KarenM Posted July 6, 2007 Share Posted July 6, 2007 Bought a clam a few weeks ago. I'm not sure what kind of clam it is, sort of brownish. Anyway, I don't think it's opening as wide as it should. I've tried 3 different places, leaving it 4-5 days at each place and nothing really changes. I have PC lights. Do they prefer to be up close to the lights (I tried that and the snails kept knocking it off), or just the bottom (where it was at the store)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmanning Posted July 7, 2007 Share Posted July 7, 2007 Hello Karen, Is your clam completely shut or is the flesh just flared over its side but not as much at LFS? If the opening (mouth) of the clam is gaping, thats a sign of stress. IMO, I would try placing it on top of a flat surface or rockwork at the bottom of tank. Try not to move as much, clams don't like that, it just stress them more. By the way.... do you have a sixline wrasse? This wrasse will help control parasitic pyramidellid snails off your clam. If the clam doesn't attach quickly.....I would put some rockwork around it (temporarily) until it does and you snails will not be able to knock it over. Hope this helps! Cindy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishtexan Posted July 7, 2007 Share Posted July 7, 2007 (edited) ^^Yeah I agree. Its sounds like a Derasa(SP?) clam to me. I just picked up a litte 1in Crocea clam yesterday! As you can see by the mouth, it is still pretty stressed about the move. Edited July 7, 2007 by irishtexan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenM Posted July 7, 2007 Author Share Posted July 7, 2007 ^^Yeah I agree.Its sounds like a Derasa(SP?) clam to me. I just picked up a litte 1in Crocea clam yesterday! As you can see by the mouth, it is still pretty stressed about the move. It's not gaping open, just not opening very wide. it'll slowly open, but the minute something swims by it slams shut. I recall at the store it opened and closed quite a bit. I do have a sixline wrasse, but it doesn't pay any attention to the snails. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sushi Posted July 7, 2007 Share Posted July 7, 2007 Clams really take there time getting used to a new tank, sometimes it can take a few weeks for them to fully adjust. Try putting a half shell or flat piece of rock on the bottom of your tank (under the sand), then place your clam, buried slightly, in the sand on top of that. That way when it does get comfortable it'll put its foot down on the half shell instead of the bottom glass or your rock work, and you can move it around safely. You really don't want to move it around much though, ESPECIALLY if its attached itself to something you can't move because you might damage its foot, and if you do that you could seriously harm the clam (just like an Anemone). -Kat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainBob Posted July 7, 2007 Share Posted July 7, 2007 under PCs you're going to want your clam to be just under the surface, there's just no way a clam will do well under PCs with much distance between them and their light source. a picture would help us a lot more identifying your clam than verbal description, break your camera out, get a few shots, then we'll be able to help a lot more with the id on this guy. if your clam is extending it's mantle and closing up when fish swim past it or brush against it, that's perfectly normal, just give it time to adjust to your tank, keep it close to the lights, and you should have reasonably good luck, especially if it's a deresa or squamosa rather than a crocea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenM Posted July 7, 2007 Author Share Posted July 7, 2007 under PCs you're going to want your clam to be just under the surface, there's just no way a clam will do well under PCs with much distance between them and their light source.a picture would help us a lot more identifying your clam than verbal description, break your camera out, get a few shots, then we'll be able to help a lot more with the id on this guy. if your clam is extending it's mantle and closing up when fish swim past it or brush against it, that's perfectly normal, just give it time to adjust to your tank, keep it close to the lights, and you should have reasonably good luck, especially if it's a deresa or squamosa rather than a crocea. Thanks, Bob. I need to get new batteries for my camera. I bought it at your store. There was a small clam and a larger one just like it - I bought the larger one. They were in the tank next to the one with the blue clams. I looked on the net for picks and it looks like a derosa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainBob Posted July 7, 2007 Share Posted July 7, 2007 those would be deresas, that big one was nice, just make sure it's not too warm, has enough flow over it, and keep it up near your lights, and it should do fine kat's suggestion to put some rubble around it to encourage it to put it's foot down is spot on, once they pick a spot they're actually pretty hard to move Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedude Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 Derasa's are a sand dwelling clam in the wild and they shouldn't stick their foot to anything, unlike a crocea or maxima. Make sure that nothing it bothering the clams mantle or foot and check your water parameters. Also as several people have mentioned, you're on the edge of how much light the clam will need. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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