crimson156
In Memoriam
are they big enough to survive w/just mh lighting or do i still need to spot feed w/phyto?
3" crocea clam and a squamosa clam 3"
3" crocea clam and a squamosa clam 3"
if i have 2 clams that are 3" do i still need to feed?
- Thread starter crimson156
- Start date
jackson6745
Yeah Yeah
I never feed my clams???
jACKSON6745
The above is only my opinion from years of reading and personal observation.. If you chose not to believe me maybe you will belive a PHD who spends his life studying our hobby. Here's a quote from an article from Dr Ron:
"As reef aquarists are aware, Tridacna and Hippopus clams have symbiotic zooxanthellae located in their blood, as well as in mantle and associated with their digestive glands. Probably as a result of natural selection to maximize mantle volume, and hence increase the number of zooxanthellae carried in it, tridacnids have undergone quite an extensive modification of the basic clam structures.
In essence, while the foot and byssal glands remain ventral and in contact with the substrate, most of the other organs have been displaced by differential growth, so that the shell and mantle edges, which normally face downward in clams, are positioned upward in Tridacna and Hippopus species allowing the mantle to be facing upward so that its zooxanthellae may be well illuminated.
At this point, two statements need to be made.
The production of feeding structures, such as gills and ciliary sorting tracts is metabolically costly, it uses energy that might otherwise go into reproduction or growth.
Likewise, the mucus produced for feeding is also expensive; after all, mucous is a protein/sugar combination, and these materials could be otherwise used in building more tissues, gametes, or in basic metabolism.
From these observations, some conclusions should be obvious.
All bivalves, including those containing photosynthetic algae, need a lot of energy and materials to stay alive. Clams appear to be passive animals, but actually they are burning food at a pretty good rate. Pumping water, even by ciliary action, is expensive and they pump ALOT of water. Consequently, they need a lot of energy to survive.
Natural selection acts to minimize unnecessary costs. If clams from Tridacna or Hippopus species didnââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t need to feed, the feeding structures would be eliminated. There are a number of clams that live totally on the byproducts of symbiotic bacteria living on their gills. These clams are totally gutless. The fact that every Tridacna and Hippopus individual has a good and functional feeding apparatus ABSOLUTELY PROVES that they need to feed.
Indeed this is the case, researchers have found (Klumpp and Lucas, 1994; Griffiths & Klumpp, 1996) that small Tridacna, those about 10 cm (4 inches) in shell length or shorter, simply do not have enough mantle volume to hold sufficient zooxanthellae to support the metabolic needs of the clam. Only as the clams grow larger can the zooxanthellae produce enough respiratory energy, or sugars, to keep the clams alive.
Even after this period in their lives, these clams are dependant upon captured phytoplankton for much of their needs. All animal tissue is mostly protein, and to make proteins the animals must, absolutely must, have a nitrogen source. Researchers (Ambariyanto & Hoegh-Guldberg. 1999) have found the clams depend upon their feeding to provide a nitrogen source for their own protein metabolism. Although the zooxanthellae can help with protein synthesis, the clams need a nitrogen source and that source is their phytoplankton food.
How can you tell if your clams are getting enough food?
First off, they will be actively growing. Tridacna grow rapidly if well fed, and if they have enough calcium in the water. Second, you will see them actively defecating fecal mucus rope segments. If you feed DTââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s Phytoplankton or some other live plankton, you may be able to look into the clams mantle cavity, through a siphon, and see the mucus covering the gills actually lightly colored with the color of the culture. Dead, off the shelf, chemically preserved phytoplankton cultures contain mostly cellular debris and the clams will reject most of this material as it is both the wrong shape and the wrong size.
Even small clams require a lot of algal food, without which their chances of survival are marginal. Many aquarists have had the experience of keeping Tridacna alive for a few months after which they mysteriously die, after seemingly "doing well." Well... they havenââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t done well, they have slowly starved to death using up all their energy reserves and finally dying. All of these deaths - ALL OF THEM - could have been prevented by adequate feeding with good phytoplankton."
The above is only my opinion from years of reading and personal observation.. If you chose not to believe me maybe you will belive a PHD who spends his life studying our hobby. Here's a quote from an article from Dr Ron:
"As reef aquarists are aware, Tridacna and Hippopus clams have symbiotic zooxanthellae located in their blood, as well as in mantle and associated with their digestive glands. Probably as a result of natural selection to maximize mantle volume, and hence increase the number of zooxanthellae carried in it, tridacnids have undergone quite an extensive modification of the basic clam structures.
In essence, while the foot and byssal glands remain ventral and in contact with the substrate, most of the other organs have been displaced by differential growth, so that the shell and mantle edges, which normally face downward in clams, are positioned upward in Tridacna and Hippopus species allowing the mantle to be facing upward so that its zooxanthellae may be well illuminated.
At this point, two statements need to be made.
The production of feeding structures, such as gills and ciliary sorting tracts is metabolically costly, it uses energy that might otherwise go into reproduction or growth.
Likewise, the mucus produced for feeding is also expensive; after all, mucous is a protein/sugar combination, and these materials could be otherwise used in building more tissues, gametes, or in basic metabolism.
From these observations, some conclusions should be obvious.
All bivalves, including those containing photosynthetic algae, need a lot of energy and materials to stay alive. Clams appear to be passive animals, but actually they are burning food at a pretty good rate. Pumping water, even by ciliary action, is expensive and they pump ALOT of water. Consequently, they need a lot of energy to survive.
