Got a clam question? We've got you covered right here.

[pecan2phat]

 

[DSC reef]

That's a beautiful blue squamosa you have. It looks very healthy so I wouldn't make any changes. Put him back up if he falls over. Also, look periodically for pyramid snails. They wiped out our entire collection. I like the utter chaos colony you have there.

 

[pecan2phat]

Thanks!

 

[lucyretz]

I’m really new to clams and a few people have told me this one I bought today is dying and a few have said it’s healthy. What do you think? All pics within 25 mins of being in my tank.

Thanks in advance[emoji16]

 

[DSC reef]

The clam looks fine in the tank, doesn't look unhealthy at all.

 

[lucyretz]

The clam looks fine in the tank, doesn't look unhealthy at all.

Phew that’s a relief. I dont know why people have been saying it’s a goner, maybe the mouth? Seems to have a lot of growth on it

 

[DSC reef]

An open incurrent siphon is normally confused with gaping. Your clam is just siphoning water which is normal clam buisness.

 

[Lovemyreef2015]

I’m really new to clams and a few people have told me this one I bought today is dying and a few have said it’s healthy. What do you think? All pics within 25 mins of being in my tank.

Thanks in advance[emoji16]

That's a really pretty squamosa clam. I don't know who would tell you it was dying. Looks healthy to me too.

 

[Naoxyn]

What are the quarantine times? And are they different for different clam species?

 

[NSAW]

I just picked up a 4.5” derasa that has been at the LFS for months. Two days after acclimating into my dt, clam is looking great, but as I notice little bug/pod-like creatures crawling on the shell.

I know I have collonista everywhere. Closer inspection, some other pod-thingy crawling around, when I saw they were pyramid shaped, my heart dropped. But the more I watched I noticed they don’t seem very snail-like. Don’t notice any on the mantle. There are dozens of these mystery bugs on the shell. I lost a pipefish about two weeks ago so pods are all over. Hoping just some unknown pod grazing on the algae.

The collonista in the pic are about 2-3cm, I toothbrushed it well before adding to the tank, but usome algae on the clam’s shell. No QT unfortunately, water parameters are great, 2x250 14k Hamilton’s SE but pics taken late day under decorative LEDs only.

Sorry about pics, the best I could do. Any ID on these bugs? Any other known clam pest pods? My searches turn up nada. Again, because they crawl with a bit of an amble and moving fairly quickly, just don’t seem like snails at all. Hoping not pyramid, which I’ve never seen in my tank and did not see during cleaning/acclimate period.

The derasa looks awesome otherwise, but it’s only been 3 days and still ramping up my lights for it.
Thanks. Any input appreciated, except killer snails. That would not be appreciated, yikes.


Temporary placement on the sand, I will clear out some space and move the derasa after light acclimation:




Two little critters, with a side to side gait as they crawl, even crawling over one another:


Larger and smaller critters seen below the collonista

 

[DSC reef]

I would give the clam a light scrub with a soft toorhbrush. I believe what your seeing is amphipods. That's a nice derasa.

 

[NSAW]

Hmm, not the amphipods like I have a sump fuge full of. Maybe another type I don’t know about?

Yes, plan is to scrub it again when I move it. I feel though that the critters will just come back since they were not on the clam when I put it in there. Unless they were some egg that made it through the scrubbing and hatched in 24 hours, I guess that’s possible buy idk for sure.

And thanks. It’s a good looking clam under the full lights, blue/purple/teal rim and gold sparkles throughout

 

[Ardeus]

Whenever I feed mysis to the fish, my derasa starts "coughing". Does it mean it's trying to filter the dirty water or is coughing out bigger particles?

 

[Syed123]

Whenever I feed mysis to the fish, my derasa starts "coughing". Does it mean it's trying to filter the dirty water or is coughing out bigger particles?

I believe it is coughing up the big pieces. My Squamosa does it all the time.

 

[DSC reef]

The clam will filter out the smaller particles while getting rid of the larger particles.

 

[hart24601]

They filter water without moving their shell - almost constantly. Coughing is to expel items too large or irritation.

 

[Ardeus]

Thanks. I have seen people feeding the clams and claiming that that behaviour is the clam sucking up the phytoplankton.

 

[DSC reef]

Thanks. I have seen people feeding the clams and claiming that that behaviour is the clam sucking up the phytoplankton.

No need to feed your clam, the dissolved organics, nutrients and light is all that it needs. They constantly filter the water. Our last one was over 12" and was a calcium guzzler!

 

[FLSharkvictim]

Please bare with me on the quality of the photo but thee only time i feed my T. Max Ultra Blue claim is when I feed my SPS coral which is ones a week with either REEF ROIDS OR MeCoral super food.

 

[BOWHUNTER4250]

It might have been asked before on here but honestly i did not read every comment , will clams move if they are not happy where they are placed ? and does the extension of their mantles give any indication of needing more or less of light , flow , etc .....

i have a 6" maxima that ive had for about 2 weeks , originally had it in the sand but read a lot that these types prefer and are found mostly on rock formations so i moved it higher and onto a rock ledge , its been there and hasnt moved , it also has not released its " strings " to attach yet ? it does react quite well to fish movement and light however the mantle does not not extend to much further out than the outside of the shell , just want to make sure im doing everything i can ?

established tank for 5 years