Clam keeps spinning

I have had my squamosa for around 2 weeks now. I started it half way up my rockwork because I figured my VHO's and PC's wouldn't be enough to keep it happy on the sand. Well, the clam had other ideas and hopped down a few times so I let it be and buried a flat piece of rock under it so it could attach to something.

Today I got a scare because the clam was on its side and almost all of its byssal (sp?) threads were detached. It looked like it was trying to move, so after some research I figured it had fully acclimated to my lighting and was wanting more of it. I placed it back half way up in my rockwork where it finally stayed all day. Only thing is it keeps turning . . .

Maybe its selfish of me, but it looks waaaay better the way I placed it on the rock, but for some reason it wants to make a quarter turn to the right. So instead of being able to see the entire mantle, all you can see is the side of the shell and a little of the mantle at the top. Is there anything I can do to get it to stay put?

~Will.

 

clams will be clams.

 

Or maybe ur just being shellfish?

 

lol

My clam has moved around quite a bit. I think he's finally at home where he's at currently though.

 

the clam isn't going to be happy in the rock work will. These are sand dwelling critters so that's where I would put it. dig him a little hole in the sand and place him in it and see what happens.

 

I super glue all of my clams to the rocks.. they seem to not worry...



and im just kidding.. I hope it works out for you.. oh and please dont super glue clams.. ;D;D

 

funny stuff. ;D

Daniel, he was in the sand and one morning i came out and he was on his side with a ton of byssal threads detached. Now the clams threads are starting to attach to the rockwork which it never has done before. I was thinking I diddn't have enough light on my sand bed to keep a clam happy. Would it be better closer to the light in the rockwork or in the sand farther away from it?

My tank being acrylic has 2 openings at the top and with the clam where it is now it is directly under one of them getting as much light as possible. When its on the sand its 10" lower, and there is a piece of acrylic in between it and my lights.

~Will.

 

How big is your tank, what lighting do you have, and how far away is the clam from the lights if it is on the sandbed?

See, here's the thing. Squamosa clams do best in the sand. They also can grow fairly large, so if you put it in the rocks, it may outgrow its location.

I think that the bottom line here is that the clam should be on the sand, if possible. If you feel that your lighting is inadequate for the clam, you could decide to upgrade the lights to T5s. Or you could decide to return the clam. Or, as a final option, you could build a temporary platform for it to raise it up higher. You could use eggcrate to build a flat, large platform that it would not easily fall off of, and some sort of flat, smooth surface (eg. flat rock, old large clamshell, flattened epoxy sheet) to perch it on top of. It won't look great in your tank, but it will keep it stable and up closer to the light until you can upgrade.

 

The upgrade wont be until we get into a new house (could be next year), and that will be a 240 with 4x 250w halides, and 4 110w VHO actinics. Right now the tank is a 125 (aka future sump) with 2 160w VHO's, and 4 96w PC's. Where the clam is now, he is 16" away from the lights, and on the sand its more like 26".

I have some crushed coral in the garage, would it help if I put a little bed of that around the clam so it could feel more secure? Later on when it grows, I was planning on splitting the flat piece of rock he is on and moving it and the clam lower after the upgrade to avoid it out growing its spot.

~Will.

 

Ok, this info helps. If your clam is 26" away from those lights it will die for sure. Quite frankly, even if it is 16" away, that lighting is a bit too dim for a clam, even a squamosa, on a tank as large as yours. This probably explains why it keeps moving - it keeps trying to find a spot where it will get enough light to survive, and hasn't found such a spot yet.

I hate to be a downer, but I might consider returning the clam to the LFS or trading for something else. If the lighting upgrade won't be for another year, your tank currently just does not have the lighting for a clam IMO. Even at 16" from the source.