Giant Clams in sps aquarium

[peehair]

I have a 90g sps dominated tank with a giant clam 9" or so just woundering if he is taking to much of anything out of my water that could possibly slow coral growth.

 

[fishdoc11]

Nope

 

[Wiskey]

Nope, but they do feed on phyto (loaded with phosphate) and have been showen to use nitrate directaly from the water colum. I think they are a very good thing to have in a SPS tank.

Whiskey

 

[Mike O'Brien]

Lot's of calcium and alkalinity too.

 

[murphreef]

they do like the calcium lol

i really like clams i have 3 2 4" croceas and this 12" monster of a clam its a squamosa a super fast grower so i would recommend having a CA reactor it would be way to hard for me to keep up with dosing having this clam... hes grown about 2" in just 6 months

heres a pic hes in the center

and a close up

 

[hawaiianwargod]

very nice.

 

[Serioussnaps]

Just monitor your CA and ALK and make sure you can keep up with the requirements...i have 1 crocea and it is by far the greatest calcium consumer in my tank..yet my acros arent that big yet.

You dont need to feed phyto if the clam is mature IMOandE...if it is small you need to feed it phyto.

 

[peehair]

Yea thanks everyone for the reasurance, i have been adding lots of cal/alk lately since ive been noticing him grow like crazy.

 

[Wiskey]

I am saying that the Clam will eat Phyto that is naturally occuring in your tank. This Phyto takes up phosphate as it reproduces in your tank.

Whiskey

 

[Dejavu]

I removed a 12" clam from my SPS dominated 90 gal a month ago. Was using 225ml of both 2 part and it is down to 175ml now. Big clams can be a load on calcium and alkalinity.

 

[Corn]

yep I know I have 9 clams 1 gigas 15" 1 squamosa 10" 2 crocea 5 maxima and they do drane all the Ca.

 

[fishdoc11]

Well I figured Ca and alk were a given

As far as nutrients clams take nitrates out like has been stated...phyto as well which will help with nutrient levels.

Chris

 

[Sparkss]

Ditto on the ca/alk requirements... but then again so do your acros, and you aren't taking them out, right ?

Also, the clams are wonderful natural filtration units. There were studies some time ago using nothing but clams to filer a set of tanks (no skimmers, etc). They were very interesting studies to say the least, but I can't find a link to them, sorry

 

[Corn]

could that be why I do not get as much skim as the rest ?

 

[cooper9177]

I have 4 8" clams in my sps tank and even with my calcium reactor maxed out I still have to add chemicals to keep up I believe it is time to sell the monsters and start fresh eith smaller ones

 

[jmaneyapanda]

sparks- please provide info on the study. in my experience, clams pull VERY LITTLE out of the water column (in terms of nutrient). At least, if we are talking trdidacnids.

 

[Sk8r]

I have had a new frag which had been doing nothing take off marvelously when put in the outflow of a crocea. I am trying a second underperformer in the same position.