Don’t be shellfish, what is your experience with clams?

[Gatorpa]

The fluted giant clam (Tridacna squamosa) increases nitrate absorption ... https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00338-020-01907-9

I believe that higher nitrates are a key in aquariums where par levels are lower. Just my somewhat informed opinion combined with personal experience.

What about tanks with high par? Where do you feel No3 should be if you wish to keep clams?

 

[Scorpius]

What about tanks with high par? Where do you feel No3 should be if you wish to keep clams?

Every tank is different and it depends on how big/little the clam is. I run around 20 ppm nitrates and .09-.20ppm phosphates. Zero on either is bad and so is too high. Had an issue earlier this year with phosphates .30-.50ppm and my clams were not happy.

People hate algae, but it's a good indicator of a healthy tank, because if your system won't grow some algae you seriously think clams or corals will grow?

 

[maroun.c]

I love clams and for years got many, nine of which survived long term. In my forts tank I found out I had 2 eucinid worms which might have been the cause of the sporadic and sudden losses. In my second tank I struggled with a dwarf angle, argii which is supposed to be the safest from the dwarf angels on nipping... took an awful long time till I could trap and remove it and during that time it messed up a big collection of clams I had.
In my current tank any clam I put in the area where I feed my fish doesn't make it past few days. On the left side I have a red sea blue maxima that has made it over three years, it came form an established tank where it stayed for 2-3 years as well. In the previous tank it would roam back and forth in the tank in my tank it moved a bit at first then settled. Few months back I got a brownish large red sea maxima as well abd I put them next to each other. I'm happy that both are doing well and showing growth rims all the time yet not happy with the color of the brown one which I might end up removing.
Problem with clams is that by the time they show they're not happy it's already way too late.
Diseases/ pests we talk about are only PMD and pyramid snails and I feel there's more we're missing and possible better ways to tell ahead that a clam is not happy.
Another factor is when vlam.is t happy inverts and fish will attack and finish it, not sure if that's a sign clam is already dead or doing bad but might have been still salvageable.
It's good to see vendors are into clam farming now and that the always wanted gigas can ge gotten again.

 

[MrGisonni]

What about tanks with high par? Where do you feel No3 should be if you wish to keep clams?

It's hard to say.... I think 15 to 30ppm works for most reef aquarists. Many run their aquariums much lower.

Tank Parameters Of Some Masters

Tank Parameters Of Some Masters To this day one of the most frequently asked questions I get, and actually that many “old time hobbyists” get is “How do I get rid of the algae in my tank. My first question then is “what are the parameters of...

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[outerbank]

I love clams. I always quarantine clams for 6-8 weeks to kill all pyramid snails, treat PMD if needed, and acclimate lighting.

 

[gurthystag]

I have kept several, my first one I lost in a tank move across country. My current clam is a blue maxima. When you buy one make sure it is huge at least the size of a baseball. Small clams depend on plankton in thier early years to sustain themselves, at a larger size they can sustain themselves through thier own zooxanthellae but do benefit from occasional phyto feeding. I rarely feed mine and it still grows no problem. The little ones are difficult it's hard to keep up with thier needs and suddenly they will die for what may seem like no reason. They do consume a bunch of nitrate almost like a little living filter. Overall not difficult if you buy a nice sized specimen and have decent stable parameters and plenty of light. Blast em these are both the clams I've kept. Currently the blue maxima 2 yrs.

 

[Scorpius]

I love clams. I always quarantine clams for 6-8 weeks to kill all pyramid snails, treat PMD if needed, and acclimate lighting.
View attachment 2950211View attachment 2950212

Beautiful. Look at those mantles and their extension.

 

[MrGisonni]

What about tanks with high par? Where do you feel No3 should be if you wish to keep clams?

It's hard to say.... I think 15 to 30ppm works for most reef aquarists. Many run their aquariums much lower.

