Can't keep a clam alive! About to give up.

[DVeit]

Thanks for all the input on this thread! Very good info! I love clams and don't want to give up. I'll probably give it some time and try again. This time I'll go with a little larger clam and keep a very close eye on it and keep the tap water dip in mind.

 

[Reef head]

I believe it's all in the purchase. You should be looking for certain things. First is price range..... I always look at how they are open and look for new shell growth. I also flip the little devil over and examine the byssil foot and gap. I usually buy in groups, for me it seems if you put them closer together that they are more comfortable. What you do in your tank for them also helps. For 1 to 4 inch clams I take some pvc and shove it into the sand for maximas to grab on to. This offers a rim for pesty crabs (bulldozers) from pushing them over. My ph swing Imo is drastic, 8.06 in the morning to 8.36 at 5 pm, I believe it's all alk control. I've ran cal at 380 and 500 and havent noticed changes. Don't buy off line, they don't offer any quality pictures besides top down views. That doesn't offer what is happening below. Personal opinion here.... If the clam only lasts a week, it was dead to begin with.

 

[dub3]

.... If the clam only lasts a week, it was dead to begin with.

agreed. I have a Squasmosa that I have had for a year and a half who has been great and keeps a solid growth ring. I run t5's & lead's. I had a Derosa that looked happy as can be for 4 days, then the 5th morning my wife went out and checked the tank, boom, clam was empty. talked to a few clam keepers, they said it was most likely sick before I even got it.

 

[hart24601]

That's why I like live aquaria divers den. 14 day money back - figure with clams if they make it much over 2 weeks and die it's my fault (ok really a month for big ones) and if they die under 2 weeks they were unhealthy. The DD guarantee is nice for them and I have used it before. I have had terrible luck with ORA clams from DD, with money back, but their regular not ORA clams have done well for me.

 

[DVeit]

That's why I like live aquaria divers den. 14 day money back - figure with clams if they make it much over 2 weeks and die it's my fault (ok really a month for big ones) and if they die under 2 weeks they were unhealthy. The DD guarantee is nice for them and I have used it before. I have had terrible luck with ORA clams from DD, with money back, but their regular not ORA clams have done well for me.

The last one I had was an ORA clam from DD. It lasted 17 days..

 

[hart24601]

Oh suck... I had two ora from DD and at the 14 day mark they were not dead but looked really bad. I took pics and showed my other healthy clams to LA and they gave me a refund even though they were not dead and rotten yet.

 

[DVeit]

****, may have been worth a shot at 17 days to see if they could do anything for me.

 

[GHill762]

I have the same issue. People who know my tanks keep telling me that they will support clams. Yet I have not been able to keep one alive for more than a week. I know one of them died because I had two large hermits that kept knocking it over and they transversed the tank. All my parameters have been good. Right now my wife is trying one in her "new" biocube. I guess we will see what happens. We are on day 4.

If the clam(s) die that soon they were doomed to begin with and there was likely nothing you could have done to save them. many times they can be stressed from collection, shipping, or poor care in previous holding and they'll die even weeks after being introduced into the new tank regardless of the level of care given.. if you have sufficient light, a relatively mature/stable tank, and no clam predators then you shouldn't have any issues..

for the question about lighting type, clams don't care if it's led, mh, or t5, they just need a plenty of it (which may be difficult in some t5 setups)..

 

[Reef head]

This is exactly what I'm talking about. It's a crap 14 day guarantee. Typically if you pass a month, the clam is good to go. Kind of like fish in this hobby I guess! I'm surprised that they don't make you send in your parameters to them too, or a water sample. I like right by live aquaria and still rather purchase from the lfs. I can pick up a blue maxima for 45 bucks vs 200 bucks from live aquaria. But........ they have a 14 day guarantee!

