<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11720629#post11720629 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kalkbreath
I have conducted many tests over the past years in which the clams didnt fare too well
A few years back I could not understand why I could not keep clams alive.
Time and time again I would lose clams in spite of what I thought at the time was a text book water conditions.(light ,water chemistry.. etc)
It did make sense!
I could grow the heck out of Acros , SPS and such , but Tridacna seem to sooner or later slowly fad away in systems which supported corals just fine .
I began a quest to see if perhaps their was some unknown cause for why clams did so poorly in otherwise perfect reef systems.
I began spending countless of hours looking under the microscope, talking with the clam growers themselves and conducting experiments on hundreds of clams to explore each and every issue concerning tridacna husbandry.
What I have learned over the past two years is that clams have their own special chemical and biological needs apart from reef corals.
Once these elemental needs are met, issues like lighting and water volume really are not so critical.
The main thing I have come to find is that clams that are not growing (shell).... usually fade away and soon die.
But its not what you may think (dying clams dont grow) Its that calcifying clams live!
........ that clams must grow shell to thrive.
There seems to be a direct connection between calcification and clam health.
There is actually quite a bit of information concerning calcification / coral growth and coral health available on the web.
Its just that the studies being conducted are non hobby related mostly scientists seeking answers to global warming of the oceans past and future.
so in most cases the hobby is un aware of the connection betweeen calcification and animal helath .
I am now to the point in my research where I feel its a good time to approach the public with my findings .
I will be offering more information about this topic (then you thought possible ) in a few weeks.
Jeff
