New Derasa clam questions

Discussion in 'Clams' started by Thunderstruck34, Feb 1, 2009.

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  1. Thunderstruck34

    Thunderstruck34 Plankton

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    Location:
    Green Bay, WI
    Ok, so i bought a 3" derasa clam last friday, drip acclimated it for approx 2 hours, kept lights off and then just the actinics on for about another 2 hours before i turned on the 10K. Clam is currently placed on the sand bed 14 inches underneath the 10K bulb. Never had a clam before and was told that this clam should be alright with my setup.
    29G
    130W PC
    400 Calcium
    0 nitrates
    0 nitrites
    0 ammonia
    Salinity 1.024
    Ph 8.3
    everything else not listed here was ideal...except phophates...like 1ppm...yikes i know, only thing i haven't been able to keep in my tank are sps, which is fine by me.
    anyways about an hour after i put the clam in it looked great, very responsive and open. now day 4 not quite as responsive and either looks mostly shut or open about half an inch. Not sure really what to expect as i know that it may take awhile for it to adjust to the new tank, and i have been spot feeding it some phytoplex. Is there anything wrong with the clam or is that just typical behavior. i checked it prior to putting it in and everynight with a flashlight for pyramid snails and have yet to find anything. Also i am planning on upgrading/downgrading my lighting depending on how you look at it to 4X24W HO T5's in the next few weeks. any suggestions, comments, or advice would be greatly appreciated.
     

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  3. Thunderstruck34

    Thunderstruck34 Plankton

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    Also the only fish i have in the tank are
    1'' flame hawkfish
    2.5'' purple firefish
    have yet to see the flame hawk perch anywhere near the clam...so im pretty sure that he isn't bothering it...i also have a 2'' sandsifting starfish, 3 blueleg hermits, 2 astrea snails, and one nassirus snail. Tank is set up so that the left side of the tank is very high up to the light and it slopes down as it goes to the right where i have a open spot for the clam...nothign is anywhere near to him, coral wise.
     
  4. PackLeader

    PackLeader Giant Squid

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    You need to take it back. There is no way it will survive under 130W of PC. Keep in mind clam lighting requirements are SUPER high. Even with the T5 upgrade you still might not be able to keep it. Also, with a 29 gallon tank, that derasa clam will grow to about 20", so another thing to consider.
    How old is your tank?
     
  5. PackLeader

    PackLeader Giant Squid

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  6. gazog

    gazog Kole Tang

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    I agree, you should take the clam back till you upgrade your lights. Once you get the T5's you should have no problems keeping it as T. derasa requires Moderate lighting and I have a T. crocea in a tank with t5's and its doing well.

    But I really don't think that is the problem right now because if you read that post a clam not getting enough light will open more that normal not close up. I would have to say it was a water quality issue.
     
  7. Thunderstruck34

    Thunderstruck34 Plankton

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    Well...the new lights will be here sometime next week...2/13 at the latest...it looks a lot better now however...i had the intention of switching to T5's when i bought the clam anyways but aside from that...i was wondering if i should continue to supplement it with phytoplex...and also should i do any type of special acclimation when i do put the T5's on...what type of bulbs would you reccommend as well....10K's and the actinics?
     
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  9. Daniel072

    Daniel072 Giant Squid

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    I think 130 watts on that size tank is ok for a derasa. P C's penetrate pretty good till around 18 inches or so. If you are getting your new lights next week I wouldn't take the clam back if you like it.
     
  10. Thunderstruck34

    Thunderstruck34 Plankton

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    oh and in regards to packleaders comment...umm the tank is a year and a couple months, i knew about the size these little beauties can achieve, i also have a 125G Reef that i could transfer when the time comes. The 29G is just my bread and butter tank so to speak. I will say that it looks a lot better today and is open much more, as far as phosphates are concerned, i was looking at buying something to help lower the phospahte level, i have read however that certain phosphate removers can be harmful to clams... anything i should look out for?
     
  11. PackLeader

    PackLeader Giant Squid

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    I use brightwell aquatics phophat-e myself. I dont have a clam, but I do have a scallop and its never harmed anything. I would assume they are similar, but I am not really sure. But it does say on the bottle that it is safe for all marine fish and inverts
     
  12. Thunderstruck34

    Thunderstruck34 Plankton

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    sweet...if the clam thing doesn't work out i would like to get a thorny oyster, or maybe flame scallop (not likely)...haven't heard enough to make me feel confident that i could keep one for a sustained period of time. what you got?