 

[Bad Company]

I believe it's all in the purchase. You should be looking for certain things. First is price range..... I always look at how they are open and look for new shell growth. I also flip the little devil over and examine the byssil foot and gap. I usually buy in groups, for me it seems if you put them closer together that they are more comfortable. What you do in your tank for them also helps. For 1 to 4 inch clams I take some pvc and shove it into the sand for maximas to grab on to. This offers a rim for pesty crabs (bulldozers) from pushing them over. My ph swing Imo is drastic, 8.06 in the morning to 8.36 at 5 pm, I believe it's all alk control. I've ran cal at 380 and 500 and havent noticed changes. Don't buy off line, they don't offer any quality pictures besides top down views. That doesn't offer what is happening below. Personal opinion here.... If the clam only lasts a week, it was dead to begin with.

Reef head,
Do you cut the PVC lengthwise to make a "dish" or do you make a "ring" with it. Please elaborate, I want another clam to LIIIIIVE.

 

[Reef head]

 

[Usatennisfan]

I've had my little maxima 4 months to the day today and he looks happy as ever. Got it around an inch, probably close to two inches now. Everyone said it would die on me, not only due to size but it is my first clam. I guess I just got lucky, eh? Really good information here though. Following along.

 

[hart24601]

This is exactly what I'm talking about. It's a crap 14 day guarantee. Typically if you pass a month, the clam is good to go. Kind of like fish in this hobby I guess! I'm surprised that they don't make you send in your parameters to them too, or a water sample. I like right by live aquaria and still rather purchase from the lfs. I can pick up a blue maxima for 45 bucks vs 200 bucks from live aquaria. But........ they have a 14 day guarantee!

Wow. Wish I had your lfs here in Iowa. Our two lfs are drastically more expensive than LA...

 

[rayn]

That is brilliant!

 

[tampafishguy]

Does anyone keep clams under t5 and led's? Or is medal halide required for them to thrive?

I tried with CF but it died, T5s have been working great for my clam though.

 

[reggaedrummin]

I use LED and have 3. 1 squamosa, 2 maxima. They are quite happy under the lights. They may be, if anything, too bright.

 

[TankRazr]

Interesting topic, following along.

I Had a crocea clam I won at a raffle and put it under compact fluorecents, it was all I had at the time and it did very well. Noticable healthy growth of the shell. I had it for years and don't actually remember what did it in. Never had any luck with any other clams.

Then every once in a while you see or hear about these guys who can't get the clams out of their tank because they are so big!

 

[Throttle]

I have a 8'' Deresa and a 4'' maxima and was planning on adding some more. This thread was a great read, I didn't know about freshwater or tap water dipping them. Good luck OP I love my clams they are definitely worth the effort to keep!

 

[Dr. Reef]

i know this is an old thread but i have managed to kill every clam i ever had within 5-7 days. i have tried several different kinds and none made it past 7 days. ph is 7.9-8.0, alk 7.3-7.7 range cal 430-440 mag 1600 phos 0-0.02 nitrates 0-3 temp 78-80 salinity 1.026.
i have 8ft tank with 5 vegas and 4 x hydra 26 hd all running at about max. PAR at sandbed is about 200.
any thoughts?

 

[hart24601]

i know this is an old thread but i have managed to kill every clam i ever had within 5-7 days. i have tried several different kinds and none made it past 7 days. ph is 7.9-8.0, alk 7.3-7.7 range cal 430-440 mag 1600 phos 0-0.02 nitrates 0-3 temp 78-80 salinity 1.026.
i have 8ft tank with 5 vegas and 4 x hydra 26 hd all running at about max. PAR at sandbed is about 200.
any thoughts?

IME when a clam dies in a couple of days, unless it's a very small 1" clam, it's generally something in the tank has a taste for clam even if you don't notice it, or the clam just wasn't very healthy to start with which seems to be more often than not and shipping or new tank stress does it in. What size were they? How did they end up going? That is extended fully then dead or progression of slowly closed? Did they have white growth around the shell when you bought them (most important).