clam help
- Thread starter sponge
- Start date
reefer44
Member
everything seems fine from your info you gave us...but if clams are closing then things aren't fine...test every perameter you can and then see if you notice anything odd (snails on them and stuff) if they are not attched try turning h=them over and checking the foot.......also at night check if their syphon is out...if not try feeding some phyto and see how they do.....also what lighting and water flow are they resieving? are they in the sand? what size are they? what are the other inverts/fish with them?
sponge
Member
3 2inch and 1 5 inch. I see no snails, I have retested everything, and it seems fine. Lifted them up and nothing on the foot. It is not attached though. 2 250 20K halides over a 55 gal tank. 3in deep live sand bed. Inverts are snails,hermits, conch, small white crab (came in live rock) and a cleaner shrimp. Fish are a small clown, yellow T, and CB angel, lawnmower blenny. It is pretty established, a few months. Also The 1 Brown Clam (2in) seems to be great, while the Darker the Blue in the mantle the more that theuy seem closed. I have been feeding Photo, zoe, snow, ect. Also 3 power heads on a wavemaker for strong flow.
fishguy_40
Member
water temp?
fishguy_40
Member
clams like sps, enjoy the lower temps. the lower the better id say down towards 75 or 76. i run mine at 78 because i can't afford to run lower 
. they still thrive here, just dont grow as fast as they could with a lower temp. anything over 80 I'd say is poor, these guys are picky.
. they still thrive here, just dont grow as fast as they could with a lower temp. anything over 80 I'd say is poor, these guys are picky.
fishguy_40
Member
youre more than welcom sponge, glad you got it figured. i can only wish i needed a heater on my tank out here in long beach, ca.
fishguy_40
Member
that's high range and realistically, not quite what they need. are you running a chiller? what kind of lights do you have? metal halides are almost required for clams, they like intense light and high parameters. this means, high calcium and low temps (77-79), zero nitrates, high trace elements. also, some people swear by target feeding them (i dont do it). these are optimal conditions, anything that varies away from these will result in a less happy clam.
reefer44
Member
are you serious....80 is on a low side......i keep my sps tank at 80 in the winter and at around 83 in the summer.....i have gotten 1 cm of growth in 2 weeks on one of my clams in my new tank......also out of the 5 i have not one seems to like the lower temps.....the higher the temp. the higher they metobolize phyto which is very essential for baby clams 1"-3" in length
remember the most progressive reef in the world (red sea) is about 86 year around
Brad
remember the most progressive reef in the world (red sea) is about 86 year around
Brad
reefer44
Member
clams like a little nitrates (which i don't have in my current tank but in my last they seem to lower nitrates cause they use it).......so if you are afriad to keep a clam ina tank with trace amounts of nitrates don't worry they will be just fine.......also what are you talking about trace elements......the only thing clams really have been proven to use is calcium, phyto, light, nitrates in there growth.
and about metal halides you can get away with any clam other than crocea 20" under 175w bulbs.........they also can live in a tank lite by strong VHO....especially squamosa
Brad
and about metal halides you can get away with any clam other than crocea 20" under 175w bulbs.........they also can live in a tank lite by strong VHO....especially squamosa
Brad
golfish
Active Member
Originally posted by fishguy_40
clams like sps, enjoy the lower temps. the lower the better id say down towards 75 or 76. i run mine at 78 because i can't afford to run lower
. they still thrive here, just dont grow as fast as they could with a lower temp. anything over 80 I'd say is poor, these guys are picky. I have to disagree with everything said here...I've seen a LOT of sps tank over the years and never one kept this low...79-83 is average..
fishguy_40
Member
well i dont know of many clams that are sold from the red sea. and after checking that im not off my rocker on some commercial sites, they almost all say 72-78 degrees for clams. i wish i could run my tank at 84, it would be way cheaper. my tank melted down last july at that temperature. anyhow, im not here to argue, just stated my opinion. clams use strontium and iodine as well. trace elements no?
fishguy_40
Member
another thing, we are talking about clams here guys. a whole different story from sps. to each his own, im going to continue to run at 78 because that's where i get the most growth and extension and color.
reefer44
Member
ponopie (sp.) vietnam is were very many gorgeous clams come from (they are ill collected there so i don't reccomend buying every clam from there)......the water there is around 80-82 degrees.......also clams don't really use strotium and iodine.....most clam and sps guys including me don't even think about dosing these becuase it just isn't needed......also clams and sps are from the same environment and the care requirement (other than what they eat) are basically the same
Brad
Brad
reefer44
Member
what are you growing in your tank to have a meltdown at 84 ........and sps grow much faster at 80 and up...as well as clams.........i have kept my reefs at both and i am reaching insane growth rates on both clams and sps.....clams are growing between 1/2" and 1 1/2" inches a month and sps are growing close to 2" a month and a little more with the monti's..........also temp has really no signifgance to polyp extension.....more feeding and lower light equals overpolyp extension during day and ok extension at ngiht and high light and high feeding equals better extension at night and good (natural) extension during the day
Brad
Brad