Good Beginner Clams

[firechild]

Yeah, clams are fantastic reef inhabitants and it is possible that they also remove heavy metals from the water. It has been shown that other bivalves (mainly edible ones where they need to find out what the consumer is eating) such as oysters and mussels do this but there hasn't been much research into tridacnids doing it.
Any animal that has symbiotic algae such as corals, soft corals, anemones, some nudibranchs, some flatworms etc., will take up nutrients from the water which are used by the algae.

DTs is a brand of live phytoplankton that contains a large percentage of Nannochloropsis oculata which is a species that is widely used in aquaculture and is a good food for many filter feeders including clams.

 

[lebowski]

CULTURED T. Maxima's are perfect candidates for a clam newbie..... Given the proper water quality and lighting requirements.... Metal Halide is really a must with clams... I don't care how much bull$hit people will argue on this subject, but Metal Halide will always be the best... It's the most intense, and closest to natural sunlight... I kept my squammy in my 29 for 6 months with pc, and until I got metal Halide it never grew... It's grown 1/2 an inch in 2 months starting when I got my MH...

Calcium reactors or kalkwasser is another must...clams are calcium pigs....

Good Luck, I'd really try a squammy at first, just for you to get the hang of it!

:thumbsup:

 

[Westpat]

What a great post!

What a great post!

I got my second clam today. This was not planned, but there was an ordering mixup, so I ended up with the first one I got and now the one I originally ordered. It is a 3" crocea that has blue mantle tissue with light blue streaks and irridescent gold swirls. I got into the tank today, so I am going to let it acclimate a little more before I post any pics. It's mantle does not extend as much as my first one, but it still comes out about an inch from the shell, and it reacts very quickly to light.

I bought some homebrew phyto from my LFS, and have been feeding that, and will continue to do so. I think my tank produces its own share of micron foods though. Here's why:
2 Feather Dusters 3 years
1 Oyster(don't ask) 3 months
Hundreds of white and brown(ughhh!) mini feather dusters

So here is my point. If all these other filter feeders have lived this long, why should I supplement? In theory aren't the clams eating the same stuff the others are thriving off of?

Also, my 3.5" crocea's area inside the intake is the same color as the mantle, while the 3" is white in that same area. Is this a maturity thing?

What is considered the proper flow rate for the clams. Enough to see the movement, but not enough to move the mantle?

Finally, I have a 13K Aqualine and 14K Hamilton 175's 18 inches above the tank. Also 2 40 W actinic tubes. The clams are on the bottom. Is this enough light, and would there be any advantage in a VHO upgrade?

My Ca is 470, dKH IS 7. I usually dose with Limewater every night. Should I hold off a few days to let the levels come back
in sync. I usually do a 3 quart mix each night.

Sorry so long,
Just a great thread to get questions like these out there,
Thanks for your time,
David

 

[AQUAH0LIC]

This may be a foolish question but ill throw caution to the slamhogs.....Do these clams shoot themselves all over the tank? If you place them on LR, what happens if they decide they want to move and shoot themselves off the rock and fall, cant they get damaged? Is it best to set the clam between two pieces of LR to help hold it in place?

 

[Pfittttz]

If you place them on LR, what happens if they decide they want to move and shoot themselves off the rock and fall, cant they get damaged? Is it best to set the clam between two pieces of LR to help hold it in place?

Yes they can move a bit (don't know if I would go as far as to say they "shoot themselves all over the tank" though) And yes they can "jump" off of the rocks and injure themselves.

Don't wedge the clam tightly between 2 rocks but you can help it stay upright by placing a couple rocks beside the clam.

Good luck on your clam whatever type you decide to get

 

[AQUAH0LIC]

Heres a question about color. Does each species only come in one color, for example.....are Max's only purple, Crocea only blue..etc....?

 

[Pfittttz]

Nope they come in a varity (sp?) of colors.

 

[Pfittttz]

here are some maxima pics