Where to get good 101 on Clams?

Scribe

Scribe

New member
So my tank has been established for years, and I'm thinking about trying a Maxima Clam. I would like to find out all I can about them first though, and was wondering if any of you clam people had any good info for me. I'm looking for Chem/Lighting requirements, and excepted co-habitants especially. Here is a rough tank overview, in case there is something glaring in it that shows I should stay away from clams.


My system specs

90 gallon with a 40 breeder Sump/Fuge
IT2080 LEDs
Lots of flow - WP25, Korallia, Mag12
GS1 - Protein Skimmer

Inhabitants
Yellow Tang
Red Headed Solon Wrasse
McCoskers Wrasse
Yellow Wrasse
5 Blue Chromis
1 Sailfin Algae Blennie

inverts
Emerald Crabs, Blue and Red Leg Hermits, Peppermint Shrimp, all kinds of snails.

Chem Levels
Ca - 390-450
Mg - currently 1600
Alk - 10.2
NO3 - 8
P04 - .04
Sal - 1.025
The crabs are one of my biggest concerns with the Maxima.

Thanks in advance.
 
there are a couple really informative books

Giant Clams in the Sea and the Aquarium by James W. Fatherree (Sep 21, 2006)
--One of the only extremely specific Clam books from the wild to the aquarium. TONS of information.

and here is a good thread here, but as always, information varies and so do the opinions, but it is full of clam keepers sharing success and failure.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1072234

if you find other good info, please share.
 
Thanks for the info. I think my biggest concern was my inverts. I thought I had read something about crabs or peppermints, going after clams.
 
Scribe said:
Thanks for the info. I think my biggest concern was my inverts. I thought I had read something about crabs or peppermints, going after clams.
Click to expand...

Peppermints should be OK. I keep them with my clams. What kind of crabs do you have?

I would also check the compatibility of the blenny and some of the wrasses you have in your tank with those who keep them with their clams. I am not familiar with common fish names. If they are part of the Halichoeres family, then you will be just fine.
 
I'll try to find a thread but clam need essentially three thing:
Good light and flow-MH or LED and in top 3rd of tank. Moderate to high flow, I have one one maxima in high flow, one in moderate flow and a derasa in low flow. All have been alive for 9 months or longer.
Water chemistry- Once they get accustomed to the water they start depleting Mg and Ca levels very quickly. Make sure these are 1300+,400+ and 7-11 depending on if your dousing carbon or not. Smaller clams usually require feeding./zooplankton
Predator-Be cautious of copperbands, predator snails, some triggers other predatory fish. Camel shrimp may attack clam but I'm not sure of that.
 
ahmed_iAM said:
I'll try to find a thread but clam need essentially three thing:
Good light and flow-MH or LED and in top 3rd of tank. Moderate to high flow, I have one one maxima in high flow, one in moderate flow and a derasa in low flow. All have been alive for 9 months or longer.
Water chemistry- Once they get accustomed to the water they start depleting Mg and Ca levels very quickly. Make sure these are 1300+,400+ and 7-11 depending on if your dousing carbon or not. Smaller clams usually require feeding./zooplankton
Predator-Be cautious of copperbands, predator snails, some triggers other predatory fish. Camel shrimp may attack clam but I'm not sure of that.
Click to expand...

In my experience, the amount of flow does not matter as long as it does not move the mantle tissue of a clam violently. I have found that a gentle movement of the mantle tissue is tolerated by clams. My display tank's water turnover can reach up to 120 times per hour and yet my clams' tissues move only gently. It all depends how you position your pumps.

I never had camel shrimps, but read that they attach pretty much everything that has a polyp on it. I would personally avoid them unless there is a good reason to have them in your tank. I read in a UK forum that some folks keep them because they supposedly eat AEFW.
 
DiscusHeckel said:
In my experience, the amount of flow does not matter as long as it does not move the mantle tissue of a clam violently. I have found that a gentle movement of the mantle tissue is tolerated by clams. My display tank's water turnover can reach up to 120 times per hour and yet my clams' tissues move only gently. It all depends how you position your pumps.
Click to expand...

True. I have the flow going with the body of the clam. If it was against the body of the clam, lower flow would definitely be the way to go. Large clams Dont seem to mind as much. When my Maxima's where smaller they use to move away from the rock I had them on because the flow was going against the length of the clam. They have stopped moving now that they are 3/4 in
 
Perhaps a bit more than a 101 on clams, but these do span the gamut if you are really interested.