 

[Peter Houde]

I'm currently batting one for two. I started with a 2 inch ORA derasa since I wasn't confident my water quality was good enough for the more opulent maxima or squamosa I really wanted. It seemed to do well for a few months, no obvious growth but seemingly healthy, but then it suddenly died within a period of days. Not entirely discouraged, I tried again with a 3 inch Hippopus. Six months down the road, so far so good (I think). Like the derasa, I see no new shell growth, but it's alive and shows no overt signs of unhappiness. I'm keeping nitrates to 5 ppm or below. I change out phosphate media if they go above 0.05. dKH around 10.2+/-0.5, calcium >385 (supplemented daily so I don't quite understand why I can't get it higher), pH 8.0, temp 76 F, use Reef Crystals, and cast-feed OceanMagik (Algae Barn) daily. But my set up is pretty spartan - no automated dosing, just LED lights (my old metal halides were too hot for the house), and I have no tools to measure PAR or ORP. Still, my SPS, LPS, and gorgonians (also all probably new to my DT within the past year or so) all seem healthy if not growing explosively.

derasa probably within days of demise

Hippopus - Not a Tridacna by any stretch but one step at a time

Photobomb

 

[Mike1970]

I wish it was better

 

[ZoaAddiction81]

This is my golden maxima a little over 2 years old now doing great grew a lot. Wish I had room for more…

 

[dattack]

Where do you find MAxima clams that don't eventually died because of unknown bacterial diseases?

 

[CNDReef]

My experience is good and bad. I had a scwamy for 2 years and it grew like crazy so i got the itch to add another clam. I bought a blue maxima from a fellow reefer that had had it for over 2 years already , so I was confident it wasn’t going to have any pathogens. Month later both were dead
Next time I try clams I’ll just get 2 or 3 in one shot so not to introduce anything new to them.

 

[Sean Clark]

Where do you find MAxima clams that don't eventually died because of unknown bacterial diseases?

If a bacterial disease is unknown, then how do you know that a clam died from it?

 

[Bitcoin Reefer]

I had one for about 2 months and it died. I was feeding phytoplankton almost every day, and reef roids couple times, but didn't use reef roids much because some people said clams are sensitive to it?

I had low light for 3-4 weeks fighting dinos, so this could have been it, or toxicity from dinos? or because I was trying to maintain tank parameters with no water changes for like last 4 months. Overall good chemistry, but something I didn't know was affecting the tank. Had some corals almost die/bad health until I did 2 33% water changes over last 10 days, now things are overall improving for sure.

Anyways, conclusion for me is probably that they're maybe on the more sensitive side? I will definitely try again because they're ******* beautiful and cool as hell!

 

[Tonycass12]

I've got an 8" maxima that I've had for about a year now. Its been doing great in my tank. I would love to eventually get some more clams with some different colors.

 

[Brian Berry]

I'm currently batting one for two. I started with a 2 inch ORA derasa since I wasn't confident my water quality was good enough for the more opulent maxima or squamosa I really wanted. It seemed to do well for a few months, no obvious growth but seemingly healthy, but then it suddenly died within a period of days. Not entirely discouraged, I tried again with a 3 inch Hippopus. Six months down the road, so far so good (I think). Like the derasa, I see no new shell growth, but it's alive and shows no overt signs of unhappiness. I'm keeping nitrates to 5 ppm or below. I change out phosphate media if they go above 0.05. dKH around 10.2+/-0.5, calcium >385 (supplemented daily so I don't quite understand why I can't get it higher), pH 8.0, temp 76 F, use Reef Crystals, and cast-feed OceanMagik (Algae Barn) daily. But my set up is pretty spartan - no automated dosing, just LED lights (my old metal halides were too hot for the house), and I have no tools to measure PAR or ORP. Still, my SPS, LPS, and gorgonians (also all probably new to my DT within the past year or so) all seem healthy if not growing explosively.View attachment 3002099
derasa probably within days of demise


View attachment 3002121
Hippopus - Not a Tridacna by any stretch but one step at a time

Photobomb
View attachment 3002144

I hope you have continued success with the clam. The clam is the first thing I always check when I look at my tank.

 

[Biota_Marine]

Where do you find MAxima clams that don't eventually died because of unknown bacterial diseases?

Check on our website later this week