I'm not looking to run out and buy a clam right away. Just trying to plan things now to give me the best chance for success. Somehow I knew you would respond Mark. Thanks for always offering sound advice and putting things into the perspective of the ever-cautious reefer. I know it saves us a lot of frustrations...when we listen.

By-the-way, I refuse to give in to beleiving that that macro-nuisance is anything more than a slow growing eye sore. We'll just have to agree to diagree on that one. I can get you a piece if you want some. Here's a pic to entice you.

I'm enjoying bring back old posts. Can anyone verify if it is true that a clam will do better once all algae "problems" are under control? I've got the halides, and my wife wants more color, but I don't want a dead clam. Thanks!

Jamison

ok I'm not trying to fuel the fire any more, but

"the Crocea Clam needs bright lighting to live, grow, and keep its intense colors ... All clams also require micro foods designed for filter feeders, especially when small. Offer phytoplankton and other micro-foods." ( http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=5 79  December 1, 2004)

What type of clam is it?

I think that with most clams the color is a genetic thing.  They are either really pretty or not so pretty, you get what you get.  However I think that the lighting contributes a lot to how they look.  More blue seems make the shime and glow.

I know that my squamosa looks realy drab under noraml 10k light, but put it under the 20k it looks fanominal.  I run a 13k hqi on one side and a 20k on the other sisde of a 36" tank.  the lights mixes and most of the tank is under both the 13k and the 20k.

They all seem to be what they are.  Any thoughts on this one?

ssilcox wrote: I have heard the opposite. The smaller they are, the less photosynthetic algae they have to survive on, hence the need for more plankton.

I know that many people disagree with me on this one.  Including Theil and others.  I cannot site a reference for my above statement. 

I could be wrong.

Here are my personal observations.

When clams come in small (<3-4"), the only way I have good success with them is by putting them in very high lighting (halides).  If the lighting is intense they will live.  If it is not most of them will die.  Feeding the smaller clams does not help IME.

When I bring in larger clams 4-5"+ I can put them in a tank with VHO's and plankton and they do great (although the intense light doesn't hurt).  In fact most of them will eat up the plankton almost as fast as I give it to them.  The smaller clams only seem to intake a small amount of phyto (if any).

In that I have have these two species:

T. crocea has adapted to the strong illuminated environment and therefore does not take up any floating particles such as phytoplankton or others.

T. derasa is also a "clear water clam" that does not filter anything. It has, in fact very sensitive gills that tend to clog when there is a high density of floating particles in the water, may this be planctonic food or just stirred up sediments from the gravel.

According to this article I should very wary of feeding them anything.

As a matter of speaking I shouldn't even stir up anything in the tank as it will clog them up.

Nothing much worse then a constipated clam 

Here's a brief synopsis of Daniel Knop's view regarding feeding, species by species.  http://www.reefs.org/library/article/d_knop2.html