Some useful Tridacnid research/articles:
As the title indicates, the distribution of giant clams (and a wealth of other information).
THE DISTRIBUTION AND STATUS OF GIANT CLAMS (FAMILY TRIDACNIDAE) – A SHORT REVIEW
Othman, Goh and Todd
from THE RAFFLES BULLETIN OF ZOOLOGY, 2010, 58(1): 103–111, Date of Publication: 28 Feb.2010
© National University of Singapore
http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/rbz/biblio/58/58rbz103-111.pdf
Analysis and classification of materials collected in 1895-98 and retained in the Mollusca collection of the Natural History Museum in Vienna as T. squamosina, and identical to T. costata.
Tridacna (Chametrachea) costata Roa-Quiaoit, Kochzius, Jantzen, Al-Zibdah & Richter from the Red Sea, a junior synonym of Tridacna squamosina Sturany, 1899 (Bivalvia, Tridacnidae)
from Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien, B, 112, 153-162, Wien, März 2011
Huber and Eschner
http://www.landesmuseum.at/pdf_frei_remote/ANNA_112B_0153-0162.pdf

Comparative analysis of T. squamosa spawning methods used in Makogai, Fiji.
Comparative Study of Available Spawning Methods of the Giant Clam Tridacna squamosa [Bivalvia: Tridacnidae] in Makogai, Fiji
Navneel and Azam
School of Marine Studies, The University of the South Pacific, Private Mail Bag, Laucala Campus, Suva, Fiji
from World Journal of Fish and Marine Sciences 5 (3): 353-357, 2013
ISSN 2078-4589
©IDOSI Publications, 2013
DOI: 10.5829/idosi.wjfms.2013.05.03.72164
http://www.idosi.org/wjfms/wjfms5(3)13/20.pdf

Status of Giant Clams in Singapore and relationship to conservation efforts. Interesting mention of use of substratum (…Tridacna maxima, as they partially burrow into coral heads for anchorage…). Some good color plates
CONSERVATION STATUS REASSESSMENT OF GIANT CLAMS (MOLLUSCA: BIVALVIA: TRIDACNINAE) IN SINGAPORE
Neo and Todd
Experimental Marine Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore
14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 11757, Republic of Singapore
From NATURE IN SINGAPORE 2013 6: 125–133, Date of Publication: 25 June 2013
National University of Singapore
http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/nis/bulletin2013/2013nis125-133.pdf

Spawning and Early Larval Rearing of Giant
Clams (Bivalvia: Tridacnidae)
Ellis, S.
Center for Tropical and Subtropical Aquaculture Publication Number No. 130
http://aqua.ucdavis.edu/DatabaseRoot/pdf/CTSA130.PDF

Evaluating The Spawning Techniques For Bivalves
UKEssays.com – A compilation of spawning techniques for bivalves used (I believe) as part of a business plan for aqua farming. This does contain research paper references which may be useful for more topical material. Downloaded 10May2014.
http://www.ukessays.com/essays/busi...-of-mintzbergs-description-business-essay.php

A rather large pdf collection of Giant Clam research, ranging from biology to rearing and nutrition). Leads with a Table of Contents.
Multiple researchers/ authors
The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) proceedings:
http://aciar.gov.au/files/node/2149/pr47_pdf_16740.pdf
 
Essay Pandas

Essay Pandas

Scribe said:
So my tank has been established for years, and I'm thinking about trying a Maxima Clam. I would like to find out all I can about them first though, and was wondering if any of you clam people had any good info for me. I'm looking for Chem/Lighting requirements, and excepted co-habitants especially. Here is a rough tank overview, in case there is something glaring in it that shows I should stay away from clams.


My system specs

90 gallon with a 40 breeder Sump/Fuge
IT2080 LEDs
Lots of flow - WP25, Korallia, Mag12
GS1 - Protein Skimmer

Inhabitants
Yellow Tang
Red Headed Solon Wrasse
McCoskers Wrasse
Yellow Wrasse
5 Blue Chromis
1 Sailfin Algae Blennie

inverts
Emerald Crabs, Blue and Red Leg Hermits, Peppermint Shrimp, all kinds of snails.

Chem Levels
Ca - 390-450
Mg - currently 1600
Alk - 10.2
NO3 - 8
P04 - .04
Sal - 1.025
The crabs are one of my biggest concerns with the Maxima.

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

These clams require the most light of the Tridacna family. They occur in the wild mostly in very clear waters less than 15 feet in depth. (6 meters according to J.F.) The minimum recommended lighting requirement for a healthy Crocea is under a 150 watt metal halide of a reliable 14k bulb at a maximum depth of 20 inches, preferably less. To be on the safer side, a 10k bulb is recommended, and is closer to the "true" color of natural sunlight. I have seen some Croceas under 70 watts of halide, but these are normally placed high up in the tank. 70 watt bulbs are also considered by some as the least developed bulb, therefore being more inefficient in terms of their output compared to their 150 watt counter parts. 150 watts of (14k) metal halides would be the minimum “safe” amount of lighting. They will do even better under a 250 watt or 400 watt metal halide. If you are using 250 watts and above, you can place the Crocea even deeper in your tank, or even use 20k bulbs. If using T-5s, make sure the bulbs have individual parabolic reflectors on them, and the clam is placed at the upper half of your tank to be “safe”. Power Compacts will in a lot of cases NOT be adequate for Croceas.

Source https://essaypandas.com/
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Silly clownfish
Giving up on wrasses
2
Replies
23
Views
3K
running scott
running scott
F
Which fish to get next?
Replies
3
Views
532
FishyKat
F
kmbyrnes
Want to keep a Maxima CLam
Replies
0
Views
747
kmbyrnes
kmbyrnes
jason2459
List Compatibility or any input on special requirements
Replies
2
Views
686
jason2459
jason2459
workreef
new to the forum, just showin of the goods
Replies
9
Views
778
workreef
workreef
Back
Top