Natural selection acts to minimize unnecessary costs. If clams from Tridacna or Hippopus species didnââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t need to feed, the feeding structures would be eliminated. There are a number of clams that live totally on the byproducts of symbiotic bacteria living on their gills. These clams are totally gutless. The fact that every Tridacna and Hippopus individual has a good and functional feeding apparatus ABSOLUTELY PROVES that they need to feed.
Indeed this is the case, researchers have found (Klumpp and Lucas, 1994; Griffiths & Klumpp, 1996) that small Tridacna, those about 10 cm (4 inches) in shell length or shorter, simply do not have enough mantle volume to hold sufficient zooxanthellae to support the metabolic needs of the clam. Only as the clams grow larger can the zooxanthellae produce enough respiratory energy, or sugars, to keep the clams alive.
Even after this period in their lives, these clams are dependant upon captured phytoplankton for much of their needs. All animal tissue is mostly protein, and to make proteins the animals must, absolutely must, have a nitrogen source. Researchers (Ambariyanto & Hoegh-Guldberg. 1999) have found the clams depend upon their feeding to provide a nitrogen source for their own protein metabolism. Although the zooxanthellae can help with protein synthesis, the clams need a nitrogen source and that source is their phytoplankton food.
How can you tell if your clams are getting enough food?
First off, they will be actively growing. Tridacna grow rapidly if well fed, and if they have enough calcium in the water. Second, you will see them actively defecating fecal mucus rope segments. If you feed DTââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s Phytoplankton or some other live plankton, you may be able to look into the clams mantle cavity, through a siphon, and see the mucus covering the gills actually lightly colored with the color of the culture. Dead, off the shelf, chemically preserved phytoplankton cultures contain mostly cellular debris and the clams will reject most of this material as it is both the wrong shape and the wrong size.
Even small clams require a lot of algal food, without which their chances of survival are marginal. Many aquarists have had the experience of keeping Tridacna alive for a few months after which they mysteriously die, after seemingly "doing well." Well... they havenââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t done well, they have slowly starved to death using up all their energy reserves and finally dying. All of these deaths - ALL OF THEM - could have been prevented by adequate feeding with good phytoplankton."
jackson6745
Yeah Yeah
Joe you're probably right...I'm just saying I never really feed my clams. I have a 4" crocea, 3" sqamosa, and I had a 9" Derasa (started from about 3") for 4 years. I'm not really a big clam buff, my point was they have done well with out feeding in my tank. I never kept those tiny maxima's or croceas which I am sure won't fare well without heavy feeding.
Joe one thing I noticed on my clams is that they do release defecating fecal mucus rope segments, so I guess they're eating something?
Joe one thing I noticed on my clams is that they do release defecating fecal mucus rope segments, so I guess they're eating something?
crimson156
In Memoriam
how often to feed?
NeuroLarry
Premium Member
Tagging along here. I have 2 croceas about 3.5-4 inches I recently added to my tank. I dose DT's regularly to the whole tank. Do I need to spot feed teh clams directly?
crimson156
In Memoriam
ya i'd spot feed em, i think u cn cut a 2 liter soda bottle in half and put the half w/the nozzle on top of the clam
u then squirt the plankton into the bottle and it will all stay around the clam, this way the clam gets plenty of food
u then squirt the plankton into the bottle and it will all stay around the clam, this way the clam gets plenty of food
NeuroLarry
Premium Member
Sounds like a good idea thanks
SCOTT
I would spot feed anything under 4" twice weekly using the 2 liter bottle technique described by Crimson. After the spot feeding I would generally add two capfuls to the tank for the remaider of the clams. Make sure to turn off your skimmer for the next two to three hours.
IMHO
Joe
I would spot feed anything under 4" twice weekly using the 2 liter bottle technique described by Crimson. After the spot feeding I would generally add two capfuls to the tank for the remaider of the clams. Make sure to turn off your skimmer for the next two to three hours.
IMHO
Joe
crimson156
In Memoriam
just the skimmer, and only because it MIGHT skim some of the plankton u put in, thus wasting your $$$
crimson156
In Memoriam
some say that the dead stuff clumps up and because the clumps aren't the right size anymore the clam doesn't eat them
i use dt's and 100-200micron size golden pearls(i dunno if the pearls are eaten yet cause i'm not around my tank when its fed-if the clams are pooping after i feed them i figure they ate it)
i use dt's and 100-200micron size golden pearls(i dunno if the pearls are eaten yet cause i'm not around my tank when its fed-if the clams are pooping after i feed them i figure they ate it)
Feeding or not to feed has been an on going debate for several years.
With a aquarium that has been set up for a while and has a fairly large bio-load can provde a lot of nutritions to the clams. They can filter the waste from the fish as well. No doubt that zooxanthellae plays a large roll in the growth and color of the clam but a clam with a small mantle survice can not obtain the sybiotic aglae alone to survive. IMO & IME.
When it doubt, suppliment feeding will not harm anything unless over feeding they it could case a algae bloom.
Sloth
New member
Cool. Thanks for the good read. My crocea just moved so his in-siphon is directly aiming at the glass. I can see his gills clearly. I'm going to feed some DT's and see if I can see any color change in the gill mucus.
I have a 3.5" crocea and a 3" maxima and I dump a capfull of DT's in every other day and they're growing. FYI
I have a 3.5" crocea and a 3" maxima and I dump a capfull of DT's in every other day and they're growing. FYI
