ZOAS OR MONTI OR LEPTO GROWING NEAR CLAM.. HELP UGH!

[TopClamSkoo]

Hello All,

No emergency at all but just need some guidance and thoughts.

I have a crocea in my 10 gallon. Yes, I do dose and monitor so it is getting what it needs for shell growth.

I recently acquired a jack-o-latern lepto and scatter brain monti palawanesis.

I only have one main rock structure in my nano along with a bunch of rubble. My original plan was to save the real estate on the main rock for nothing but Zoas and leave the clam on the sand on top of a rubble rock base. However, I am thinking about placing the clam on the main rock with the zoas, but I fear in due time the zoas will smoother the clam. I read conflicting reports on this forum and others that zoas and clams will be okay growing next to each other since clams dont seem to be bothered by them, and then I hear other people claiming the the zoas will smother it to death.
*I may even just place the clam, lepto, and monti on the same rock and see what happens lol!

So what's the truth? Does it depend on circumstances?

My other dilemma is, should I mix the zoas with the lepto or montipora palawanesis on the main rock? I can place them all at separate locations on the main rock but the problem is... they will EVENTUALLY MEET and fight unless anyone knows they tend to stick to their own border once they touch. I know this is classic struggle we go through (coral warfare) but just wanna know if anyone has experience with zoa and lepto / monti compatibility.

BTW I do have experience with leptos from my old tanks and they seem to grow pretty slow for me compared to zoas. Montipora Palawanesis I hear a lot that they grow way slower than the plating variety.

what ya'll think? thoughts?

Thanks in advance fellas!

God bless you all this holiday!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello All,

No emergency at all but just need some guidance and thoughts.

I have a crocea in my 10 gallon. Yes, I do dose and monitor so it is getting what it needs for shell growth.

I recently acquired a jack-o-latern lepto and scatter brain monti palawanesis.

I only have one main rock structure in my nano along with a bunch of rubble. My original plan was to save the real estate on the main rock for nothing but Zoas and leave the clam on the sand on top of a rubble rock base. However, I am thinking about placing the clam on the main rock with the zoas, but I fear in due time the zoas will smoother the clam. I read conflicting reports on this forum and others that zoas and clams will be okay growing next to each other since clams dont seem to be bothered by them, and then I hear other people claiming the the zoas will smother it to death.
*I may even just place the clam, lepto, and monti on the same rock and see what happens lol!

So what's the truth? Does it depend on circumstances?

My other dilemma is, should I mix the zoas with the lepto or montipora palawanesis on the main rock? I can place them all at separate locations on the main rock but the problem is... they will EVENTUALLY MEET and fight unless anyone knows they tend to stick to their own border once they touch. I know this is classic struggle we go through (coral warfare) but just wanna know if anyone has experience with zoa and lepto / monti compatibility.

BTW I do have experience with leptos from my old tanks and they seem to grow pretty slow for me compared to zoas. Montipora Palawanesis I hear a lot that they grow way slower than the plating variety.

what ya'll think? thoughts?

Thanks in advance fellas!

God bless you all this holiday!

Yes zoas can and may make their way to the clam

 

[Dburr1014]

Yes zoas can and may make their way to the clam

And?

IME, a healthy clam won't let another entity grow over the mantle. Shell, maybe, mantle, no. It secretes toxin to keep stuff at bay.
You may however need to trim stony coral to keep from the shell of the clam from opening.

 

[TopClamSkoo]

And?

IME, a healthy clam won't let another entity grow over the mantle. Shell, maybe, mantle, no. It secretes toxin to keep stuff at bay.
You may however need to trim stony coral to keep from the shell of the clam from opening.

AHHHH....Gotcha. yeah i hear mostly that it'll be okay but I do hear a fair amount of ppl saying they will never allow corals near their clams... but I did read on an unrelated post about clams how their mucus is toxic and that it protects them.

So I guess stony coral like my scatter brain monti will have to be chipped away if grown on the clam.
But WOW! can you imagine? I have never seen an encrusting coral like a kung pao or beach bum monti growing on a clam shell! that would be awesome! As for me, i think I'm too chicken to allow that to happen.

Anybody seen a bright monti growing on a clam shell? '

thanks btw! I feel better about mounting my clam on the main rock structure with the zoas now

 

[Dburr1014]

AHHHH....Gotcha. yeah i hear mostly that it'll be okay but I do hear a fair amount of ppl saying they will never allow corals near their clams... but I did read on an unrelated post about clams how their mucus is toxic and that it protects them.

So I guess stony coral like my scatter brain monti will have to be chipped away if grown on the clam.
But WOW! can you imagine? I have never seen an encrusting coral like a kung pao or beach bum monti growing on a clam shell! that would be awesome! As for me, i think I'm too chicken to allow that to happen.

Anybody seen a bright monti growing on a clam shell? '

thanks btw! I feel better about mounting my clam on the main rock structure with the zoas now

My mystic sunset needs to be chipped away every month or two.



September 1st 2021
You can see the clam pushing back the monti. It does overcome the clam eventually.

 

[TopClamSkoo]

My mystic sunset needs to be chipped away every month or two.

View attachment 2910046

WHOOOOAA! that is Freaking cool man!

wow so did it encrust on the shell or just near the base of the rock? how do you chisel away at a monti without breaking the live rock underneath? I could imagine how to get that done but man... that must be a pain, no?

also if it does grow on the shell would the encrusting prevent the clam from closing up or at least making it difficult to close? I would imagine so because it'll be like wiping cement at the base of the shell...

thanks again! beautiful clam/monti mix!

 

[Dburr1014]

WHOOOOAA! that is Freaking cool man!

wow so did it encrust on the shell or just near the base of the rock? how do you chisel away at a monti without breaking the live rock underneath? I could imagine how to get that done but man... that must be a pain, no?

also if it does grow on the shell would the encrusting prevent the clam from closing up or at least making it difficult to close? I would imagine so because it'll be like wiping cement at the base of the shell...

thanks again! beautiful clam/monti mix!

It makes the clam have a hard time opening. It never "grows" on the shell.
I use bone cutters and work my way along the clam. The monti breaks as I am cutting. I don't worry about killing it, it's like a weed. (the monti)

I edited my other response and added another pic of you didn't see it.

 

[TopClamSkoo]

gotcha gotcha! i will def ponder about this. Zoas around clam or monti!

 

[vetteguy53081]

And?

IME, a healthy clam won't let another entity grow over the mantle. Shell, maybe, mantle, no. It secretes toxin to keep stuff at bay.
You may however need to trim stony coral to keep from the shell of the clam from opening.

Im referring to shell and and OP just stated, I let nothing near mine

 

[TopClamSkoo]

Im referring to shell and and OP just stated, I let nothing near mine
View attachment 2910108

DANG! Now that is nice! squamosa?

Dburr1014's clam is nice too!​

Man both of ya'lls clams puts my crocea to shame!
Too bad clams have gotten so expensive.. esp since Covid and gas going up... along with everything else.
I remember back in 2004-2005 when 4 inch croceas were like $40. Maximas for some reason were very difficult to acquire in San Diego where I used to live... Gigas were readily available though. I remember paying $30 for a 6 inch specimen!
TIMES HAVE CHANGED! I believe a 4 inch gigas now are like couple hundred.
WHY???!!???!!!! don't get it! I understand why prices have gone up... but from 30 - 200/300 bucks... that seems crazy to me esp since I used to see Gigas around a lot for like couple of tens of dollars