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New Clam! Care Tips?
- Thread starter Phyl
- Start date
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concept3
Guest
what kind of clam? Crocea or Maxima? Croceas require much stronger light than Maximas, so you can place them as high up as you can. Just move them up slowly so as not to shock them, they can bleach just like SPS.
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concept3
Guest
I have a crocea that sits on the bottom of the tank (6.5") and one that sits at the back of the tank 9-10" away from the halides. The one higher up is Teal Green and has much more intense color than the one at the bottom, I just have a hard time taking a pic because the **ahem** top down box is TOO big LOL
Step by step instruction for caring for your new clam....
1) bag clam with ample water
2) get in car and drive to grasshopper's house
3) acclimate clam to grasshopper's tank
4) place clam in tank
5) get in car and drive away
6) wait for pictures of your healthy clam
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Seriously though - you also want to think about putting the clam on an empty half shell or piece of acrylic bent to acccomdate the clam. That way it won't get attached to anything if you want to move it later.
1) bag clam with ample water
2) get in car and drive to grasshopper's house
3) acclimate clam to grasshopper's tank
4) place clam in tank
5) get in car and drive away
6) wait for pictures of your healthy clam
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Seriously though - you also want to think about putting the clam on an empty half shell or piece of acrylic bent to acccomdate the clam. That way it won't get attached to anything if you want to move it later.
LOL Good one! 
If I was gonna spend that much on a clam I better get one like they ate on Survivor this past season....
If I was gonna spend that much on a clam I better get one like they ate on Survivor this past season....
concept3 said:
Huh??? I know croceas need light, but IMO, Maximas need more light.
Case in point:
one of the croceas in my 300 sits about 2' below the surface, making it 3' below a 250w 10k XM.
Another crocea sits in a 30g prop tank, 12" of water above, and 18" below a 400w 10k Ushio.
Guess which looks MUCH nicer (and mind you, when I got these they both were pretty dull in comparison to what they are now).. The crocea in the 300 is way mo' better IMHO..
I also have a max under the 400w ushio, and it looks way better under the 400w then the 250w.
jmo
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concept3
Guest
A few links to help ya out on clam info:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/cav1i3/Clam_care/Clam_care.htm (Barry Neigut: owner of www.clamsdirect.com )
http://www.seanic.ca/seanic_clams.html
http://www.coralreefecosystems.com/gallery_corals.htm
I used to be a regular at www.clamsdirect.com until their forum crashed. Sue Truett is a moderator there and she is just about as crazy about clams as I am about SPS. I got most of my clam-knowledge there. Sue Truett is one of the people featured in Mike Palletta's ULTIMATE MARINE AQUARIUMS. She has a 180 gallon SPS/clam "skimmerless" system. Drop by and say hi!
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/cav1i3/Clam_care/Clam_care.htm (Barry Neigut: owner of www.clamsdirect.com )
http://www.seanic.ca/seanic_clams.html
http://www.coralreefecosystems.com/gallery_corals.htm
I used to be a regular at www.clamsdirect.com until their forum crashed. Sue Truett is a moderator there and she is just about as crazy about clams as I am about SPS. I got most of my clam-knowledge there. Sue Truett is one of the people featured in Mike Palletta's ULTIMATE MARINE AQUARIUMS. She has a 180 gallon SPS/clam "skimmerless" system. Drop by and say hi!
C
concept3
Guest
Tridacna crocea is also known as the "boring clam." It is usually found in the wild embedded amongst coral heads that make a reef look like it has "eyes." T. croceas excrete a substance that allows it byssal gland to soften calcareous substrate and thus "bore" into the coral heads. It is also one of the smallest clams and slowest growing clams in the aquarium industry. Clams that have colors in the Green and blue range require the most intense light than the purple or other shades. I myself keep my 6" purple at the bottom of my tank since clams are BEST VIEWED from the top. My 5" crocea that is metallic green sits all the way up top close to the halides, and I wish he didn't have to sit there so I can enjoy his color more.
When I moved him there in March, he has expanded his mantle two fold so I know he's a happy camper. Clams DO not need to be fed if they are over 3". They assimilate most of their food through symbiosis with the zooxanthellae housed on their mantles. Otherswise, a small dose of phytoplankton (bowl-fed) in a cup should help.
You can also keep the clam "mobile" by placing a flat piece of ceramic tile or even a clam halfshell underneath so they attach to that rather than your glass or rock, just as Nagel had mentioned. It makes them easier to transfer to a location of your choice.
Water requirements: The same as SPS (why do you think I had 8 at one point in a 55 gallon? )
Crocea: rock dwelling (borer, slowest grower, nice colors)
Maxima: rock dweller (nice colors)
Deresa: lower substrate (color is *eh*)
Gigas: substrate (these get HUGE!)
Squamosa: substrate (these get big!!!)
HTH
When I moved him there in March, he has expanded his mantle two fold so I know he's a happy camper. Clams DO not need to be fed if they are over 3". They assimilate most of their food through symbiosis with the zooxanthellae housed on their mantles. Otherswise, a small dose of phytoplankton (bowl-fed) in a cup should help.
You can also keep the clam "mobile" by placing a flat piece of ceramic tile or even a clam halfshell underneath so they attach to that rather than your glass or rock, just as Nagel had mentioned. It makes them easier to transfer to a location of your choice.
Water requirements: The same as SPS (why do you think I had 8 at one point in a 55 gallon?
)Crocea: rock dwelling (borer, slowest grower, nice colors)
Maxima: rock dweller (nice colors)
Deresa: lower substrate (color is *eh*)
Gigas: substrate (these get HUGE!)
Squamosa: substrate (these get big!!!)
HTH
Thanks for all the information. A lot to swallow and I have a bunch of surfing ahead of me. I'm not sure what kind of clam it is (I'll have to ask them if they know). Are there key identifying features? I'm thinking Crocea, but not positive. A beautiful green/blue color. Really stunning. She had it in the sand bed (so consequently that's where I put it). I put it so that it opened up towards the glass (they are so much prettier from the top, lol). I take it that isn't the way he wants to sit? He's open wide A LOT... is that a good sign or a bad sign? He startles fairly easily (though not nearly as much so as his first 48hrs in the tank). Mantle extension looks good to me (from what I remember of him in his home tank prior to transfer).
I'm checking Ca every day now until I get an idea of how this changes my dosing pattern.
I'll try to take his picture tonight.
I'm checking Ca every day now until I get an idea of how this changes my dosing pattern.
I'll try to take his picture tonight.
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concept3
Guest
Crocea have compacted scutes, and maximas have larger gaps between their scutes....
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concept3
Guest
A scute is one of those "ribs" on the outside of the shell, underneath the mantle. It's their Calcium deposit that makes up their shell. Look at the Scutes on a Tridacna Squamosa...they are fairly large and spaced out, which shows that it is a fast grower. Gigas are the same way. The scutes on the maximas are relatively spaced out, but the croceas are very compacted, almost non-existent. Think of a "scute" as a growth ring, just like in a tree....
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concept3
Guest
ummmm pics Phyl?
you know me when it comes to pictures...........
you know me when it comes to pictures...........
you gotta turn that sucker mantle up. It will be happier!
C
concept3
Guest
It looks like a crocea Phyl, I have one with very similar markings. Notice how the shell is pretty "clean" i.e. no scutes........ hold on.... I'll take a pic