BeachVacationer
New member
Well, I don't want it sticking where I'm acclimating it.
Tiny clam, big in siphon. Is it unhappy?
- Thread starter BeachVacationer
- Start date
Then put it where you want it to end up!
Unless you're running some nuclear lighting, I doubt you're going to hurt the clam.
That being said, I'd want to know what species it was before selecting a permanent spot for it... Maxima or Deresa will want to be on the sand bed, Crocea will want to live on the rock work.
Maybe this article will help: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-07/jf/feature/index.php
Safe bet that it's not a Deresa or Squamosa.
Unless you're running some nuclear lighting, I doubt you're going to hurt the clam.
That being said, I'd want to know what species it was before selecting a permanent spot for it... Maxima or Deresa will want to be on the sand bed, Crocea will want to live on the rock work.
Maybe this article will help: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-07/jf/feature/index.php
Safe bet that it's not a Deresa or Squamosa.
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BeachVacationer
New member
Ok thanks!
Giovanni
AKA Flippa
BeachVacationer
New member
Good lord, I had no idea these clams move so easily. I thought my snails and small hermit crab was moving him. So I built this contraption to keep him on the ceramic frag plate and keep the crab off of him so he can attached to the plate. Overnight the clam rotated 180 in this thing! Just amazing how it can move. It hasn't attached at all to the plate. It surely must soon I hope. Does it not like the rough surface?
Gagonzalez
Reef Fanatic
It is a Maxima. It likes to be attached to rock or rock rubble if possible. It is moving because it does not like it there. Either he hates the light or the water in the tank it is in or both. If it doesn't like it's conditions it will not attach no matter what. If you keep fighting to keep it in it's place, it will die instead of living in those conditions. It needs to move to another location or take it back to the store.
BeachVacationer
New member
Maybe so, but it has loosely attached itself to the plate overnight. We shall see.
BeachVacationer
New member
It may not like it but this plate will be his home. This is my final contraption to keep it from moving. It attached before and I put it where I want it to be the permanent location but it unattached itself and tried to attach where it don't want it too. It hope it will survive but this will be his home for a long time. I'm just amazed how much these guys can move!
Bongo Shrimp
P. ceratophthalma
I wouldn't trap it like that. Doing so will only stress it out and could lead to death. Like others have mentioned, if it wants to move, its because the conditions are not right where it is. Forcing it to be somewhere that it deems unfit for itself is almost like torture.
MondoBongo
Obligate Feeder Obsessed
Yeah. A moving clam is an unhappy clam. Restraining them is not a good idea. But, good luck with that. You seem very determined to do it.
Gagonzalez
Reef Fanatic
yep!
BeachVacationer
New member
My observation is that it likes or wants to rest on the substrate. When it moves off of the frag plug it encounters my sand then it settles in there. Overnight it's filaments will dig down and attach to the glass on the bottom. But I can't have it attaching there because I need the ability to move it in the future without killing it. So I keep building my contraptions. The last one failed miserably. The clam is way too strong. I've seen it move. It moves by pushing something out of the hole in the bottom. It can lift itself about 1/2 inch and push in the direction it wants to go. It can move small rocks without problems. It just popped those sticks off in one move. Very interesting creature. So this my new containment box. I will leave it there for a month if it holds him in hoping it will attach securely to the plug.
Bongo Shrimp
P. ceratophthalma
That new contraption is even worse than the last one. The only outcome of restraining the clam like that is going to be death. It won't even be able to grow properly and that will really mess things up. Think of it as if you were restrained in a tiny cage under the sun and couldn't move at all. You'd be very uncomfortable and could realistically die from it. It's a cliche comparison but it's a realistic one. Besides, the goal of keeping the animals we keep in our aquariums is to provide them exactly what they need and allow them to be happy under our care. It is NOT to force them to conform to our requirements or wants to make our lives easier.
If you're so hell-bent on being able to easily move it down the road, you have to find a way to do it without confining it. How about sliding a thin tile under the sand in a spot you know he likes and then put him on the sand over it. He will reach down and attach to the tile and be happy and you could always move the whole tile with him attached later.
i have a clam i got when it was just a couple of inches. it is now close to 7" and is firmly attached to the bottom glass, front and center. i wouldn't even think about try to move it. obviously, it's happy there and the other corals on the sand bed are either attached to rubble or as in the case of my plate coral, just live there. there have been times when i have rearranged the sand bed corals but the clam is where it's happy and that's where it'll stay.
if you keep handling this clam, you will surely kill it.
if you keep handling this clam, you will surely kill it.
BeachVacationer
New member
Giovanni, I think you're right. I will need to rethink my approach to this.
BeachVacationer
New member
Yes sir! Is that good/bad?
BeachVacationer
New member
I have only been there once to but this clam. I was just so happy to find one in our area. Seemed like clams are much in demand in Chicagoland area and thus hard to find locally. I'm new to reef so I don't if this place is a reputable source. I was surprised to see juvie discus there. I know discus and those were horrible! But the Mexican guy who spoke decent English told me to make sure I had enough calcium and light for the clam so that was spot on. But yeah, you can't compare these guys to say Reef Wise in Lisle. Have you been to Xzotic? Ok but they need to keep their tanks way cleaner too. I do shop at places like Aquarium Adventure but rather give my money to mom and pop stores like Tropi-quatics, Aqua Pros, or even Coral Reef Pet Center.
