Squamosa Clam rescue ... should I do it?

[tjkohler]

I've been asked to rescue a 2" squamosa clam. However, I only have 2x35 watt PC lights. The guy wants to either give it to me or sell it to one of the LFS in the area. He'd rather give it to me, but I'm not sure I could give it what it needs. I will be getting my 75 gallon up and running by or at Christmas and that will at least 2x175 watt MHs. Should I accept it, or let him take it to a LFS?

 

[bang guy]

Tough call. Small Squamosa have a high mortality rate. They need a lot of phytoplankton until they get to be over 3". The problem with a nano is the ease of overfeeding the phyto and causing problems.
Sure would be nice to have a Squamosa though.
If you set it high on the rocks it will get enough light for now. The problem is the water volume can only hold so much phyto before it has problems.
Maybe it will work if you place it in a bucket of phyto once a day until it gets bigger. That way it will get plenty to eat and you won't have to worry about your tank water being polluted.
Or... you could mail the Clam to me

 

[tjkohler]

Bang Guy,
Could I talk to you off line about this? My e-mail is tjkohler@yahoo.com I'd like to get this clam, and I'm even up for doing the bucket thing ... I'm just not sure how to do it so that the water params are all equal and I don't shock the clam. Thanks for your time.

 

[bang guy]

YGM

 

[jonthefb]

i think that if you kept it high up in the tank as Guy suggested and fed phyto twice a week but in light doses and directed most of it to the clam over the span of a day your be allright! i have a three inche in my 20 with 130 watts of pc and hes doing jsut magnificant and is on my sand bed
good luck
jon