Clam questions?

Lorna

Lorna

Reef Crazy
Mar 1, 2005
340
0
0
Indiana
I recently (3 weeks ago) purchased a t.crocea clam. It is about 4 inches long and a peacock blue colour. I am running 2 x 96 w actinics and 2 x 150 w m/h lights on a 75 g. I placed the clam on a flat piece of rock on the substrate. He opens up but not like I have seen them in the store. The attached pic was taken the other night. I wonder if he should be open more....I feed coral plankton and bioplankton twice a week as I only have the one clam and a couple of corals. My water params are great 0 ammonian/trites/trates. calcium is about 400 and ph 8.2 alk is 4.5meq/l :huh:

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Give him a little time to adjust.

With 150W MHs try putting him further up your rock work for better light and because croceas prefer to be on rock structure rather than substrate.

However, make sure water flow isn't too strong in the vicinity (eg. if you can see the fleshy mantle being blown around).

Keep Alk up and consider bumping up the Ca a bit more (up to a max of about 450ppm).

Ensure you don't have residents that will pick at the clam such as certain types of hermits.

While the most beautiful of the tridacnids, croceas are also the most light demanding and delicate especially when they are smaller.
 
These clams are intolerant of fluctuations. They will suffer terribly.
I would follow Crown Royal with moving this clam. Most have this clam under 250 hqi. They are greatly greedy light kings. What a beautiful clam.
 
I have mine 4" below the water under 2x250watt halides and its open that much.
 
I had read somewhere that if they are not receiving enough light they will open wider to get as much as they can. I have 2 x 150 w mh lights and there has been no discolouration of the mantle so I think it is happy.....I will watch it carefully. I will only move it if it has to as I am afraid of it falling and not being secure higher up.
 
I wouldn't be too concerned about it falling if you're careful about placement. Rockwork is the croceas natural environment anyway. And if it likes where it's placed, it'll put down its foot and you'll need a prybar to get it loose.
 
We decided to rearrange the rock work yesterday and I have the clam placed on a shell of base rock I bought for it. I was going to move it higher up but the clam has firmly attached himself to this piece of rock. I now have it directly under the mh light in about a foot of water....It opens up readily and seems to like the space.......thanks for all your help
 
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