Caring for a clam

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fifo

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I just got a clam this weekend and want to make sure I am caring for it properly.

I was told to use cyclopeeze to feed it and that's all assuming I have ample lighting for it. I think the lighting is good. I have 4 x 65 watt power compacts in a 92 gallon corner tank. I am curious because the clam seems to be wanting to be on its side. I positioned it when I got it so that it can be seen from the front of the tank but it moved shortly after I put it in. It keeps wanting to be on its side. Is this normal behavior? Could it bee too little too much current that is bothering it?
The clam is opening up nicely which leads me to the next question. I was told that if its mouth ( i think thats what it is) opens up too large it is a sign that it is not doing well. Is that true? Does it look like the mouth is open too wide?

Here is some really bad pictures please let me know what you think...

1.jpg


2.jpg
 
welcome your clam looks healthy from the pic but yes you do need to be careful of something called "gape" this is when the clam will not close properly or at all leaving a gap......

i find meduim flow is better (making sure that the flesh of the mantle does not flat over and stay pinned down.)...

i would position that clam inbetween two rocks and make sure that it can harness enough light...

awsome creatures to keep i have 5 and i am still looking fore more.....
 
Hi all - I have one clam, and getting my second one soon. Mine has grown about 2cm in 3 months' time. Clams do feed, in 3 ways: (1) by utilizing the energy released by the zoolathellae (sp?) in the mantle, (2) by filter feeding (micro organisms in the water column - it "sucks" water in through it's "mouth", and "ejects" the water again out of the "jet stream" (that's what I call it), (3) it assimilates nutrients from the water (DOC's, etc), including calcium (which it needs A LOT OF to build it's skeleton) as well as iodine (I believe)....

I am not sure whether 4 x 65 watt compact fluorescents would count as being "enough light" for the clam - possibly, but I do have mine under a 150 metal halide (at the bottom of my tank, on the sandy substrate).... when I moved my clam for a few days to an area where I only have T5's shine (where the Metal halides' light don't come), it did not seem that the clam was TOO happy.... So I moved it back to where it originally was under the one 14000K 150 watt metal halide.
 
I may be wrong, but in my opinion cyclopeeze is too large for clams.
 
Hi, I would not feed Cyclopeeze to the clam. I've seen to many clams die due to direct feeding. You are not stating the make an model of your clam. From the pictures it looks like a Maxima or a Crocea. They prefer to be nestled in the rockwork and as earlier suggested medium flow. They can handle more flow than the Squamosa and the Hippo clams.

I'm not sure your PC's will be strong enough at the bottom of your tank, so I would suggest you try have the clam in the top third of your tank.

Also ensure that no air bubbles are stuck in the clam, as these will also slowly kill it. To remove air bubbles, you need to "burp" the clam. Just turn it around on its vertical axis, so that any air that may be caught in the clam escapes via the mouth.

One very other important thing I've learned from hard earned experience (read clams lost), clams do not like to be moved around alot. If you move it more than twice or thrice over a period of 30 days, you have a good chance of loosing it.

For more info, check out the links section on Marinaquariumsa.com, there is a link with some clam info.

Hope you and your clam have a long and happy friendship
Wikus
 
All good advice, so far. I would agree to move it to the top third of the tank it is basically only the Squamosa that enjoys the sandy bottom. If it is a Crocea clam these animals need really good lighting and fairly intense at that. As stated don't target feed the clam, it will get enough ammonia and nitrogen from your water.
 
Just to confirm what I have read above, it seems to be a crocea (really need a pic of the shell to be certain) and should be on a base of rock. It is normal for a clam to move if it is placed in a location where it is not happy, so dont be too surprised if you come home and it has turned around or moved slightly. I do think you will be very lucky (and please prove me wrong as I do know of some top reefers that can keep croceas under T5s) to keep this clam long term with your lighting.
Please dont feed the clam! It will be fine if your water conditions are right. It does seem to be gapping at the moment, but they sometimnes do that after the stress of a move. Check your water perams and try keep them stable.
HTH,
Neil
 
Thats great advice thanks for all the info. I will post a picture when I get back home tonight of the shell. It was sold to me as a maxima. Could the gapping be due to not enough light? I have never directly fed it . I just put some cyclopeeze in the water for my other corals and fish so I guess that is ok.
Does anyone have some good pictures so that I can see whats the best way to position this guy? I want to make it feel at home...
 
Best postion for a Clam is 69...

Jokes aside, best position would be where the clam recieves low to medium flow and the most light it can. All clams with bright mantles prefer bright light as well. Clams do best under 6500k to 10 000k Lamps

Wikus
 
Lol on the position ,
A good read on clams Reef Invertebrates, An essential guide to selection,care and compatibility.
By Anthony Calfo & Robert Fenner.

The book has a whole section on clams
 
not nice dude, how many angels do you have?
 
fifo said:
Thats great advice thanks for all the info. I will post a picture when I get back home tonight of the shell. It was sold to me as a maxima. Could the gapping be due to not enough light? I have never directly fed it . I just put some cyclopeeze in the water for my other corals and fish so I guess that is ok.
Does anyone have some good pictures so that I can see whats the best way to position this guy? I want to make it feel at home...
Click to expand...

Hi fifa - have a look at the member's setups pictures. There are quite a few reefers on there that have clams. I know for fact that Alan has clams, as well as Glynn Forman...

Have a look at their setups.

BTW: I read here that one should not target feed the clam - even though I have never done this - there are texts on the internet that says that one should target feed.... just goes to show - one never knows what to believe and who to believe. You might get different answers from different people.

I think that personally - if you feel ready to take the step - read up first as much as possible about the animal you want to keep - make sure you have the basics right - and then take the step, and try it out - do different things until you find what works for you.... You don't always have to listen to other people - even though sometimes you definitely get decent suggestions - but sometimes people are just plain rotten in their answers and only want to "push you down" instead of offering constructive criticism. Some people want to see you succeed in the hobby by friendly but helpful - others just plain nasty - and it's their way or the highway....

So good luck with your clam - try the clam in different positions - and see if it fares better....

Jacques
 
Thanks for the advice... I really appreciate it. I will do some reading and take a look at those pictures...
 
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