Reef Discussion

[Adam_w]

Will post a picture when I get home, but short story is I got a baby clam last week its probably about 6cm long from end to end

Any tips with it being so small? I had researched a fair bit about the adult clams then I ended up getting a baby thinking it would be the same thing and I could grow it out.. not the mention the price difference

So it's a baby squamosa, had it for about a week now and it just keeps getting moved around the sand by the snails and the flow and won't secure itself to anything.

Asked my LFS what to feed it because i heard babys needed something more than the light. They recommended reef roids so every 2 days ive been squirting some of that around the clam

Anything else I need to be aware of? (aside from it being a drain on alc and cal when it starts growing)

 

[Wrangy]

Please don't feed it, please definitely don't target feed it! Feeding a clam is a good way to kill or injure them as the high concentration of nutrients will burn their sensitive organs. Little clams don't need to be feed as well, it's good household myth in reefing as they're completely able to produce more than enough energy simply from photosynthesis.

Just keep your parameters stable and the clam in a spot where it's comfortable and that's all you need to do but enjoy the coolest reef animal grow and thrive :)

This little guy would have been about 3cm when I got him and I don't do anything for my clams either. He's already tripled in size since adding him a few months ago :)

Add to that the other two I have, it's pretty clam heavy in my tank :) had the big girl for over three years now as well :)


Please just promise me you won't feed the clam! And certainly not target feed it. Please :)

 

[ReeferRob]

Clams will get what they need from light like Wrangy said and they'll pick up other bits of food from you feeding the fish and corals.

 

[MagicJ]

It must be time for a picture :rolleyes

 

[Adam_w]

Got as far as getting them off my phone! They're terrible quality.. ok so I won't feed it (any more) I was just squirting some reef roids in its general area because thats what the internet said to do!

Here's a picture off the guy i bought it from.. didn't look that small to me!

Second picture of my high tech acclimation process!

Size comparison is a pretty small birds of paradise frag i picked up as well and a decent sized hammer

 

[Adam_w]

And I completely failed at uploading the second picture![Broken External Image]:http://imgur.com/a/Vg8VV

 

[Wrangy]

Fantastic little clam! :) you're going to love watching it grow over the years!

 

[ReeferRob]

Fixed the second link, damn if I can figure out WTF it is though, lol.

 

[Adam_w]

hahahah my pictures are always terrible! I had to use that claw thing to try and balance the clam on a rock i was hoping it would attach to while i was acclimating! in my head i was a genius. I'll try get another overall tank shot tonight which might help a bit to get size comparison

The little guy seems to tip himself on his side every day at the moment, seems to be normal from what I read until it attaches itself? I made a little curved bowl thing out of epoxy and had slid that under the sand hoping it would attach there but doesn't seem to be working

Wrangy's mega clam I've been watching on here the whole time thats the goal will prbably need a bigger tank if that ends up happening though

 

[Franklin Dattein]

Only thing different you do for tiny clams is make sure they won't tip and the mantle touches the sand for too long.

 

[Adam_w]

Yea mine seems to love tipping over! Every morning I upright it and then again usually when I get home from work.. Should I try moving it onto the rocks or put some little rocks on either side to keep it up or will it eventually attach?

 

[Franklin Dattein]

Some ideas: tile or a large frag holder or make a clam base with epoxi or polymorph plastic or PVC pipe.

 

[Susan Bates]

I got a small clam the other day it is not attached to any thing just sitting on the sand, should i put him on something??

 

[Wrangy]

What species of clam is it? It's generally a good idea to have them attached to something, even just a small rock

 

[Adam_w]

I tried the making a base for it to attach to from epoxy - put it under the sand but the lil bugger still keeps moving so i just move the base under where its gone to.. last thing i want is for it to dig in the sand and attach to the glass

 

[MagicJ]

This is the type of thing you want

These are available in a kit - http://www.thetechden.com.au/Thrive_C_Clam_Kit_p/cclam.htm - but you should be able to make something similar.

 

[Adam_w]

So clam has been in probably 2 weeks by now and still hasn't attached. It's also a bit slow to react to changes in light

I made a plate epoxy thing like Magics photo and i keep just moving it to wherever the clam ends up

How worried should i be?

 

[MagicJ]

Are you sitting the clam in the depression in the holder?

 

[Adam_w]

Are you sitting the clam in the depression in the holder?

Yep with a bit of sand on top though.. ill try no sand when i get home

A bit more info - it looks like there is new growth on the shell, extra white around the edges so that makes me think at least something is going ok

 

[Adam_w]

More clam update! The little guy is still just rolling around on the sand. Still yet to attach to anything... I was away for a couple of weeks after Christmas so now finally back trying to find a spot where the little guy will finally be happy