Considering my first clam

[Dkuhlmann]

I've been thinking for a while what to get to add to my sandbed and I keep coming up with get a clam. Well I finally think I decided on this guy Maxima Clam Gold, Aquacultured ORA® (Tridacna maxima) They're on sale now at LA and I also want to get a Matted file fish from the same location of LA which is also on sale :dance:

So here is my setup. 40b over a year old, lots of LPS and a few SPS as well as a few softies. OR Arctic T247 for lighting. I've been in and out of this hobby for a while and I do have and keep stable good parameters.

My fish list is:

Cherub Angel
Midas Blenny
Yellow Candy Hog Fish
Royal Gramma
Mocha Ocellaris pair
McCosker's wrasse

And like I said will be adding an ORA Matted File fish to take care of my aiptasia. I had a WC MFF but it got a taste for Blastomussa so he had to go. I'm willing to try them again, hopefully getting a good one that plays nice with my coral. I do have a couple of scarlet legged hermits and several different species of snails.

My Cherub Angel as well as all of my other fish do not pick on my corals. I do not have any crabs or shrimp in my tank and I'm pretty sure the Hog fish and the wrasse would love to snack on a live shrimp or two.

So this all said do you think that any of my fish will pick on or try and eat this clam?

Here is the link to it at LA http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3352+3355+3395&pcatid=3395

Thanks for your time and suggestions in advance.

 

[fijisrfr]

The maxima would prefer to be in the rock work vs. the sand.


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[Dkuhlmann]

So I could put up a small outcropping of rock rubble for it to attach to?

You don't see any possible issues with the fish?

 

[Dkuhlmann]

117 views and nobody has an opinion about the fish being ok or not with the clam?

 

[Monkeypod]

I'm tagging along because I want to get my first clam too.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Dave, I've never had great luck with clams, but I haven't tried one in 4 or 5 years. And now I do have common clams and even oysters in my 180g DT. But I never had any issues with any of my fish bothering the clams. I think butterflyfish are the common compatibility problem with clams. I think you are OK with your current inventory of fish. I'm a little less sure about the file fish. They are known for eating aiptasia, so they have a taste for live food. They are also know to occasionally be a problem with corals. I haven't read about them having compatibility issues with clams, but I'd have a real close eye on it.

I had a double saddleback butterflyfish that cleared my tank of aiptasia in a week and then cleared it of majanos the next couple of weeks. During that time and for 3 months after that, it never bothered with any coral and it never had for the previous owner either. But after a few months I started having heads of lps corals start to disappear. It was 4 different corals over 5 nights. I see a head or two missing so I'd pull the coral and move it to a different tank. The next day it was a different coral and I'd move it. Finally I caught the butterflyfish and that was the end of my coral problems.

So the morale to that story is, just because it works out well for an extended period of time (3+ months in my case) don't think the issue is resolved permanently.

You are looking for something to have in the sand. Have you looked at any of the corals that do well in the sand?

 

[Dkuhlmann]

I"ve had two elegance and sadly I've lost both of them. Beautiful for over 6 months and then died quickly, still haven't figured out why but I guess if I had to guess it happened when I burned half of my acans with the new light.

The biggest reason for the clam is The ORA matted file fish is in LA's Florida facility and they only have tank raised stuff there. The MFF is on sale and doesn't cost enough for them to ship. I need to add another $10. Well that clam is on sale and I think if I were to get the Peppermint shrimp they would be eaten by my wrasse and Hog fish. So I'm still pondering

Well off to two appointments, I'll think on it and decide over the weekend. I'll be playing with my new camera this weekend and playing with the Light Room software too

 

[MondoBongo]

i wouldn't worry about a flasher wrasse eating shrimp or clams. they're generally pretty cool with whatever.

i would be concerned about the dwarf angel. i haven't kept any dwarf angels with my clams, but i'm always leery of angels of any type (save Genicanthus spp.) around clams. obviously your clowns are fine, and i've never kept any of the other fish listed.

 

[carrots]

I too would love to get another clam, so following along to get better educated. My last one was pestered to death by my dwarf angel. It would always nip around the mantle causing the clam to close. In an hour of me watching the tank I could count about 4X it nipping on the clam shell. Had to remove one of them and the clam was the easiest. I don't know much about the other fish on your list, but the angels are a possible headache for clams. Best of luck