Clam issues??????

[Angels 2010]

I'm at my wit's end with this thing. I put it up top on a rock and it was fine> Until yesterday, it was laying on the sandbed when i got up in the morning. I stood it up, but it tipped itself. I then tried a different spot on the rocks and it seemed ok, this morning, it was in that spot but on its side. I stood it up and it knocked itself off again. It is currently in that spot and seems to be ok. if it tips again, I am trying one more option and then i'm done with it.

It was recommended epoxying 2 oyster shells together back to back and then burying the bottom in the sand leaving the other side up and placing the clam in there. Sound like it would work, but i can't find oysters in stock anywhere. Can I use a clam shell? Seems like that would work the same way. Thanks, Dave

 

[litenyaup]

dig it down into the sand....mine would fall over as well. also make sure there is enough flow were you have it for food to flow into it....it might be moving to get a better spot to feed.

 

[Angels 2010]

thanks, how deep are you talking? I've tried burying it to a point but maybe not deep enough...

i have literally tried everything. I thought it was my lighting but even on the top rock it is not happy...

 

[Paul_N]

what kind of clam is it? They generally move when they are not happy about flow or lighting. My maxima kept jumping off the rocks and then I realized it was getting too much flow. He has not moved in almost a year.

 

[Murfman]

If you bury it in the sand, make sure you have a rock or shell under the foot so it has something to fasten to.

 

[nater]

+1 on the rock in the sand. try to have a rock with some holes in it so it can grab on. or at least a rigid one.

 

[Angels 2010]

what kind of clam is it? They generally move when they are not happy about flow or lighting. My maxima kept jumping off the rocks and then I realized it was getting too much flow. He has not moved in almost a year.

it's a maxima and i have tried pretty much every spot in my tank. The current spot it is in, (hasn't moved in about 2 hours) to me seems ideal for it. Flattest spot on my rocks, low flow, but still enough to get food to it, right below right MH. It just won't plant its foot so i'm thinking that when it needs to close fast for whatever reason, that is when the issue is.

 

[Paul_N]

I hear you. I have a huge maxima 9-10" and it will do that. I had to rearrange the rocks so it didn't just fall off when it did that. Mine is middle of the way up in my 75 gallon right under a 250w mh. It is by no means pinned or sandwiched in either.

 

[Paul_N]

Here is a pic of mine setup. It could have to do with the weight of my clam also.

 

[Angels 2010]

that's a big clam, very nice...

i've got it in a spot where i think it should be happy, but we'll see. I'll try the rocks again if it falls again. I made absolutely sure this time that the surface it is on covers its whole bissal opening...

keeping my fingers crossed...

 

[Angels 2010]

well, it did try to plant its foot, but it wiggled itself into a position that it didn't seem to like because it retracted it a few minutes later. The spot where it was it was hanging kind of precariously , probably putting too much stress on the foot. Here's a pic of where it was. Sorry for the poor photography, this is through the glass at an angle.
Its foot is the litle white area to the left of the clam...

 

[Angels 2010]

I think it's done. It fell of the rocks again last night so i moved it to a rock on the sandbed and now today it won't react to anything and it is slightly open but with no mantle extension. I screwed up and will wait for better lighting before i try clams again...

 

[Azurel]

Man that sucks bro, I think you would have been fine with it on the sand in the first place with a clam shell under it......I use old clam shells myself and never ad an issue with them. They can be finiky at times sounds like it might have injured itself in the fall. The lighting that is listed in your sig is what you have right now correct? That should be good enough for a clam, how tall is your tank?

 

[Angels 2010]

thanks dude, i keep hoping it may come back, i can see its mantle still inside the shell, just can't give up on it yet. I'd hate to pull it out still with the fact of it just being bothered...

the tank is 21", btw