off so salinity stays at 1.024 all of the time with out any fluxes.

hwynboy: thanks for the help. I thougth it was good for them and anything left will be sucked up by the other corals. I have made sure my tank is as stable as possible, so I have tryed to take it out of my hands...lol. Seems it is my fault when things flux, like running the top off to long, hasn't happened since I took that out of my hands.
 
Renzema said:
Please don't assume I have not study up on them. I have read plenty, I am just conserned because you can read all you want but when you see things that seem wrong you get worried since there is nothing to go on. I am getting very sick and tried of these response assume ppl just impulse buy. I never do and I don't appericiate a wasteful response like that. If you don't want to help then just shut up. I have never had these problems any where else but this forum. Just because you have more knowledge does not give you the right to look down on ppl.

Also yes I know they don't requirer food but I have been told by a few ppl that keep that it adds to their health to feed them once a week. So please don't assume, you know the saying.

I keep everything perfect since I have a calc reactor, THAT i BOUGHT JUST FOR THIS CLAM.

Thanks
Renzema
Click to expand...

Dude, calm down. No one is bashing you. We are only trying to help. Your post makes it sound as if you hadn't read up on them and did indeed impulse buy. You asked for the help and we are giving it and we will continue as long as there is someone in need. That is all. Freed
 
sorry if I took it the wrong way but I don't like being told that I am being reckless. I don't have the money to waste so everyone of my choice is well planned. I have been searching for a clam for some time and I finally found these clams that were healthier than any of the other I have seen also the one I bought has a very different pattern. It is not the normal purple/green or some combo. It has a large gold ring that runs around it and has green speckles, with a birght purple border. It is very impressive and for the price I couldn't pass it up. I just don't want to take any chances and want to make sure everything is okay with it. I am concerned because I don't have any first hand knowledge and don't want anything to go wrong.
I am worried that my light maybe to intense for it right off so I am going to go get a screen and take a layer off everyday.
I have been told many times that my lighting is by far to overkill. I have been having trouble keeping soft corals, I have been getting these amazing colors out of them but they don't seem healthy, I have put my mushrooms in caves, and they love it there. I keep leathers under cliff or on the very bottom of the tank at one end and they love it there, but the middle is being saved for clams and SPS. I will be removing my soft corals until my whole tank is just SPS and Clams, but that is a long time off since money doesn't allow me to buy anything other than frags.
Anyone have any good idea on how to get that angel out of the tank. The net method does not work, I spent 3 weeks before trying to get that thing and I never once got close. I need to get a trap or something.


Thanks
Renzema
 
What type of lighting do you have and what size tank? How far above the tank are the lights? Freed
 
AHH, I see. I just read one of your posts that I missed about the lights. I don't see what size tank though. I could be overlooking it. There it is, 100 gallons. Freed
 
I would love to show it off but the problem is I don't have a digi camera. I spend all my money on my tank...lol. If by chance I can get a camera I will post it.

Thanks
Renzema
 
Well thanks for all the help. The clam is now opening all the way and is looking very good. I decided to go pick up the other one they had. It is bright purple with teal stripes. It is much bigger than the other clam. It is already fully open and is looking great.

One more question. I know I have acclimate to the light but they are fully open and looking great. So I was wondering should I acclimate them? they aren't close at all and the mantels are perfect.

Thanks
Renzema
 
From what I have read before, acclimating the clams to light depends on what kind of lighting the clams were under before you purchased them. If they were under only 150W and you have 800W than the clam would probably need to acclimate to your lighting.
 
Okay now I have a new problem and its not the clams health, it is completely open and is looking great, but of course fate has to through me another curve ball. My BTA has decided it want's to live about 3" away and that to close for comfort. So I want to move the clam, since I have enough light to put it where ever. I put a small rock under it so it could attach to that but instead it attached to all the rocks around it. It is not well attached yet but I don't want to cause any problems.

What is the easiest way to move it? I don't want to pull it off and damage it since it is just settled in. I can hold moving it for a bit and hope the anemome moves back but as of right now my anemome is to close and it is growing quickly. Also the 2 hosting clowns keep trying to move the clam since it is to close for them but it is so well attached that won't happen. :mad2:
God why do I have to deal with this just after I get it to settle in and be happy.

Thanks
Renzema
 
Is it possible to move the anemone instead and build up a low profile wall around it to help it convince to stay in one place?

Just an idea as I wouldn't attempt to move the clam at this point.
 
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