Derasa clams and Kuda seahorses | Safe with Cleaner shrimp

[chrisbenavides]

I am in the process of buying that Derasa clam. This time I will see it with my own eyes instead of ordering online.

My question is can this clam be safe in a seahorse tank?

Safe amongst cleaner shrimp?

The only reason why I would think this is because I have a Cleaner shrimp in my reef tank (the tank I wish to place the clam), but am scared that the shrimp will kill the clam. I just got rid of my BEAUTIFUL and I think rare Gold Coral Banded shrimp with blue legs. I did this because I knew that he would love to pick on a clam. Now I don't want to get rid of the Cleaner since he does such a good job in my tank. He's big and well fed, but that probably does not mean anything right?

 

[mbbuna]

the clam would be fine in a seahorse tank as long as the lighting is strong enough.

shrimp are hit and miss. most of the time if the clam is healthy the shrimp will leave it alone

 

[roader247]

No a clam is not safe with sea horses the horse's are very likely to try to hook their tails on the clam, the clam will shut and probably damage the horses tail Good Luck

 

[chrisbenavides]

yikes....

Do the Derasa clams shut all the way..... (in other words can they close tightly as other clams do?)

 

[mbbuna]

i very seriously doubt that would happen. seahorses are very slow swimmers and i dont think they would startle the clam. also clams dont have anything to hitch to, so why would a seahorse try?

 

[chrisbenavides]

the debate begins......

 

[jmaneyapanda]

I think calms and horses are fine. I think clams and shrimp are OK. I wouldn't put horses with cleaner shrimp. The shrimp can (and have) pestered the horses so much they stress and die.

I highly doubt a horse would land or go near a clams mantle anyway (unless it was weak and near dead and just be pushed around by the current).

Something to think about, all the horse tanks Ive seen have been fed pretty heavily. All this excess feed must be dealt with somehow. This is why I think many horse keepers have artificial reefs for their horses- just pull out the decor and cook it, and its clean.

 

[Bidadari]

Seahorses are slow swimmers & they move slooooowwwly.
They will slide their tails on the everything in the tank, including the clam. If the clam shuts when the horses move on the clam, the horses won't be able to get away in time. In fact, horses will freeze when they're stressed.

 

[Bidadari]

There're lots of good info on seahorses in Seahorse.org.
Here's a list of tank mates suitability for seahorses
http://www.seahorse.org/library/articles/tankmates.shtml

 

[jmaneyapanda]

If anyone has even been near a clam that closes quickly, youve experienece the severe jet of water it forces out. This would certainly "blow" a "frozen" seahorse away. Its almost as if the KILLER CLAM legend is being reborn.

 

[Bidadari]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7837781#post7837781 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jmaneyapanda
If anyone has even been near a clam that closes quickly, youve experienece the severe jet of water it forces out. This would certainly "blow" a "frozen" seahorse away. Its almost as if the KILLER CLAM legend is being reborn.

I'm speaking from my own experience. I have both reef tank (yes, with 4 clams in it) & a seahorse tank. I'm not saying I know everything about clam & seahorse, but I know enough about their usual behavior.
There must be a reason most if none of seahorse tanks don't have a clam in them. Lighting is one of them, seahorse's swimming/movement habit is the other.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

Bidadari, I agree, and apologize for being combatative, it was not my intention.

There certainly must be a reason clams and horses are not kept together, but I do not think it is horse mortality from being trapped in clams. Lighting certainly may be one issue, nutrient load from horse feeding another, general water flow, possibly another.

I have never seen a clam close qucikly enough, and with enough force to "trap" inadvertant organisms within. People sometimes envision a steel bear trap clamping shut when they think of clams closing, this is obviously not true. Clams likely won't immediately seal the shell, it is a more delayed reaction, but the initial response is quick shutter, and an expulsion of a large volume of wtare (comparitive to the clam). If youve ever seen a clam when some fish food goes in the inhalant siphon, you know exactly what happens, everything motile in the area gets flushed away with a quick and violoent jettison of water. If this didnt move the horse away on its own, then it would likely disturb the horse enough to move away.

However, in retrospect of this thought, perhaps the clams could be irritated or disturbed enough by the presenec of the horses to remain withdrawn and suffer from this condition. I think that is a stretch, but certainly possible.

At any rate, I think it highly unlikely that these animals would be in danger from the clam. I think any organism that does get trapped between a clams shell is trying to get in there, not an innocent bystander.

I have kept horses and clams together succesfully, and gave up doing so not because of danger to the animals, but from excessive maintenence work to maintain a relatively simple and small tank.