Rescue Squamosa

Nikita1981 · Feb 3, 2020

Hi all,

I bought a very cheap Squamosa from somebody with ongoing light issues with his selfmade led fixture. So he thought it would be better te rehome it.

I have it since yesterday, and it is opening up and responsive, but there is no new shell growth.

Anything I can do t maximize the chance it pulls through?

xjiang7 · Feb 3, 2020

Hope it recovers!

Nikita1981 · Feb 3, 2020

Me too, hope somebody can help me tell the odds. I already have a Maxima and Derasa for over a year and they are doing well but I fear the condition this beauty is in.

xjiang7 · Feb 3, 2020

Nikita1981 said:
Me too, hope somebody can help me tell the odds. I already have a Maxima and Derasa for over a year and they are doing well but I fear the condition this beauty is in.

Keep clams is a hit or miss for me. Too often they went south without apparent reasons.. My 2 cents is try to provide as much as possible light for it but you want to go slow as the previous lightning conditions are not ideal. If you can get a par reading of the previous lightning that would be great.

Softhammer · Feb 3, 2020

They don’t require anything remarkable. Just stable SPS quality water parameters. Super high light is not needed for Squamosa, if you can grow a montipora near the clam then it will be fine. Also good water movement is key but not so much that the clams mantle folds up. Growth won’t happen instantly so give it time. Up to a month to see growth margins. My last 2 Squamosas lasted me 11 and 12 years respectively until their byssal hinges cracked and became infected. Each was over a foot shell length.
BTW, yours looks to be in pretty good shape from what I can tell.

Nikita1981 · Feb 3, 2020

Thank you all for your replies. For now it will stay on the bottom next to the Derasa. I grow my monti frags on the bottom so the lightning should be sufficient then. I will just give it time to adjust. Although it is not completely opened up yet it looks like a very nice soft blue specimen.

jda · Feb 3, 2020

Blue Squamosa is quite some fine - holy grail clam to some. They are pretty easy and there is not much that you can do expect treat it well and wait.

reef lover · Feb 3, 2020

Score! I hope he makes it!

bsagea · Feb 3, 2020

Hopefully your clam will survive. It can however take months and months for a clam to perish from lack of proper lighting. Survival is a crap shoot if that's the case. Lack of growth is not a good sign but squamosa's do not require the intense lighting a maxima does. Please keep us posted and updated with pics. Hope it makes it for you! bsa

Phil D. · Feb 3, 2020

Also, you can add some Phyto to your tank to help nutrition.

Nikita1981 · Feb 4, 2020

Thanks. I'll keep you all updated. At least it has a chance now. In the tank where it was in it would have perished for sure. Fingers crossed.

Nikita1981 · Feb 4, 2020

Can anybody tell me about the mantle extension of a Squamosa? I don't know how much is normal, I tried Google images but get very different results.

xjiang7 · Feb 4, 2020

Should extend a lot when the clam is happy.

Nikita1981 · Feb 4, 2020

Wow, that looks like my poor thing has a long way to go:(....

reef lover · Feb 4, 2020

Nikita1981 · Feb 4, 2020

Correction: looooooooooong way. Man I really hope it pulls through.
Edit: isn't the last pic a Maxima? The scutes look different.

reef lover · Feb 4, 2020

My pic??
All his scutes were filed down for shipping.

Nikita1981 · Feb 5, 2020

reef lover said:
My pic??
All his scutes were filed down for shipping.

Yes. Wow, they really file them down for shipping? Never heard before.

vetteguy53081 · Feb 5, 2020

Keep it upright, not laying down as light does play an important role . Moderate water glow as it filter feeds and add zooplankton to tank OCCASIONALLY and also oyster eggs.
Keep eye on mantle which is indicator of its health.