Clam expert needed!!!

**CompulsiveAqua** · 09-14-2009, 12:05 AM

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I need to know if my Clamy is doing ok? He seems to be losing his purple and replcing it with gray. I had him 24" down under 250mh20k...now he is about 16" down same light moderate to heavy flow. Any advice?

**lance** · 09-14-2009, 01:36 AM

in the picture he look's fine, I wouldn't worry unless you notice any loss of coloration or folding into the mantle

lance

**rayme07** · 09-14-2009, 01:48 AM

Have you tried moving him out of the light a little bit. Not fully out of the light but a little shaded he may be getting to much light.

**saxman** · 09-22-2009, 03:00 PM

the clam looks a bit "gapy", but T. crocea has a habit of doing that. as mentioned, i don't see any bleaching, altho the mantle doesn't seem quite as extended as one would expect, which is most likely because the clam is in too much current. Tridacnids really don't do well in more than gentle currents (their mantles should not do more than a gentle lifting every so often). i made the comment regarding current based on the fact that you said that the clam is in moderate to heavy flow...

how warm does your tank run? the other thing is that clams like stable water, especially pH.

***lReef lKeeper*** · 09-23-2009, 03:40 PM

^^^ there is your clam expert !! ^^^

**lance** · 09-26-2009, 01:19 AM

do you feed your clam at all it does need additional sources of food through phyto, although 80% of its energy is from the zoanthelle but it greatly will benefit from phyto given through out the week.

lance

V · 09-28-2009, 09:49 AM

Originally Posted by lReef lKeeper

^^^ there is your clam expert !! ^^^

Im opposite remember, so your arrows post in the dirrection of the new post, not the last. I dont see how you guys can read from that dirrection

**CompulsiveAqua** · 09-30-2009, 12:41 AM

Originally Posted by saxman

the clam looks a bit "gapy", but T. crocea has a habit of doing that. as mentioned, i don't see any bleaching, altho the mantle doesn't seem quite as extended as one would expect, which is most likely because the clam is in too much current. Tridacnids really don't do well in more than gentle currents (their mantles should not do more than a gentle lifting every so often). i made the comment regarding current based on the fact that you said that the clam is in moderate to heavy flow...

how warm does your tank run? the other thing is that clams like stable water, especially pH.

I moved him out of the moderate flow and he is extended more, I know there is color loss but I asked a reliable source and he said that means nothing...he is reacting to shadows so I think everything is great. Temp fluctuates from 77-79. PH is constant: DT lights off, refugium lights on. Use phytomax, but I am thinking of switching to DT's live phyto, have you heard or used it???

**CompulsiveAqua** · 09-30-2009, 12:42 AM

Originally Posted by lance

do you feed your clam at all it does need additional sources of food through phyto, although 80% of its energy is from the zoanthelle but it greatly will benefit from phyto given through out the week.

lance

where are you getting that stat about the zoanthelle from? I dn't think that is right.

**saxman** · 09-30-2009, 11:33 AM

it's true that larger clams have sufficient mantle mass to subsist mainly on the byproducts of the photosythesis of their zooxanthellae. however, they have fully-developed digestive systems, and really thrive on feedings of live phyto 2 or 3 times a week.

baby clams (<3") should be fed more often, as they lack suficient mantle mass to live solely by photosynthesis.

the crocea we currently have gets fed phyto twice a week. personally, i prefer Phyto2, as it is 100% live and doesn't contain mixed species or any Chlorella (a FW phyto which dies in SW). try giving each one a sniff...

**lance** · 10-01-2009, 12:46 AM

Originally Posted by CompulsiveAqua

where are you getting that stat about the zoanthelle from? I dn't think that is right.

I got it from James Fatherree and research done by randy reed and this publication as well which is the bible for successful clam keeping and from work done at college.

Giant Clams in the Sea and the Aquarium by James Fatherree

lance

**saxman** · 10-02-2009, 11:17 AM

Originally Posted by lance

I got it from James Fatherree and research done by randy reed and this publication as well which is the bible for successful clam keeping and from work done at college.

Giant Clams in the Sea and the Aquarium by James Fatherree

lance

great book! i've had it since it hit the stands...

