Crocea Clam question

[grzy]

I was just wondering where people place their crocea clams. I have heard and read mixed ideas of placing in the sand or on the live rock. I have attached 3 pictures of the clam. I was told it was a crocea clam. The first two pictures are with the flash off, and the third is a pic with the flash.
Thanks for your input in advance.

 

[puffer32]

Crocea it is. They are the most light demanding clam and like to be in the rockwork, what lighting do you have?

 

[teen]

they like to be in the rockwork. just an fyi, mine kept hopping off the rock and eventually settled in on my sand bed.
heres a pic of mine.

 

[grzy]

I have 250 watt metal halide, with T5 suplemental lighting.

 

[grzy]

I have had the clam for about a month, and it has not bleached, and is not showing any signs of stress. I had it in the sand bed, but moved it to the rock work yesterday.

 

[reefstar22]

Both of my clams live in my sand bed. - I have 2 400 watt MH's and 4 55watt T5's. :hilarious
There is another thread around hear with a picture of both.
I also have a Crocea clam, and mine is open quite a bit more than yours. - How long has it been in the tank?

 

[reefstar22]

here are mine.

 

[farslayer]

I have one almost identical to yours and he is much fuller. Mine kept jumping off the rocks, but then when he got in the sand he would lay on his side, goofiest thing I've ever seen. Finally I got him to stay still on a flat rock which I placed in the sand bed. I mean, he was big and full and open, but laying on his side (and he's grown quite a bit, new growth still on the shell). Nuts.

 

[grzy]

Mine does open more than what is in the pics. Those are old pics. Those were from when I first got it.
My clam also seemed to start to lie on its side when in the sand bed, thats why i decided to try it on the rocks.
This is why I made the thread, I have heard many different opinions as to where the clam can be. I will take some updated pics when I get home from work and post them. Hopefully it is still on the rocks and did not jump into my large LTA. It is not that close to the LTA, it is about 6 inches to the side of the LTA.
Thanks for all the responses, I truly appreciate the help and input.

 

[grzy]

Nice pics. Those are some nice clams.

 

[teen]

mine also moved on his side while on the sand bed. if you look in my picture, he attached his foot to the rock that is right behind him. i guess thats where he felt most secure.
yours was probably on its side because he was searching through the sand looking for something secure to grab hold of.

 

[grzy]

Ahh, that would make sense. If it does not work placing him on the rocks, I will put a flat rock in the sand bed for it to hold on to.

 

[teen]

sounds good. personally, i dont like the way clams look in the rockwork, unless there bored into a hole.

 

[grzy]

How long would it take for the clam to bore a hole? I know they secrete some enzymes that eat away at rock, but I did not read how long it takes.

 

[teen]

pretty sure it usually takes a while and if i remember correctly they normally dont do it in captivity. they usually start when there very small in the wild. im not even sure if croceas are the ones that can bore into rocks.

 

[grzy]

Alot of articles I have read on Tridacna crocea say that they are a burrowing clam. They will bore into rocks. They are the smallest of the Tridacna clams growing to a max of 6 to 9 inches.

 

[grzy]

This is a quote from an article online I was reading:
"T. crocea is known as the Boring Clam because with contraction and relaxation of their byssal muscles, they burrow into boulders and coral heads. Once burrowed, they use their byssal threads to hold themselves in place. Usually only the top edges of the shell and mantle are visible."