Clam holder for Derasa?

[BriDroid]

I finally broke down and ordered an ORA Derasa clam. I wanted to grab one from Clam Mania at RAP, but that’s not happening in Dallas this year

I have been looking for a clam holder to set him in, and I thought about making one from dry rock rubble and Tropic Eden moldable rock? I don’t see why that wouldn’t work as well as anything I could buy? My question is how big should it be. The clam is supposed to be 2-2.5”. Should I make it bigger or just enough for it right now?

 

[dvgyfresh]

I bought a clam cradle from LFS , a cheap diy one would be to cut a pvc pipe to hold , I used that to hold elegance coral

 

[minus9]

You don't need a clam holder for derasa, as they won't stay attached for very long. It should be placed on the sand bed and make sure you provide enough full spectrum light where you place. These (and the larger clams) are found on substrate and use the weight of the shell to keep them in place as they grow. If it's around 3-4" inches and attached to some rubble when you receive it, it will most likely drop the rubble during shipping. It may attach to the bottom glass if the sand is shallow enough, but as I mentioned earlier, it won't last for very long. Do not place derasa on rocks or up high in the tank, it will fall and likely cause damage or worse.
If this is your first clam, then I would suggest you pick up this book.

 

[DSC reef]

Agreed, a clam holder will be a waste of money for a derasa. Those were the fastest growing clams I ever had. I just put them in the sand bed where they were happiest

 

[mtnrunner]

What if i have a bare bottom tank? I currently have my Derasa on a ceramic tile (not a smooth top) and it just doesn’t want to attach as everyone says they don’t. Do i place a small shallow bowl of some sort and put sand in it to place him in? Or do I just let him sit on the bare bottom? The problem is that with bare bottom i fear he will fall over. While i have him on the tile, I’ve had to place structures around him (not touching the mantle) to keep him from falling back. Is this because he doesn’t like the tile on the bottom of the tank and he will be happier on bare bottom or sand and not try to move and fall back?

I do have this larger clam holder that i could also place him in. The pic of the round tile with pieces around it are what he’s currently sitting on.

The clam is very healthy and comes out fully every day and reacts to light. No pests.

Thank you.

 

[BriDroid]

What if i have a bare bottom tank? I currently have my Derasa on a ceramic tile (not a smooth top) and it just doesn’t want to attach as everyone says they don’t. Do i place a small shallow bowl of some sort and put sand in it to place him in? Or do I just let him sit on the bare bottom? The problem is that with bare bottom i fear he will fall over. While i have him on the tile, I’ve had to place structures around him (not touching the mantle) to keep him from falling back. Is this because he doesn’t like the tile on the bottom of the tank and he will be happier on bare bottom or sand and not try to move and fall back?

I do have this larger clam holder that i could also place him in. The pic of the round tile with pieces around it are what he’s currently sitting on.

The clam is very healthy and comes out fully every day and reacts to light. No pests.

Thank you.

I'm no expert, but my understanding is that they need something softer under them or they can damage their hinge. I ended up putting smallish rocks under the sand under each of mine. They nestled down in the sand and both attached to the small rocks under them.

 

[minus9]

What if i have a bare bottom tank? I currently have my Derasa on a ceramic tile (not a smooth top) and it just doesn’t want to attach as everyone says they don’t. Do i place a small shallow bowl of some sort and put sand in it to place him in? Or do I just let him sit on the bare bottom? The problem is that with bare bottom i fear he will fall over. While i have him on the tile, I’ve had to place structures around him (not touching the mantle) to keep him from falling back. Is this because he doesn’t like the tile on the bottom of the tank and he will be happier on bare bottom or sand and not try to move and fall back?

I do have this larger clam holder that i could also place him in. The pic of the round tile with pieces around it are what he’s currently sitting on.

The clam is very healthy and comes out fully every day and reacts to light. No pests.

Thank you.

I'm not a fan of clams sitting directly on glass, especially ones that don't attach. Derasa get big and rely on their weight to keep them in place and upright. They're usually found on sandy bottoms or on some form of substrate. As mentioned, moving around on glass or a harsh, rough surface could damage their hinge and you also don't want a fully grown derasa moving directly on the bottom glass much. I get the idea for clam cradles, but I really don't like them for long term use. Derasa lose attachment fairly early, so any type of cradle isn't going to last long or be necessary for them. I would find a way to put some sand or slightly larger substrate under the clam if you want to keep it healthy and growing.