Keeping my new clam "mobile" - Help please?

[SereneAquatic]

I have ordered a new little clam from divers den, an Indonesian crocea clam. I don't have any experience with clams yet, but I do know that it will eventually be moving to a bigger tank.

Should I place it on the sand bed? On a small, flat rock on the sand? Would it be weird to put it on a small piece of plexiglass?

I don't want it to anchor to the bottom of the tank at any point, because we intend to have a bigger tank in a year or so. Is there any risk?

Thank you in advance!

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[Tripod1404]

Crocea is the smallest of Tridacna clams but it is also the most light demanding one. It requires something in +500 PAR territory as a minimum and in nature lives in very shallow water that can have PAR values around 2000-2500. As a comparison, most light demanding SPS corals generally do okay around a PAR value of ~300 (they might not have the best color, but they will not die). So I hope you have some serious light power, otherwise the clam will slowly starve to death.

https://www.advancedaquarist.com/2011/3/inverts

I would place it to as close as to the light, on the rock work. They are rock boring clams, so if the rock is large enough, it will slowly "bore" itself inside the rock. In nature hey look like flowers on rocks as the clam pulls itself inside the rock until nothing but the mantle remains outside (picture below). I wouldn't place it on the glass as it can break the bottom glass panel doing the same thing. If you place it directly on sand, it will probably just attach to glass as the bottom and you will run into the same potential problem. Plus they are not found on sand in nature.

[d-man]

Wow, pretty cool knowledge right there. Thanks for the insight

[SereneAquatic]

Originally Posted by Tripod1404

Crocea is the smallest of Tridacna clams but it is also the most light demanding one. It requires something in +500 PAR territory as a minimum and in nature lives in very shallow water that can have PAR values around 2000-2500. As a comparison, most light demanding SPS corals generally do okay around a PAR value of ~300 (they might not have the best color, but they will not die). So I hope you have some serious light power, otherwise the clam will slowly starve to death.

https://www.advancedaquarist.com/2011/3/inverts

I would place it to as close as to the light, on the rock work. They are rock boring clams, so if the rock is large enough, it will slowly "bore" itself inside the rock. In nature hey look like flowers on rocks as the clam pulls itself inside the rock until nothing but the mantle remains outside (picture below). I wouldn't place it on the glass as it can break the bottom glass panel doing the same thing. If you place it directly on sand, it will probably just attach to glass as the bottom and you will run into the same potential problem. Plus they are not found on sand in nature.

Thank you for the info, and the link. I did read the whole article and it seems that generalizations help get you started, but each clam is different.

I have AI Hydra LED lights on the Red Sea, and they can be dialed way up. I'm curious to find someone with these lights and a happy crocea and see what their settings are. We have large rocks in most of our tank, so I will place it directly under one of the lights at the high point and run the lights on gradually increasing acclimation mode for about 10 days.

After that, watch for new shell growth and continue to dial them up if none?

I appreciate the feedback.

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[wrott]

Some people place them in a oyster shell or something similar.
I had a Crocea for a few years. I cut the attaching filaments a couple of times to move it.
It didn't bother it, and eventually it stopped making filaments and i could move it wherever. Mine was under 250w MH and 400w MH, a venustus angel finally picked at it enough to very slowly kill it.
(very nice looking clam btw, merry xmas!)