New clam

[chuckfu5]

I lost my previous clam after having it about a week. I’m not sure why it died. It was ordered from DD.

I received another on Tuesday, much smaller. An aquacultured clam that was already attached to a rock.

It arrived looking good, acclimated well and went in the tank. Next morning the clam had detached itself from the rock and sitting upright in the sand. It’s small about 2 inches. It was fully open and looked ok. I placed it back on the rock and it keeps moving to the sand.

It’s been 4 days now and it looks fine. Reacts great to shadowing.

My question is do I leave it be or try to move it?
This is in my 13.5 evo running a Kessil 360 WE.

I’m growing everything under the sun in the tank from acros to Zoas.

I maintain 1.026 SG
9.0 Alk
420 cal
1320 mag
.02 phos
Nitrates are between 10 - 16


I’ve been trying to bring down my nitrates to below 10 but even with these numbers I have no algae outbreak.

I do have a heavy bio load but am meticulous when it comes to maintenance on the tank.

Fish include

2 clowns
1 bi color blenny
1 cardinal
1 blue spotted jawfish

Trio of sexy shrimp
Clean up crew

And approx 30 - 40 different types of coral.

I skim very heavily and also have a Jebeao tw - 8 with controller for additional flow.

So sorry but back to the original question. Leave the clam be or try to place it somewhere else on rockwork?

I’ll get a pic of the clam up shortly.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Do you note how the clams "vents" were oriented when it moved?

It might be looking for the correct flow.

 

[DSC reef]

Leave it be and let it acclimate. Most clams I've purchased detach from whatever substrate they arrive on.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Leave it be and let it acclimate. Most clams I've purchased detach from whatever substrate they arrive on.

Mine have all settled with the exhalant siphon into the flow. Including a couple of hitchikers. Have you observed this?

 

[DSC reef]

I have in some clams but my squamosa I don't. Anytime I positioned the incurrent siphon towards flow it moves within the hour. The big squamosa did that too. Could be the amount of flow as well.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I have in some clams but my squamosa I don't. Anytime I positioned the incurrent siphon towards flow it moves within the hour. The big squamosa did that too. Could be the amount of flow as well.

Interesting.
My flow is right to left here.

 

[DSC reef]

Mine is too, right to left. Here's how the squamosa likes to sit. If I turn him into the flow he positions himself back like this. The last time i moved him I yelled fine! Lol he's facing the glass as the flow passes over him.

 

[chuckfu5]

He’s digging further down in the sand.

Sorry for the bad pic but this is the best I could get.

His inhalant siphon appears to be downstream. It’s small. Hard to tell.

 

[chuckfu5]

Do you note how the clams "vents" were oriented when it moved?

It might be looking for the correct flow.

Unfortunately I don’t.

 

[chuckfu5]

Leave it be and let it acclimate. Most clams I've purchased detach from whatever substrate they arrive on.

Are my nitrates too high? I’ve ordered red seas p04 reducer but like I said I have great color on my sps and everything is doing really well.

 

[Mark Gray]

Interesting.
My flow is right to left here.

Nice looking clams

 

[DSC reef]

He's getting comfortable, looks good

 

[chuckfu5]

He's getting comfortable, looks good

Thanks.

I don’t want to lose another one of these beautiful animals.

 

[DSC reef]

I wouldn't sweat the nitrates. Clams can up and die and I doubt it's the nitrates. I wouldn't change anything for the time being, especially chemistry. Just keep things stable my friend.

 

[tdileo]

You must have an incredible water change schedule. I have a similar bio load on my 46G LOL. Tank looks beautiful and clam looks to be settling in well. Hope this one lives a long healthy life. At that small size I believe supplemental dosing of phyto in the water may help to keep it alive, as when clams are young they primarily get their energy from filter feeding rather than photosynthesis.

 

[Yuki Rihwa]

I don't think where the inhalant siphon direction is matter, the flow power and how much flow it's matter to them. My Blue Maxi got the flow that hit the tank wall then bounce back and hit it shell and it doesn't move or bother to correct its position, my derasa turned and stay in a position that its getting same hit flow like Blue maxi. Also, all my flows are from my canister filter return line that hit tank wall and bounce back to the rock work, the flow strong enough to hit everything in tank and gentle move clams mantles a bit. The 700 GPH circulation point at the back tank wall to move water behind the rock work to avoid dead spot.
@chuckfu5 if you want your clam stay on a rock then you will need to find a flat rock that big enough for its to sit and attach to the rock, my babies maxi sitting on my rock work and attached to the rock less than a day, see picture below. The Blue MAxi on sand bed I don't want to move it because its already attached to the tank bottom. The 2x derasa (the one on far left is a walker, its keep walking over everywhere but it doesn't show any stresses, always open wide and show new shell growth, it's just love to walk....

 

[Yuki Rihwa]

As soon the light out, its started to "walk" LOL
I used flash light to check on it and I wonder what do you want Derasa? Do you want to be on the rock work like those Maximas too? I picked it up and place it on the rock work 5 inches above the sand bed and surprisingly it doesn't move a whole night and I saw it producing thread to take a hold onto the rock this morning! I hope it will stay put for a while lol.