Clam Stretching too much?

[afishbestservedcold]

I think I already know the answer but is this clam stretching its mantle too much?? got it this weekend and its been pretty happy but it looks like its reaching for more light, its under a kessil a80 about 18 inches deep (plz dont kill me, I have a nice open spot right dead center if it needs to be moved)

 

[OrionN]

He is growing, looking good. Not stretching too much

 

[Butcher333]

I agree. Looks good. Nice extension.

Wait! Under an A80 14”.

 

[afishbestservedcold]

I agree. Looks good. Nice extension.

Wait! Under an A80 14”.

Yep and it looks the same today. he also is in the corner of the tank closest to the window which might help?

 

[MartinM]

Easy solution: what PAR is it receiving?

 

[dedragon]

kessil a80 wont sustain that clam long term at 18" deep, it isnt that powerful

 

[Butcher333]

Is it getting direct sunlight from the window? Like others are saying. The clam looks good, but no way on earth an A80 will provide enough light for the clam.

 

[minus9]

If you stick it directly under the a80, it'll be okay, but not any deeper than 8". I kept my clams in a shallow dish lit by an a80 and they were growing, but I had the light a mere 2" off of the water and the clams were only in 5" to 6" of water. Liked others have mentioned, you'll need to check par. Is the a80 the only light source?

 

[afishbestservedcold]

If you stick it directly under the a80, it'll be okay, but not any deeper than 8". I kept my clams in a shallow dish lit by an a80 and they were growing, but I had the light a mere 2" off of the water and the clams were only in 5" to 6" of water. Liked others have mentioned, you'll need to check par. Is the a80 the only light source?

Yep, A80 is the only light. I'm gonna move it up in the tank a bit, not sure I want to upgrage lights when its doing great by everything else.

 

[minus9]

Then I would find the spot with 200+ par and put the clam in that spot. The key here is to monitor new clam shell growth, if there is none, then find a better spot. In a clam that size, you should see you new growth constantly.

 

[afishbestservedcold]

do they not move around naturally to find more light by themselves? and should i raise it gradually or is one move ok, its gonna move up about 10 inches

 

[minus9]

You're probably safe to just move it up. Just find a secure spot until it takes hold. Clams are extremely adaptive given the proper conditions.

 

[dedragon]

imo, no they dont move up too much, they usually just topple themselves off rockwork if they arent happy

 

[Butcher333]

They will move to orient themselves. Like my Derasa. I positioned it where I preferred to view it and each time it repositioned itself. They don’t move to a different spot in the tank that I’m aware of. I found some PAR readings to give you some perspective. He has the color in the middle and intensity at 100.
He is not very specific with measurements, but this is a ten gallon tank and the light is pretty high. I’m guessing that about 10” under the A80 is around 150 PAR.

 

[afishbestservedcold]

okmine has been turning around a bit but still seems happy and I can see new growth like @minus9 mentioned, photos to follow.

That is pretty pitiful for the A80 lol.....but maybe Kessil is right and it isnt all about PAR because all my corals are growing real nicely.

 

[afishbestservedcold]

Good new growth? Bonus pic taken today and one of my new-ish catalina goby because he's just so cheeky

 

[minus9]

The a80 is only 15w, so it's about right. Btw, run your peak in the whiter spectrum and your clam will love you for it. Plus, clams look so much better under "day or white" lighting.

 

[Butcher333]

Yeah. What @minus9 said.

I was actually pretty impressed with those PAR numbers from the A80.