Huskymaniac
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Anyone have any experience with these? Have had it since Tuesday. Looked great the first 2 days but not getting that full extension anymore.
Hippopus Clam
- Thread starter Huskymaniac
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I never keep one of these. I assume they needs low light and low current. Make sure parasitic snails are not infested on him, and just keep your water stable. Their mantle does not spread beyond the shell edge with this species. Good luck
minus9
5000 Club Member
Their mantle will never extend beyond the shell like other clams and appears to be normal, but I would provide as much light as possible. They’re actually not found in deep water, so I would put their light demand about maxima level or just under. These guys are super cool and unique. Keeping them on the sand is fine or a nice flat rock works too. They won’t have many byssal threads, as they will rely on their weight to keep them in place, which is why their shells grow really thick. After my tank reset, I plan on getting one.
As @OrionN mentioned, check for parasitic snails. Check your par levels where it’s sitting.
As @OrionN mentioned, check for parasitic snails. Check your par levels where it’s sitting.
DaJMasta
Well-Known Member
I've had one for a month or two and it seems to be comparable light level to a derasa, maybe a little less. I've read they want to be in the substrate specifically, so not on rock work, but I've had mine on the rocks (and higher up) briefly and it opened up as you would normally expect.
In sort of an oddity, mine was very ticked off (to the point of the mantle receding) for a while because, of all things, of a snail that had climbed inside and then got closed on. Good half inch or a little bigger turbo snail managed to get over the edge of the rim somehow, and the clam got ticked off and closed on it, enclosing the whole thing near the incurrent siphon. Took me a couple of days to realize, but it had slipped into the sand deeper (pistol shrimp burrowing removing sand under it) so that it no longer fully opened, so I moved it to a rocky outcrop it could open fully on elsewhere in the tank. Took several hours for the snail to be bold enough to try and leave, but it crawled out, and the clam has been getting better since. Maybe a more open area where things burrow under it less or a coarser substrate (like crushed coral) would be a more suitable location.
Worth mentioning: I also dose my tank pretty heavily with phytoplankton, but the clam I've got is large enough that I don't expect that to be a requirement for it.
In sort of an oddity, mine was very ticked off (to the point of the mantle receding) for a while because, of all things, of a snail that had climbed inside and then got closed on. Good half inch or a little bigger turbo snail managed to get over the edge of the rim somehow, and the clam got ticked off and closed on it, enclosing the whole thing near the incurrent siphon. Took me a couple of days to realize, but it had slipped into the sand deeper (pistol shrimp burrowing removing sand under it) so that it no longer fully opened, so I moved it to a rocky outcrop it could open fully on elsewhere in the tank. Took several hours for the snail to be bold enough to try and leave, but it crawled out, and the clam has been getting better since. Maybe a more open area where things burrow under it less or a coarser substrate (like crushed coral) would be a more suitable location.
Worth mentioning: I also dose my tank pretty heavily with phytoplankton, but the clam I've got is large enough that I don't expect that to be a requirement for it.
