Island Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 Greetings fellas. I posted in my build thread today that I picked up a new baby maxima for my tank today. I have an issue with him staying upright on my rock scape. He's only been in the tank for a few hours and everything seems OK. When I bought him the LFS guy put him in the bag and said that he had a few pebbles attached to his foot and they would fall off when he let go of them. The problem is that the rock I put him on isn't exactly level and with the pebbles underneath him, it is hard to sit him even and flat on the rock. When I do position him upright, I come back later and find him sitting crooked. I dont want him to start attaching himself onto the rock crooked, and then it will be impossible to move him. The guy at the LFS said they sell a type of hammock you can lay the clam on to position them where you want him. I just want him to sit perfect on the rock. Is he moving on purpose or is he falling over when he tries to open? I'm just afraid he will fall off the ledge and hit the bottom rock scape and get damaged...Any advice? Link to comment
Island Posted December 27, 2014 Author Share Posted December 27, 2014 OK..well this sucks...I saw him moving around and all of a sudden he kamikaze'd off the rock and fell right on top of my torch coral on the sand bed. Now he's laying on his side on the sand bed. There's No way I can leave him there as the par level on my orbit marines are terribly low at the bottom of my tank. Should I move him back up to where I had him or just leave him alone until the morning? Link to comment
farkwar Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 Get some flat live rock rubble. Put it in shallow glass bowl. Put clam on top of rubble. When he attaches, put where you want. Reef glue rubble and thus clam to rock. Link to comment
tetraodon Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 take a small shot glass and put a rock in it with the clam on top, it should cling on fairly quickly, you want to keep them low for a bit so they get used to the light Link to comment
Island Posted December 27, 2014 Author Share Posted December 27, 2014 Thanks for the replies/tips. I put him in the sand and he actually is opening and sticking out looking for food in the dark. I might try to put him up on the rock scape one more time in the morning, and if not I will try to tips above. Link to comment
Island Posted December 27, 2014 Author Share Posted December 27, 2014 Crap...Panic mode has begun. So, I woke up this morning and my new clam is sitting on the bottom where I placed him and his mantle is open and he's looking good. I go and cut a flat piece of my extra dry rock and get the Tupperware and sand ready. I go to grab him and boom....He is stuck and has glued himself to my tank bottom. Crazy , because I have a pretty deep sand bed for my IM 30L...At least 3-4 inches...Anyways, now what do I do??? I called my LFS and the guy tells me to use a razor to get him off but how the hell do I do that and move all the sand and rock scape back far enough to visualize his foot/glass??? My LFS says that with my Orbit marine, he definitely needs to be moved to the highest point on my tank. I don't know what to do. Crappy thing is that I work today and tomorrow and don't want to rush this and end up killing my clam. I have to work in a few hours so I think I will just leave him where he is until my next day off which is Monday. What do you guys think is my best course of action?? Link to comment
Island Posted December 27, 2014 Author Share Posted December 27, 2014 Well, i'm about to leave for work but I wanted to post pictures so you experts could possibly chime in and provide any tips to my issues. I want to say that it's been less then 24 hours that I've had him, but even though with all the messing around at attempting to remove his foot, he still looks healthy at where he is at. I know with clams, things can change in a millisecond, but for now, i think I am just going to go with the "If it ain't broke" analogy. Hope my little guy makes it Link to comment
tetraodon Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 Leave it for now,it attached because it likes it there, my clam did the same thing, unless it looks sick and needs to be moved, dont touch Link to comment
metrokat Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 Don't touch it. If you REALLY want to move it, position a powerhead so that the mantle is getting blown about. It will unattach itself. Link to comment
Island Posted December 28, 2014 Author Share Posted December 28, 2014 So, i'm at work and I call my wife asking how the clam is doing...She doesn't know anything about this hobby, but she laughs and says, how cool, I see the clam moving around on the bottom, expecting me to be thrilled. I'm freaking out becuase i'm thinking he's got to be very unhappy if he's detached himself from the bottom already. What do you guys think I should do when I get home? What happens if he's attached again to the bottom and I can't move him up higher on the rocks? wonder how long he will last on the bottom with low light. Tank parameters are pretty good, as my other corals and critters are doing well.Damn...5 more hours of work. Link to comment
tetraodon Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 itll take a while to notice an issue, most clams will open up very wide to get the most light they need, if its detached, put a rock under the clam on the sand bed and wait for attachment, she might be refering to the clam closing when something moves over it. just give it time, the clams been in your tank for about 24 hours, the more you worry over the small stuff the more your going to mess it up, your coral look great so just give your clam time. Link to comment
