Clams

[jayphr99]

i have a tridacna maxima clam. also there is a blue cheek goby which keeps blowing sand around the tank. the trouble is it keeps putting sand on top of the clam can this harm the clam and what should i do to stop it doing this

 

[Navarre]

yes it will harm the clam. This is usually because the clam will close up and rob it of needed light. Move the clam if poss. but there is no guarentee that the goby wont continue to do this. If it continues then either get rid og hte goby or the clam ) These little gobies can be real pains... loads of character but they cause mayhem in reef tanks with corals.

 

[jayphr99]

yes it will harm the clam. This is usually because the clam will close up and rob it of needed light. Move the clam if poss. but there is no guarentee that the goby wont continue to do this. If it continues then either get rid og hte goby or the clam ) These little gobies can be real pains... loads of character but they cause mayhem in reef tanks with corals.

the clam at the minute is on the substrate at bottom. is it best to move it onto rock work higher up where there is more water flow across it or best left at bottom on sand

 

[Navarre]

Experiment. My Deresa is on the substrate and hates being on the rocks. My Crocus is exactly the opposite

 

[jayphr99]

Experiment. My Deresa is on the substrate and hates being on the rocks. My Crocus is exactly the opposite

ok will do

 

[Lovesfish]

just a question about clams do you need any kind of special light to keep them as you would corals? thanks Dave

 

[Chac]

I am not a clam expert but clams do require a certain level of care that includes higher lighting levels (Dependent on species of clams, apparently the Maxima's being sold at the moment are slightly more difficult to keep than those sold in previous years)

They also require a more stable/mature enviroment than most other inverts with no swings in temp, calc, alk, ph salinity etc. & very good general water quality, if I remember rightly they do appreciate a small amount of nitrate

I am sure derasa althought not as pretty as Maxima's are happy in lower lite setups & are one of the easier clams to keep

 

[Navarre]

I would not put a clam in anything other than a metal halide setup.
My deresa clam sits on the floor of the tank directly under the 400w halide whilst my Crocus clam sits at the top of the tank about 3 inches directly under the 400w halide.
I tried moving the Crocus clam under my 150w halides when i first had the clam as they are 20k lights and i felt that would really show off the blue colouration. Within days it had lost about 40% of its colration and i realised that the light was simply not strong enough. Its now dirctly under the 400w (10k) but its colouration is taking a very long time to recover.

 

[Opcn]

bigger clams need more light, when they are very small, like under an inch clams are almost exclusively planktonic feeders, but when they grow they become more dependant on light, you can keep most under compact flourescents up to about 5 inches, so long as they are close, squamosas apperently have the lowest light needs aswell.

 

[veen]

bigger clams need more light, when they are very small, like under an inch clams are almost exclusively planktonic feeders, but when they grow they become more dependant on light, you can keep most under compact flourescents up to about 5 inches, so long as they are close, squamosas apperently have the lowest light needs aswell.

i have my 3" derasa in my 5.5 under 65w pc's. it's already grown over an inch in the short amount of time i've had it. when it gets larger i will be moving it into a larger tank.

derasas & squamosas, although not as colorful as maximas & croceas, require less light. they also grow to bigger sizes than maximas & croceas.