Two crocea clams in a 37g?

[Subrafta]

I picked up a 3.5 inch gold / brown crocea this weekend and, if it does well over the next few months, I'd like to add a blue one. I was re-reading Knop last night and noticed his warning that too many clams can outstrip a system's ability to produce nitrate, leading to the slow starvation of the clam and its zooxanthellae.

How many is too many, other than strict physical size limitations? Is one my limit?

Thanks,

John

My tank has been up for about 2 years. It is an Oceanic 37g "semi-cube". Picture a 75g tank cut in half. Lighting is a 250W DE 10K HQI halide and 2x24w T5 atinics with SLS reflectors, about 8 inches above the water. Photo period is 6 hours halide (probably bump to 8) in the middle of 12 hours atinic.

Filtration is an AquaC Remora HOB. No sump / refugium. Lots of live rock (50-60 lbs.)

Flow: Moderate: 2xMaxiJet 900

Corals: GSP, anthelia, zoos, Glaxea, branching hammer, frogspawn. Nothing close to the clam that could sting or cause shadows.

Fish: (2) false perc clowns, royal gramma, yellow watchman goby.

Inverts: Just snails and hitchiker bivalves.

Feeding: small amount of cyclopeeze 1-2 times per day.

Current crocea clam is on sandbed on top of flat shelf of live rock.

Water changes 10-15% / month. RO topoff -- no kalk yet.

 

[moga]

i used to have 5 clams in my tank....and they all did great~
now i have 2.....

 

[Subrafta]

Moga,

Thanks for the feedback. I take it from your "~" that the reduction from 5 to 2 wasn't intetional. How are the two doing, and how long have they been in your tank? What species are you keeping? Your system sounds similar to mine, other than the kelvin rating of your halides.

John

 

[moga]

RECENT PICTURE.. one died because it wasn't good condition when fellow reefer gave me..

this is my tank..

I miss my clams.. i sold 3...and gave 2 to my friends...

old pic..

 

[botp2k1]

I don't think you need to be too concerned about the lack of nitrates for your clams. I would not hesitate to add another if it were me.

 

[xdusty6920]

ive seen a few setups that were nothing but clam tanks. how is this possible if there could be a problem with anything being stripped from the water? with proper lighting and a decent amount of phyto in the water how could it starve?

 

[evinny101]

I agree I would not be woried about adding more clamS, If you are really concerned about them starving some say feed phyto plankton But I say dt's oyster eggs are better my clams go nuts over them!

 

[Subrafta]

xdusty, Knop was refering to the nitrate needed by the clam's zooxanthellae. If your tank produces 0.1 ppm of nitrate per month and your clams absorb 0.2 ppm per month eventually you'll run out. This is probably more of an issue for producition facilities than home aquariums.

Thanks for all the feedback everyone, now I just have to find the right clam to add next.

John

p.s. For anyone wondering who that Knop guy is:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...102-1570786-8866528?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

 

[grimmjohn]

Here's some free reading by Danny boy () : )

http://www.reefs.org/library/aquarium_frontiers/Shell.html
Some of them don't work though..

They used to be here too, but I guess this site recently lapsed
http://www.aquariumfrontiers.net/On_The_Half_Shell.html

Keep in mind this was written like 10 years ago

On topic:

"A T. crocea in an aquarium that is deficient in the nitrogen compounds it needs to thrive. It was one of almost 70 T. crocea in the aquarium, most of which exhibited signs of bleaching"

70!!!! That must be a huge, very efficent tank.


Cheers,

grimmjohn

 

[peecook]

saw this on melevsreef, looks like several in one tank, check out the last pick.

http://www.melevsreef.com/dfwmas/plin/peterlin.html