**lance** · 10-03-2009, 12:33 AM

Originally Posted by saxman

great book! i've had it since it hit the stands...

it really is helpful to clam keepers of all experience level's and there may be a second one coming out soon or in the works from what I hear.

lance

**CompulsiveAqua** · 12-27-2009, 06:39 PM

Just spent some Xmas money to get a Clam that I've had my eye on for a while...it's about 5-6 inches and white. At first I thought it was dying, but after some research I found out that Dreasa Clams can be white. This one has sick flourescent green, blue and purple dots on it. And blue edges. Questions: Can clams be next to each other, they are like that in the wild right?..Should I run my lights less to acclimate? It went from 150MH to my 250MH?. How do you tell if a white clam is losing zoozanthelle..lol? Happy New Year to all!!!
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E Crab lives under my Platagyra Maze...theyre cool.

**WVUReefer** · 12-28-2009, 01:14 AM

Clams are not bothered by being next to each other (if you are referring to chem warfare like corals). Deresa's don't demand as intense light as Crocea's. They can be white, gold, green, black, and tan.

**CompulsiveAqua** · 12-28-2009, 06:59 PM

Ok, serious question: When I got the first clam (Crocea) in the mail he went through a strange spell where he lost some color and turned gray...that lasted for about 2 mos and now it is back to normal. However it was always respondant to shadows with movement via opening and closing. My new guy, the Dreasa had plenty of movement while at the store, but now that it is home its movement is slow...is this normal until it acclimates? Ugh, 72 bucks, please nooooooooooooooooooo.

**lance** · 12-29-2009, 01:07 AM

Originally Posted by CompulsiveAqua

Ok, serious question: When I got the first clam (Crocea) in the mail he went through a strange spell where he lost some color and turned gray...that lasted for about 2 mos and now it is back to normal. However it was always respondant to shadows with movement via opening and closing. My new guy, the Dreasa had plenty of movement while at the store, but now that it is home its movement is slow...is this normal until it acclimates? Ugh, 72 bucks, please nooooooooooooooooooo.

well if a clam doesn't respond to movement and shadow's that is not a good sign it usually means a lack of calcium, bad acclimation, possible disease or predatory snail's

lance

**CompulsiveAqua** · 12-29-2009, 07:13 PM

Acclimation....Ca is 460 and holding, I do have snails but the C. Clam is doing great, do D. Clams taste better? lol...it does seem to be more responsive today...what do I use to get rid of snails?

**CarmieJo** · 12-30-2009, 01:50 AM

That is really pretty!

**CompulsiveAqua** · 12-30-2009, 01:42 PM

NO things have turned bad...they are both not reacting now...

**CompulsiveAqua** · 12-30-2009, 02:33 PM

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/20...ex.php....just read a short article on the main causes of clam demise...snails and pinched mantle....I have seen numerous pic of the pinched mantle and still am kinda hazey on what I should be looking for exactly...some pic's show a fully opened clam with the mantle pulled in and some showed the clam not open all the way with with the mantle pulled in...does it matter if it is open or shut?...I am preparing for a FW dip with the same temp and ph of my water for 30 min...my clam looks the same as it does above...I am also heading for the basement to check for snails, does anyone have any thoughts on checking a clam attached to a mobile smaller rock? Thanks, wish me luck.

**CompulsiveAqua** · 12-30-2009, 08:18 PM

I found no transparent snails...here are some pics from today, can someone with some years of clam exp. please let me know if I should take action, or at least look and see, maybe you can see something more than I. Maybe I am jumping to conclusions...It has been 5 days. I would like to catch it early, I see no bleaching currently. Then again how do you tell if a white clam is bleaching...lol..the only time there is reaction is when a fish swims near or I get close.
Side Question: are there differences in types of Ca...I was dosing my tank with Kent Ca and the B-ionic combo, but within the last month have switched to Prestone Driveway Heat (deicer, lol) which is calcium chloride...I have seen test results and it has the same makeup as Kent Turbo Calcium.
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V · 12-30-2009, 09:47 PM

clams are exotic, but id be in the same boat as you, id be studying everything i could find.

*Bump for the experts*

**lance** · 12-31-2009, 01:10 AM

a great way to get those pesky snails outta your tank is a Sixline Wrasse that is what is in my clam QT tank

lance

**CompulsiveAqua** · 12-31-2009, 12:00 PM

Sixline is reef safe?...Just read an article in an Aquarium Mag...so funny everything that keeps on happening in my tank is in the next months issue...it's like someone is planting this crap in my tank...i'm being watched...!!!ahhhh! IT ALWAYS FEELS LIKE SOMEBODY'S WATCHING ME.....lol...does anyone remember tha song? Those guys must have been doing a ton of lines...lol..anywho the mag has a number of wrasses that are reef safe...do you think of them will do the job?...GREEN WRASSE,CANARY WRASSE, TAIL-SPOT WRASSE,...all of thses are possible choices???