Crocea Clam doing well, except....-Clams-3reef Forums

Brandon1023 · 08-08-2006, 08:50 AM

I have had my Crocea Clam since June now, and he seems to be doing fine except he used to be attached to one of my rocks. He has since detached and will not reattach anywhere. I moved him from his original rock and up a little in the tank. He keeps ending up on the sand bed, and I'm not sure how he keeps jumping off like that. I have never seen it happen, just come home to it constantly. I feed live phytoplankton about 2x a week, and turn the skimmer off when I do. When he attached the first time I left him completely alone. So I don't think I damaged his foot....not sure what is at work here.

amcarrig · 08-08-2006, 10:49 AM

I've had clams detach and "jump ship" before and I'm under the impression that they do so because they're not happy with their location. Is there more water flow or anything different in the area where you tried to move the clam to?

I wouldn't worry about this too much but if it's going to sit on the sandbed, I would put a shell or flat rock underneath it so that it can attach itself to something. Once it does that, you can move the clam onto your rockwork and hope it stays put.

Zissou · 08-08-2006, 05:02 PM

the shell or small rock method worked well for my baby maxima brandon. the only problem i encountered was pesky turbo snails bullying him off his perch. finally he is happy though after i started trying new spots in the tank. good luck they are so cute.

Monacle · 08-08-2006, 05:48 PM

Brandon, funny that you write this post. I am going through the exact same thing. Clam was all happy and I actually got to see him jump off the rock. It scared the crap out of me lol. I did what amcarrig suggested up above and put some rocks just under the sand and place the clam over that area. His foot went down and attached to a couple rocks down below the sandbed. I never moved him because he looks so happy there now. Gl to you, I hope your clam is okay.

GLTA

Brandon1023 · 08-08-2006, 06:54 PM

Hmm maybe it was the turbos because he has been in place for several days at this point. I might try the sand bed thing but my sand bed is pretty full of corals now...actually my whole tank is. So when I move something I have to move a couple other things too. I will let you all know what I decide and thanks for the advise!

coral reefer · 08-08-2006, 07:59 PM

You may want to check to see if their is something possibly trying to eat or get inside your Crocea from the Byssal strands or foot.
Another thing that I read regarding Tridacna's is that they are very finicky and don't like changes. By moving the clam higher or lower in your tank, you run the risk of possibly stressing it out causing it's demise. Keep an eye out for its inward syphon to make sure it isn't gapping, or you start to see bleaching on it syphonal mantle.
How big is your Tridacna anyway? If it is under 3-4 inches phytoplankton and yeast are good choices for food. If it bigger than that, it will require intense lighting for its survival(dependent on zooxanthellae at that size) instead of solely food. That isn't to say that periodic feeding of plankton won't help. It seems that the bacteria responsible for the vivid blues, greens etc. are the result of bacteria that acts almost like a sunscreen for its mantle, due to the intense ultraviolet radiation brought on by the sun. The Zooxanthellae is responsible for the yellow and brown coloration also evident on many species of clams as well as corals.
Sorry to go off on a tangent...just thought it would help ya!
Good luck with your Crocea! I also have a 4" Crocea which, knock on wood, is doing very well.
Be careful with salinity, ph and alkalinity changes in your water, because they can factor in the success or demise of Tridacna's. Also Nitrates are a good thing for Tridacna's as they are filter feeders and require nitrates in the water for feeding as well.