Clam taking nose dives

Palmer · #1 07-07-2011, 08:23 PM

Hi Everyone

I have had a maxima clam for about a year which has been sitting on a piece of dry rock that sort of cradles it right on the sand bed. It is directly in the light and has been doing very well this way since I have had it. For some reason lately it keeps hopping off and landing on its side on the sand bed. Twice I have put it back but this morning I just left it there.

Is this a problem? I thought it would be because the mantle will not receive as much light?

What would you do?

Palmer

ALang · #2 07-07-2011, 08:31 PM

I would right it back up again, myself.
Could be a sand-sifting snail/brittle star pumping it off its perch??
Or whenever one of my fish thinks a spot should be free and clear of "stuff", it'll physically lift/ pump it off.

Delphinus · #3 07-07-2011, 09:06 PM

Clam perches require a bit of an art. Usually clams attach to a rock and then they hold fast but eventually usually they let go and then are sort of loose. If it's possible to get knocked over easily then they'll probably get knocked over sooner or later.

Except for the sand dwelling clams (squamosa, derasa, hippopus - usually the ones with a small byssal opening) I try to keep my clams on rocks. But I try to keep them in a more of an opening in the rock where the rock covers at least 25%-30% of the shell height so that to get knocked over they have to be literally lifted out first. Usually then they stay put. I usually just take some rubble and epoxy and build up the area around the clam - rather than just finding the "perfect" spot, since usually a "perfect" spot needs to change once in a while after they grow bigger and so on.

Hope this makes sense..

fishytime · #4 07-07-2011, 09:08 PM

Clams will move if they arent happy.... Did you change the flow in the tank recently?

Palmer · #5 07-07-2011, 09:17 PM

Havent changed anything recently but my clown hangs out near the clam alot and has been for a good 6-8 months. Not hosting per say.

The cradle of rock it is in really isnt cradling it that much. Maybe the idea of building it up with epoxy is a good one... but if it doenst like its spot i hate to trap it..

Delphinus · #6 07-07-2011, 10:00 PM

My take is that if it doesn't like the spot then there will probably be other things you can notice, like, not opening or extending as much as you think it ought to, and so on. In which case you can try a different spot then. But basically as long as there is good light getting at it and current isn't too insanely strong, and nobody is picking on it, then it's probably going to be OK anyhow.