New tank, want to get a clam

[rubberguard]

Just started a new tank and I was wondering which clams are easiest to care for.

 

[a4twenty]

as with most delicate invertebrates, it's recommended to wait at least 6 months for your tank to stabilize. with your size tank and lighting i would recommend a T. crocea, when the tank is ready.

HTH

 

[cakemanPA]

Rule of thumb is at least 6 months. My clams did not do well until I was up and running for 12 months

 

[OrionN]

Differ from the last two posters, I, on the other hand,think clams are very hardy and are invertebrate for beginner. It was one of the very fist invertebrate I had in my tank in the 1990's. Brand new tank after it cycle, and it did great without problem.
However, different species of clams require different light intensity. How big is your tank and how much light do you have? Crocea is the smallest of the clam but the one that requires the most light. Most beginner rarely have adequate light for this clam so I recommended against it. Derassa and Gigas get big quickly. I got one Gigas that grew from 1.5 inches to 22 inches in 7 years. Derassa grew only slightly less rate. Maxiam care is likely the easiest. It is the clam that is most widespread of all giant clam. It also require very high light intensity similar to Crocea. Squamosa doesn't require anywhere near the light that Crocea or Maxima requires. It also do not grow as fast as Gigas or Derassa, but faster than Maxima and Crocea.
Tell us about your tank, and I can give you a better recommendation.

 

[moliken]

wait the time. nothing good happens fast in sw. if minh did it correctly, and kept his params even, unchanging, the chances for success are better, but that is difficult to do. know, practice,understand, then buy!

 

[a4twenty]

maybe i'm mistaken but wasn't your current tank listed below your post??

from what i remember it was ~ a 20G with 250W ballast, 20k bulb .?.?.?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15547784#post15547784 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by OrionN
Maxiam care is likely the easiest.

i have to disagree ( big surprise eh minh ) maxima's are considered the least hardy species of tridacnid clam, though most beautiful ( along with croceas ) and sought after.

 

[Ohiomom]

I also don't think croceas are "that" light demanding..I have two under decent lights (216 w t5) on a 75..they are on the sand and doing will for almost two years now.

 

[OrionN]

In general, the more widespread a species is, the more condition it can tolerate thus make it less difficult to keep. That is just a generalization. Maxima is the most widespread of the Trinacda clam species. Personally, I find that Maxima are very easy to keep, and very colorful, does not grow too fast and is a perfect animal to keep in a small reef tank.
Crocea on the other hand are smaller and are almost found exclusively near the surface of the reef, in full sun and often exposed at low tide. For optomal and best color, it need very bright light, like full noon sun in the tropical area.
a4twenty, I find that we often disagree but discuss things with you are interesting although I often cannot bring you to my way of thinking. I suspect that if we live near each other, we would be good friends

 

[OrionN]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15548716#post15548716 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by a4twenty
maybe i'm mistaken but wasn't your current tank listed below your post??

from what i remember it was ~ a 20G with 250W ballast, 20k bulb .?.?.?



i have to disagree ( big surprise eh minh ) maxima's are considered the least hardy species of tridacnid clam, though most beautiful ( along with croceas ) and sought after.

As right now, 8/17/09 AM, there are no information on the OP regarding his tank

 

[a4twenty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15549020#post15549020 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by OrionN
As right now, 8/17/09 AM, there are no information on the OP regarding his tank

i'm almost positive he had info listed in the "current tank" section of his signature. i may be mistaken ( wouldn't be the first time ), i did have a lot of windows open last night.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15549005#post15549005 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by OrionN
a4twenty, I find that we often disagree but discuss things with you are interesting although I often cannot bring you to my way of thinking. I suspect that if we live near each other, we would be good friends

wouldn't the world be a boring place if we all agreed on everything

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15549005#post15549005 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by OrionN
In general, the more widespread a species is, the more condition it can tolerate thus make it less difficult to keep. That is just a generalization. Maxima is the most widespread of the Trinacda clam species.

i agree completely, for clams in the wild. i think the turning point is in the collection of wild specimens. crocea and maximas are boring clams ( crocea much more so ) and are much harder to collect without damaging the byssal organ / foot than the larger sand dwelling clams.

from my time spent here on the RC clam forum ( and personal experience ), i find the maxima and crocea clam are the most likely to be lost in the first few weeks ( looked good last night but today .. . ). though if you can make it through that period they both turn out to be pretty hardy.

i also feel that size at time of sale plays a big part in the survival rate. maximas being the most sought after are often sold quite small (including aquacultured ), which leaves them more susceptible to shipping stress and disease.

if i was to try and rate them from hardiest to least hardy.....

derasa
gigas
squamosa
crocea
maxima

 

[OrionN]

In one of the other thread I posted my view on clams that are well one day and dead the next. In almost all of these case the clam were not well and not growing. Maxiam and Crocea requires the most light, thus slowly starve to death when not getting light at the LFS and at the reefkeeper, looking well due to their over extended mantel. They then die when their reserve run out. In almost all of these case, looking at the shell, one can tell that they are not growing. I consider this the most important sign of health when I look into buying a clam

 

[a4twenty]

so would you say that there is higher likeliness that new reef keepers would fail with those two species??

 

[OrionN]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15559416#post15559416 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by a4twenty
so would you say that there is higher likeliness that new reef keepers would fail with those two species??

It depends on what king of set-up they have. Big? small? how much light? Small with high light is most difficult and almost always fail in new reefkeeper because of temp instability. Unless of course they have chiller, or other way to keep temp down.
My point is that you cannot advice which clam species or which corals to keep unless you know what kind of tank they have.

It is hardest to advice new reefkeeper on what to get. To an experience reefkeeper, what to setup is obviously depends on what (s)he want to keep. We cannot advice a new reefkepper to decide on what to keep then decide on what to buy. This I know from personal experiences on try to do just that many hundreds of time

 

[a4twenty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15559672#post15559672 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by OrionN
My point is that you cannot advice which clam species or which corals to keep unless you know what kind of tank they have.

i wish the OP would reply, he had his tank info and lighting in his signature but removed it shortly after the post ( maybe it was old / wrong, but no way to know...... )

 

[phil519]

I would recommend these clams.

Take a large batch, place in boiling water, add herbs, garlic, butter. Very easy to care for and delicious.

Up in the Northeast we call them "Steamers". They are delightful with Maine lobsters.