Clam wont attach foot

[LebaneseDlight]

Hey guys (i.e., Rockfish - lol),

 

I got my clam just under a week ago. I tried propping him up in the LR, but he kept jumping down into the sandbed. On Monday, I put him on a clam shell on the sandbed. To date, he hasn't attached his foot. Last night, he was tipped over on his side on the shell. I propped him back up. Is this normal or a sign of distress? There's about <1/4" between his shell and the concave shell surface. Is that a problem? I imagine his foot should be capable of extending a 1/4" to grasp a hold of the clam shell.

[zook]

The clam is probably trying to find a better position my moving around. Depending on how long you have the clam and what kind it is, some clam species attaches more than other with Squamosa and Derasa not as attached as Maximas and Croceas although I have Maximas and Croceas that also never attaches even to a bare-bottom tank.

[LebaneseDlight]

It's a Maxima, should definitely attach. The liveaquaria rep said that people will sometimes affix the clam with epoxy until it has a chance to grab a hold with it's foot - but that just sounds like a really really bad idea.

[pineo]

get a small piece of rock - just large enough to anchor the clam. Put it in a low flow area of the tank. GIve them clam time to attach. Once th clam grabs hold move it to the position you want.

 

Does the clam look healthy otherwise?

[LebaneseDlight]

Does the clam look healthy otherwise?

 

From what I can tell, yes, it looks healthy. It's responsive to shadows and movement. It does not, however, open up its mantle completely - i.e., you can't see it's mouth/toungue when it's mantle is open. It stays open like this clam: http://www.liveaquaria.com/diversden/ItemD...&ddid=82138 (not the same clam, just for comparison). I haven't seen it open up any more than that yet - but again, almost every day for the last week since I've had it, it has moved or jumped from the place I put it at, so it hasn't had a chance to "settle" yet.

[Rockfish]

get a small piece of rock - just large enough to anchor the clam. Put it in a low flow area of the tank. GIve them clam time to attach. Once th clam grabs hold move it to the position you want.

 

Does the clam look healthy otherwise?

 

 

 

+1

 

 

BUT if it's not opening the mantle completely but still staying open that may be a sign of gaping witch is a sign of extreme stress or illness

 

how old's the tank??

 

what kind of light?

 

what's ur water parameters??

 

 

does it look like this??

 

[LebaneseDlight]

Calcium: ~ 400 ppm

Alkalinity: 9-10 dKH

Gravity : 1.024-1.026

Mag: ~1400

PH: ~8.0

 

Tank is just under 2 years old. Lighting is 250w Phoenix MH over Solana 34g.

 

NO - doesn't look like that pic at all. Look at the liveaquaria link - almost identical to that.

 

Rockfish - in your pic, you see how the "mouth" (not sure what you call it) is exposed? I haven't seen my clam's "mouth" yet.

 

So, put a small rock under the clam's foot between the maxima and the clam shell it's sitting on. Then once it grabs hold, I can just glue the rock in an appropriate spot. Sounds like a plan.

 

Advice much appreciated

[pineo]

that sounds to me like a healthy clam. Your tank specs look good also. I would try as I advised. its worked for me in the past.

[reeftankguy]

If it looks like the DD pic then that is how a maxi looks. Crocea's like RF's have a more exposed intake.

 

Yours looks like mine and I say mine are doing well!

[Urchinhead]

Your clam doesn't like where you put it initially (hence why it falls down) and doesn't like where you have it now. Find a spot on the sandbed where its not getting blasted directly by flow and as close to centered on your light (I am assuming MH) as you can. Put a rock under it. Put rocks on either side of it so that it is *LOOSELY* bracketed in. Give it a few days and see if it attaches. If it does you're gold and can slowly move it up to where you want it. If not move the whole assembly to a new location.

[LebaneseDlight]

reeftankguy, I think you're absolutely correct. I was envisioning those awesome maxeas and croceas looking all fat and happy

 

urchinhead, I will try and move the setup = I need to do a little rescaping to find it a good home!

[Urchinhead]

Start with it on the sandbed. Then after it attaches to the rock you can move it so you don't have to rescape.

[Rockfish]

that sounds to me like a healthy clam. Your tank specs look good also. I would try as I advised. its worked for me in the past.

 

+1

 

reeftankguy, I think you're absolutely correct. I was envisioning those awesome maxeas and croceas looking all fat and happy

 

urchinhead, I will try and move the setup = I need to do a little rescaping to find it a good home!

 

 

+2

 

If it looks like the DD pic then that is how a maxi looks. Crocea's like RF's have a more exposed intake.

 

Yours looks like mine and I say mine are doing well!

 

 

 

+3

[FiRsT-aNd-LaSt]

I've had good luck with my clams attaching, they've all attach the first day introducing them into the tank, just like others have said, make sure he's not getting blasted by direct flow, try and put him on as flat of a surface as you can, a horizontal surface is best, if he has to be at an incline, make sure his byssal opening is on the lower portion of the rock, that would put his inhalant siphon is on the lowest portion of the slope. Following these tips have given me great results. Also make sure his foot isn't already attached to some rock rubble/substrate.

[Rockfish]

Your clam doesn't like where you put it initially (hence why it falls down) and doesn't like where you have it now. Find a spot on the sandbed where its not getting blasted directly by flow and as close to centered on your light (I am assuming MH) as you can. Put a rock under it. Put rocks on either side of it so that it is *LOOSELY* bracketed in. Give it a few days and see if it attaches. If it does you're gold and can slowly move it up to where you want it. If not move the whole assembly to a new location.

 

 

+4