Are clams hard to keep

[tpap1011@gmail.]

I have a 29 BC with a 360 kessil LR frogspawn
Toadstool 2 clowns sea erachin and a brittle star
What does it take to keep a clam? I do weekly
WC 3-5 gal. My peramters all in check tank has been
Up for about 2 years +

Any feed back would be gerat

 

[cloak]

As long as your parameters are within reason and the lighting is sufficient, clams are actually quite easy to keep IME.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.htm

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-07/jf/feature/index.php

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/magazine/clams

 

[tpap1011@gmail.]

thanks cloaks for the info

 

[ca1ore]

Depends a bit on the species. Deresa and Squamosa are the easiest. Maxima and Crocea are harder.

 

[hobbzz]

I agree with everything said. If you can keep coral, you can very likely keep clams depending on inhabitants.

 

[hart24601]

I would say in general yes, they are difficult. There are lots of people that add them and never have an issue, and on RC people in the clam forums are in general the best of the best, but watching forums and our local club there seem to be many more people that try clams multiple times but rarely have the same clam that makes it for several years while they have coral and fish that live for years if not decades. Keeping an eye on the lfs here I see they lose far more clams than they sell. Just my 0.02 but for every person that has kept the same clam for 5 years or so, there are so many more that lost them.

I think a big issue that gets many people is fish compatibility. Lots of people never see a fish nip a clam, but that fish infrequently pecks them and it's enough to kill it and many fish that are otherwise "reef safe" seem to enjoy pecking at clams, even if not enough to cause damage, it's enough to make it not extend and get enough light.

 

[TylerHaworth]

Clams to me have been super easy to keep, and extremely rewarding to watch grow... With one caveat, and of course your mileage may vary:

Small clams require special care and supplemental feeding, larger clams are pretty much set and forget as long as you have plenty of light and stable params... Around 2.5" is where I consider them "Larger"

 

[Stevent1981]

I have tried on 3 different occasions to keep a clam in my mixed reef tank and have failed every time. Everything else in my tank flourishes however the clams only last a few months. I have had a maxima, Crocea, and,dersa. The Crocea lastest the longest at about 6 months. The only thiong I can assume is my lighting is not strong enough to reach the sandbed.