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baby clams?

I could not find any tiny clams but I contacted my normal shrimp supplier and asked about any small bi-valves they might have. They sent me a nice cluster of live mussles and some hermits with my order (I had given permission to add to my charge card for these, no freebees). So far the mussles are doing well in with my fiddler crabs (I chose this tank thinking the crabs would eat any dead ones). Octane has eaten some that I opened for her, investigated but not eaten a cluster of closed ones (the stars opened and ate those) but ignored the third batch I opened and put in the tank (the stars had a ball with them though).

If mussles are of interest, they are not on the website but you can call or email Phyllis (office manager) or Mike (owner) to see if they have any in stock and what the cost of purchase and shipping will set you back ;>)

Brine & Ghost Shrimp, Feeder Fish, Aquarium Supply - Live Brine Shrimp
 
I've read that octopuses have to teach themselves how to drill shells. I wonder if they won't try if they have other food.

How do you keep your fiddlers, D?

Nancy
 
I found an interesting article on bivalve predation by the Giant Pacific Octopus. Of course, I only have access to the abstract...

The packaging problem: Bivalve prey selection and prey entry techniques of the octopus Enteroctopus dofleini.

Anderson, Roland C.; Mather, Jennifer A. , 2007. Journal of Comparative Psychology. Vol 121(3) 300-305.

Abstract
Many predators face a complex step of prey preparation before consumption. Octopuses faced with bivalve prey use several techniques to penetrate the shells to gain access to the meat inside. When given prey of mussels Mytilus trossulus, Manila clams Venerupis philippinarum, and littleneck clams Protothaca staminea, Enteroctopus dofleini solved the problem differently. They pulled apart V. philippinarum and M. trossulus, which had the thinnest shells and the least pulling resistance. P. staminea were eaten after the shells had been chipped or had been penetrated by drilling, presumably to inject a toxin. Likely because of these differences, octopuses consumed more V. philippinarum and M. trossulus than P. staminea when the mollusks were given to them either 1 species at a time or all together. However, when the shells were separated and the penetration problem removed, the octopuses predominantly chose P. staminea and nearly ignored M. trossulus. When V. philippinarum were wired shut, octopuses switched techniques. These results emphasize that octopuses can learn on the basis of nonvisual information and monitor their body position to carry out feeding actions.
 
Rigby doesn't like mussels either... i just buy clams at the grocery store, they are live when the shell is still tight, they actually said they can't sell them if they aren't alive still... the ones I get are Mannilla Clams (not sure on the spelling)
 
CG,
Thanks for the find! We have been looking for alternates for Octane and she is only mildly interested in the mussles so we will give the clams a go if the *&^# paypal system will finish my order!
 
How large are the clams and how does Rigby eat them?

I'm trying to find out more about how octopuses eat bivalves and which ones they'll actually eat. Maybe it depends on the individual octopus, too.

Nancy
 
ive noticed one thing in the bahamas while diving and walking the tide pools. certain octos that live in certain areas prefer to eat mussles and clams. ive found many dens littered with hermit shells and crab claws but occasionally youll find a den with nothing but mussles around the hole. ive even found some dens where there will be a nice neat pile of empty shells then next to it a nice neat pile of live ones that the octo has collected and saved for later like a can of peanuts ready to be cracked...
 
Nancy they are bigger than him but i just open them for him and he climbs in them and chows down... i have noticed tho that he only really eats the part that is attached to the shell and not the big fleshy part that i would go for... i don't know if he just likes that part or if it is just part of him being "special'... but if you make him mad he will tear at it and shot pieces at me...
 
Nancy,
I keep my fiddlers in two 2 gallon tanks with nano overflows and either lava or live rock. The one with lava rock is divided in half with a filter on each side and the rock resting on the divider so any (well, most) escapees end up in the other half. The undivided tank has LR that I am trying to keep that way but needed to remove it to give Octane some running room ;>). Since that little tank has some biological filtration (no to mention a little more room), I keep the mussles there. Each 2 gallon comfortably supports 20 crabs (comfortably is defined as I don't find dead ones).
 
D, what I'm really trying to find out is whether you keep your fidders in water, half water half rocks or substrate, or what.

I researched them a few years ago and found the ones from Florida would do best with damp sand (using 1/2 salt, half RO/DI water poured on the sand) and a pool of brackish water to swim in if they liked. The ones I put into my salt water tank lasted about a month (if they weren't eaten). The ones with the sand and the pool lasted a long time and one lived for 2 1/2 years. I fed them flakes, air popped popcorn, lettuce and ripe fruit.

How does that match up with your experience?

Nancy
 
Nancy,
I keep the little tanks half full with rock sticking out for sunning ;>) and use my regular, undiluted saltwater and feed whatever is left over from the octos dinner (Cyclop-eeze or mysis or occassional dried marine fish food) about twice a week. They easily survive a month but are served up to the octos over that period of time (I only change the water when new ones arrive but I do run a small filter) so I have not kept one much longer than perhaps two months to make a longevity determination (Paul and I are on a first name basis ;>).
 

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