Thinking about getting a clam...

[WheresTheReef]

I am thinking about buying a maxima clam and just researching a little. A concern I have is that my one spot foxface kicks up sand every couple days when it gets startled. Most of the sand settles pretty quickly, but I blow off small particles off of my corals. Also, I like to blow off my live rock during water changes to make sure there is not detritus settled there. This produces cloudy water for a little while. Will the sand/dust hurt a clam? Thanks in advance!

[zygote2k]

Worrying about stirred up detritus should be last in your list. What's your water quality like? How old is the tank?

When buying clams, buy the largest that your budget can handle. Less than 5" is risky.

[YHSublime]

Worrying about stirred up detritus should be last in your list. What's your water quality like? How old is the tank?

When buying clams, buy the largest that your budget can handle. Less than 5" is risky.

I'm with Rob on this one

[AlanM]

I got a very cute 1.5 inch one.  The hermit crabs and current constantly flipped it over and it died within 2 weeks.  Rob is right.  Bigger is better.

[howaboutme]

I started with a 1.5 inch maxima..its almost doubled in just a few months AND I blow off my rocks, etc. It'll be fine. That said, buy a bigger clam, less risky. Do as I say, not as I do.

[WheresTheReef]

Worrying about stirred up detritus should be last in your list. What's your water quality like? How old is the tank?

When buying clams, buy the largest that your budget can handle. Less than 5" is risky.

Perhaps I should start here. I've been running a reef aquarium for ~2yrs now. Started with a 29g (for ~6 months) and upgraded to my current 40g breeder (~1.5 years old) + 20g sump. I have a mix of SPS, LPS, zoas, & softies. Most of my water parameters have been stable (test little before lights out):

 

Sal: 35ppt

Alk: 9.2

Ca: 465

Mg: 1420

Ph: 7.95-8.05 (night-day)

Temp: 78.5*

 

I do 10% weekly wc w/ reef crystals. Not currently dosing anything. I battled fluctuating Ph (7.4-7.8) for a few months up until 1.5 months ago. My tank is in the basement, so fluctuating CO2 levels was the issue. I ended up running an airline into my skmimmer and now Ph is stable at the range listed above. Lost a few more sensitive acropora to STN during this time. Other corals (including other acropora & montipora,etc) are doing ok.

 

I am looking at Pac East Aqua. since they have some good prices right now and I will be within driving distance later this week. The sizes range from ~2-2.5in not bigger. I don't have to buy now, but just looking into it. I also plan to go out during the social next month so that will be another opportunity (though not sure about pricing then).

 

thanks,

Eric

[smallreef]

Looks like you have a good grasp...

You may need to supplement calcium in that sized tank, depending on your WC schedule...just a thought..

And i too agree with what everyone said...get the biggest one you can afford..

[sen5241b]

It almost goes without saying but clams need very strong light. I got a small one inch clam less than a year ago and it has doubled in size about 10 inches under a 150 MH. I put it in a thick shell and it attached itself to the shell. Then I can experiment with placing it in the right place without risking damage to its foot.

Edited August 12, 2014 by sen5241b

[jaddc]

I'll add that clams are good at getting rid of sand/debris that fall on them. They open and close their shells rapidly to blast away sand and other stuff.

 

So as Rob said -- that is the least of your worries.

[WheresTheReef]

Thanks for all the replies!

[WheresTheReef]

If (most likely when) I get a clam, what are your recommendations on acclimation/introduction. I would probably do temp & drip. Some mention burping a clam, as I don't want to get any LFS water in my system. How exactly do you burp it? I assume you don't put it over your shoulder and pat it on the back... sorry couldn't help being cheesy. Any info would be appreciated.

[jaddc]

No need to burp. Clams move a lot of water through their system.

[jaddc]

Oh and drip acclimate.

[zygote2k]

clam burping is a myth perpetuated by paranoid reefers. be sure to match pH.

[WheresTheReef]

Specifically, looking into the maxima clams. I read that some come attached to a rock. If not attached, I would like to set it on a small rock to give me the flexibility to move it later if needed. How long does it typically take for them to attach themselves? Any tricks to keep them from tipping over until they attach? 

[jaddc]

Clams have a foot that they use to move around and anchor themselves. For long term attachment they have byssus threads. The threads secret an acid that dissolves the rock, essentially welding it to the rock. That can take some time and patience is key.

 

I personally have not seem clams at LFS that are attached to a rock, but you could probably find one. I don't recall if Dr. Mac secures his to rock -- I tend to think not.

 

I'd wait for the clam to fully acclimate to the tank environment before trying to attach. Clams move around a lot at first. I'd plop it in the sand and make sure it doesn't topple over at first. Stores sometimes use a cup full of marbles. That will keep the clam in place without attaching.

 

Once it stops moving and is happy, then I'd attempt to attach it to rock.

 

What worked for me was to use a small chunk of rock (in the neighborhood of 2" in diameter). I had some rubble laying around from aquascaping. I smoothed the bottom of the rock so it would be stable on the bottom. The top should have crevaces -- something for the clam to hold onto. You can always ask the LFS when you buy the clam if they have any bits and pieces of rock.

 

I cleared a pocket of sand and put the rock on the glass bottom. I then put the clam on the rock (make sure they fit together well or the clam won't be happy) and then I pushed the sand up and around the clam for stability.

 

It takes some trial and error so just be patient.

 

Definitely secure it to a small rock. That way if you want to put it in your rock work, then you can simply epoxy the small rock base to your rock work.

[sen5241b]

There have been cases where someone put a clam in the sand and the clam attached to a rock buried in the sand. The person pulled the clam up not knowing it was attached and ripped the clam's foot. It died.

[jaddc]

Yeah, don't do that.

[AlanM]

Do big clams tip over like the little one I had?  I would like to get one too and could make up a little cozy for it on some flattish live rock out of epoxy so it could sit in there and attach.

[jaddc]

I think they all tip over easily until they permanently attach.

[WheresTheReef]

So I ended up picking up a nice ~2.5" blue clam from Pacific East Aquaculture today. I placed a 2" frag disk under it and moved a little sand around it to keep it from tipping over. Very happy with this purchase. What PAR do you guys have your clams under? I should hopefully get the WAMAS par meter soon, so I'll have a better understanding of my tank's lighting then. I've read that the blue clams require more light than some others (e.g. tan/darker clams). I observed what looked like it was expelling a little zooanthella, but not sure so I raised my lights a few inches.

 

[AlanM]

I don't believe you can give a clam too much light. Blast it.

[YHSublime]

I don't believe you can give a clam too much light. Blast it.

+1 sure you're fine

[ctenophore]

You might consider putting it up in the rocks. Maxima clams naturally live embedded in rock, not on sandy bottoms like gigas or derasa. Like others have mentioned, get one of those specially shaped clam mounts or a piece of shell, then once the clam is permanently attached, glue the shell somewhere up high in the rocks.

[wangspeed]

I wouldn't risk putting the maxima on rocks unless there is just not enough light on the bed. Bigger chance that it will fall and damage itself.