Is There a Limit to the Number of Clams in a Tank?

[critterkeeper]

Whatever you say.

If it's so easy - then do it. Fill up a 24 gallon with clams and succeed where other experienced aquarists fail. After all, you just need to pay attention and make slow changes. I never knew reefkeeping on that kind of scale was so easy! Those other hobbyist must just be stupid and not really care about their livestock.


James Fatherree
www.liquid-medium.com
www.fatherree.com/james/bibliography.htm

 

[Reefsavers]

Are you James Fatheree?

Wow, you sure are beligerent!

My experience with clams is on par with what Al is saying. I have kept more clams then most, they do well in high densities as long as the system they are in is being taken care of CORRECTLY! Besides, when has phosporous and any ammonia based element been scarce in reef aquaria?These elements seem to be the bane of the hobby...hence the reason people spend countless hours discussing how to get rid of it, and spend countless dollars on water changes, and media to remove them. You can feed the fish more, you can use less phos-binding media or not at all, and if needs be you could pee in your aquarium or add urea in small quantities and work your way up to the threshhold. I am not suggesting covering every sq inch of the tank with clams but a 50 gallon tank could easily hold several clams. I generally hold about 2000 thousand maximas in about 3000 gallons of water. All of my clams, even small ones under 2" grow rapidly, never die, and i do not feed phyto plankton. What i do is feed my fish, keep Ca,Kh,Ph,lighting and temp constant and this is what gives me tremendous results.

Eric Koch
Reef Savers Inc
www.reefsavers.com

 

[critterkeeper]

Basically we have a guy with a 54 gallon - and another with a 6, 24, and 10 gallon asking if they can stock an unlimited number of clams in them.

Then we have a whole list of folks saying go ahead, it's no problem - except for Ca/Alk. Not one mention of whether it'll be a pain in the *ss, or doable in the long-run. I also have yet to hear of anyone that has actually done it themselves, or even knows anyone who has.

On the other hand, I seem to be the only person here that actually knows of two experienced people that tried - and gave up. And then people with no such experience want to argue and tell the guys above to go ahead. I get a guy with a 400 gallon telling folks that a 24 gallon "acts the same" and that you just have to make "slow changes" and says I'm oversimplifying things. There are no slow changes in 5 gallon tank.

Too many people get into this hobby - and then get out of it when things go wrong or become too much of a hassle. Bad advice often plays a big part in that. And things usually die in the process. Agreed? For people that have no experience in doing so to act like you can just add all the clams to a nano tank that you want to is plain irresponsible.

How many people would say that's it's no problem to stock as many fish in a 24 gallon as you can fit in, as long as they are breathing? Yeah, with enough water changes, siphoning fish poo, phosban, etc. I'm sure you could cram a lot in - unitl you got sick of all the work and the glass cleaning, and change your mind.


"Wow, you sure are beligerent!" Yeah, I get annoyed. Especially when I'm trying to prevent hobbyists from failing, and others seem to be determined to tell them that they can do whatever they want and it'll be easy.

 

[OrionN]

Clams use macro and micro nutrients like everything else. Too much clams in a tank and the smaller one will not grow and bleach and died. There are competion in live, there are just finite resourse in a small reeftank, not like in the Ocean.

 

[Omar H]

All of our animals require certain minimum space to thrive in our closed systems. There are countless threads dealing with minimum space for tangs and other fish. just because clams (and corals) do not have the same mobility issue as fish does not mean that they do not have minimum requirements.

What's the minimum space/gallons or other measure for keeping clams... I'm no expert by far, but I do realize that clams require very stable conditions. Molluscs are very susceptible to rapid changes in salinity and other water parameters. That being said, they consume a lot of calcium to grow their shell, along with other nutrients being used first by the zooxantelleate and then by the clam.

Do not stock animals based on the fact that they "fit" within the dimensions of the tank, do consider the potential requirements for oxygen, nutrients and other parameters.

I can't remember if Sprung and Delbeek in The Reef Aquarium or Daniel Knop in his book make any mention of minimum requirements, but both are very good sources of info. James's book is not out yet, but rest assured I'll get it when it's out.

Omar