Island Posted December 28, 2014 Author Share Posted December 28, 2014 itll take a while to notice an issue, most clams will open up very wide to get the most light they need, if its detached, put a rock under the clam on the sand bed and wait for attachment, she might be refering to the clam closing when something moves over it. just give it time, the clams been in your tank for about 24 hours, the more you worry over the small stuff the more your going to mess it up, your coral look great so just give your clam time. Thanks for the replies dude....You make me feel a lot better.....I know the clam is probably just acclimationg, but you read all these horror stories and then people saying how certain reef tank animals need spot on condiotns or they will just melt away. I know clams are harder to keep, but I will wait and see. I just know he was looking good before I went to work and like you said, my other animals are thriving....Thanks again Link to comment
Arkayology Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 Premium Aquatics stocks clam holders made by The Alternative Reef. I use them for all my clams and I love them. Link to comment
basser1 Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 Premium Aquatics stocks clam holders made by The Alternative Reef. I use them for all my clams and I love them. LOL..... You can easily make one of those with some 2 part epoxy Link to comment
Arkayology Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 LOL..... You can easily make one of those with some 2 part epoxy So what? I like the idea and don't care to make them myself. Link to comment
Island Posted December 28, 2014 Author Share Posted December 28, 2014 Sup fellas. Well, I came home from work last night to find that the clam only moved back a little from where I put him in the sand. Of course, when I tried to get him, he had already reattached his foot to the bottom glass. He still looked Ok, so I went to bed. I woke up this morning and his mantle is fully open and he still looks fine. I did notice last night my Reef cleaners CC snail were all over him though, and this morning I noticed this stringy material on the sand next to his shell. It looks like a sponge, but I am really not sure. I have provided some pics and would appreciate any help from you guys. I work one more day and was hoping when I do my water change tomorrow, I could get him to detach so I can move him up on my rock scape. I did want to say that my IM 30L is 13" in height, so with the specs on my orbit marine, the par should be roughly 75-90 where the clam is at currently. I know Maxima's need a lot of light, but I have seen threads where people keep clams in lower levels and they are thriving....But I know that can change quickly also.. Link to comment
BulkRate Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 Honestly? Let the clan be... overall it's picked a spot that lets you see it, which is more than I can say for my attempted rock flower anemone garden. If at some point it detaches AND you're around to set it on a diy clan pedestal then it's meant to happen. Beautiful clam, though! Link to comment
Tamberav Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 I know the easy solution... leave the clam and upgrade the light instead (Make sure to slowly acclimate it though!) Link to comment
Island Posted December 28, 2014 Author Share Posted December 28, 2014 Honestly? Let the clan be... overall it's picked a spot that lets you see it, which is more than I can say for my attempted rock flower anemone garden. If at some point it detaches AND you're around to set it on a diy clan pedestal then it's meant to happen. Beautiful clam, though! Yeah, I know this is the best advice, as most reefers tend to go overboard and I should just gauge it on how the clam is doing in the tank. I just worry as this is my first clam and read all the threads on how clams are fine one second and all of a sudden, they just up and die...and light and water parameters are usually to blame... I know the easy solution... leave the clam and upgrade the light instead (Make sure to slowly acclimate it though!) Funny...I was looking on BRS and was contemplating 2 Radion xr15's or some kessils......Don't think I wanna jump on the higher end lights just yet though, and as you can see my other livestock are thriving. i only paid $60 for the clam, so I can't justify $1000+ for 2 lights and stands for a $60 animal Link to comment
Tamberav Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 Yeah, I know this is the best advice, as most reefers tend to go overboard and I should just gauge it on how the clam is doing in the tank. I just worry as this is my first clam and read all the threads on how clams are fine one second and all of a sudden, they just up and die...and light and water parameters are usually to blame... Funny...I was looking on BRS and was contemplating 2 Radion xr15's or some kessils......Don't think I wanna jump on the higher end lights just yet though, and as you can see my other livestock are thriving. i only paid $60 for the clam, so I can't justify $1000+ for 2 lights and stands for a $60 animal Well... I have had a large maxima on the bottom of a 40B for about a year and a half under a reef breeders fixture which are inexpensive and it is doing well. Link to comment
tetraodon Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 i agree with tamberav, my clams are under reefbreeders, great lights Link to comment
Island Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 Just wanted to update and say that the clam is still on the sand and hasn't moved and looks healthier then ever.... His mantle is open and he reacts lighting fast to light change. I don't know what will happen as he gets bigger, but supplementing with phytofeast and keeping my water parameters in check, he seems to be doing very well! Happy New Year fellas!! Link to comment
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