Clams that won't attach

[Delphinus]

I already posted this question (well a similar question anyways) in the clams forum at RC, but, I want your guys' opinions too please.

I have trouble getting clams to attach to anything. Pretty much any clam I've ever tried ... probably getting close to about 10-12 over the years ... one common theme amongst them are that they never ended up attaching to rock.

Now, one clam or two, I could beleive I bought a clam not predisposed to attaching (perhaps byssal gland injury). But all of them? Come on, can anyone be that unlucky? More likely that I am just doing something wrong.

If you have a clam that wasn't attached to anything when you purchased it, but subsequently attached to hard substrate in your tank, can you please share with me your guesses as to why it worked?

I'm interested in in things like placement, was the rock level? was it at an angle? was it it strong current - medium or low current? Did you add sand around the base? What kind of texture did the rock face have?

I'm sick and tired of $5 snails knocking over $50 clams at night. This is rediculous. At least once a week this happens.

The clams I have right now are T maxima. Tank is a 75g (48x18x20), lighting is 2x250Iwasaki+2x110 actinic, Ca=>400ppm Alk=4.0meq/L, NO3=0.0, PO4=0.0, I dose DT's & ESV's daily at roughly twice the recommended dosages.

Sorry for the long-winded question. Advice appreciated. Thanks.

[Aquattro]

Tony, how big are these clams? I guess at $50, they're smaller? I know larger clams sometimes do not attach since their weight holds them in place.
Every clam I ever got attached within 2 days, unless they didn't like the location in which case they moved themselves. Genrally I try and place them in a depression in your average liverock and they do fine. Current may be a factor; I understand croceas like more current than maximas. Is it possible something in the tank is pestering them? Large worm maybe?
What type and how close to the light are they? Although I don't think lighting would be a factor in attachment.
Basically I find a calmer area up high with a depression and they go about their business!
I have a crocea coming this week, so I'll try and "time" the attachment

[Delphinus]

These are wee little guys. One is about 1" and the other about 2.5". The little guy has gone and attached to some sand grains. He sits in a piece of lime rock (dry live rock I bought at Big Als) that I chiseled out a small depression in for him to sit in.

The larger one appears to have no interest in attaching to anything. I am trying to find it divets in the rock. If I put it in too high a flow area then it just gets blown over. So I try to find medium to low flow areas and generally speaking lower down in the rockwork because the higher you go the more flow/water velocity.

Both are the golden or brown varieties. I can't bring myself to try a blue or green guy for more $$$ when all I have is bad luck with them.

Sigh ... I don't know what I'm doing wrong. :(

[Aquattro]

Tony, other than not attaching, are they having problems? Are you losing them and if so, after how long?

[Delphinus]

Well .... no, but the problem is, to me a clam looks perfectly healthy one day but the next day may be two empty shells. So, when they don't attach (and if they should attach that is ... I know some species prefer to be in the sand, like derasas and I think squamosas too) then I get nervous.

[sumpfinfishe]

I have a small 2 inch golen brown derasa that sits on the bottom of my sugar size sandbed. The clam does really well in medium current as it get fed dt's twice a week(which is a must as I have only NO lighting) My tank is long and shallow, however I have been told that it would have a really hard time surviving without dt's. As for attatchment-my clam is 3 months old and has not attatched to anything. If I have to replace it in it's sand divot I can clearly see that it will attatch it's mucus strings to small sand particles-but no serious footing here! And yes once in a while my clam does get knocked over by a silly snail or a creepy star, however it will usually upright itself in a day or two-if not I will simply use a long plastic rod to help it up in place, so I don't have to place my hands in the fish bowl all the time. Happy Reefing :wink: