Maxima Clam: Missing

[apipkin]

Okay so Saturday I bought a Blue Maxima Clam. It was super awesome to look at and when I got home I put it on my rock in my RSM250. I thought it was in a nice spot and when I looked a few hours later, it was gone. It had "fallen" to the bottom. I say "fallen" because I didn't see it fall. So I picked it up, put it on a different rock and and he was there until the morning. So I picked him up and out him in a new spot.

This morning I before going to work I noticed he was on the sand again. I thought, no big deal I'll just pick him up when I get home from work. Well, I'm home from work and there is no clam insight. Anyone have any ideas?

I have a few hermits and snails, a skunk shrimp, a pistol shrimp, a few green chromis, and an African tang (about 2" long). Aside from those I have a about three different corals (tiny).

(As for the tang, I know it's a small tank for a tang, but I have been assured by several reefers(?) that he's okay for his size and I can just take home to a store when he starts getting too big. )

 

[paul692]

Had a crocea clam do the same thing until my powder blue nipped at him and finally killed it

 

[apipkin]

I've looked under all the rocks I could find. My pistol shrimp has a maze under them so it's a little hard to look under the back ones.

 

[heathlindner25]

what is an African tang??

 

[apipkin]

Desjardini Sailfin Tang (sorry )

 

[paul692]

Once they find a good spot they will put their foot down and lock on a rock.mine did the same thing found it in the sand always .i put it in the top of the rocks or the middle or the lower rocks the clam would always tumble into the sand.the powder blue would not leave it alone from day one no matter how much I would feed ithe tang would find the clam and nip at it even when it was closed up or try to bump it. My powder blue was much more aggressive than my Sohal is today.

 

[apipkin]

I hope that's not the case here :-/

 

[jennm]

Did you find it? It can't just vanish, even if it perishes, the shell won't vanish.

Jenn

 

[vetshep]

I had a tiny one that disappeared. I found the shell in my pistol shrimp's cave. I am not sure whether he killed the clam on purpose, buried the clam so he died or if he just used an empty shell and something else killed the clam.

 

[apipkin]

I haven't found it yet. The only option I can think of is to take out the 60+ lbs of rock. I'm really hoping it doesn't come to that v

 

[apipkin]

Oh wow! He showed up today!! I was about to leave and looked in the tank and there he was in the sand in front of the massive rock in the back. I put him up on the top of one of the rocks so he can get some good light. I'll check in on him in a few hours!

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[porpoiseaquatics]

You do realize that the clam prefers sand over rock don't you?

 

[apipkin]

I did not know that! I was told by the guy at the reef store that high lighting and a medium to low current and around the middle of the tank height-wise. They didn't say anything about sand or rock :-/ I'll go ahead and put him back in the sand again!! Thanks!

 

[porpoiseaquatics]

apipkin;956543 wrote: I did not know that! I was told by the guy at the reef store that high lighting and a medium to low current and around the middle of the tank height-wise. They didn't say anything about sand or rock :-/ I'll go ahead and put him back in the sand again!! Thanks!

Some clams prefer their foot to be in sand while others prefer rock to attach to. I'd try the sand and I'll bet he'll be happier. Both of mine are on sand and have never moved more than an inch over a couple of years. This could be part of the problem. Put it out in the open. It will get enough light there and generally speaking flow is a bit less at the bottom of the tank.