Clams, Clams, Clams!!!

schooleyosis · Mar 1, 2013

To make Chris happy, and myself, I've started a thread about clams. I would like to purchase one in the near future, preferably at the frag swap in April and would like to gather as much info as possible. Who has experience with them, what can you recommend or not recommend, etc..

I personally would like to find a green, yellow coloring but I'm not 100% sold on this color form yet. I don't have much knowledge in the differences of species of clams as well. Please provide what you know or have read elsewhere.

I would like to know feeding requirements, water params, etc...

Bring it on!!!!

schooleyosis · Mar 1, 2013

The one on the right is cool!

iiluisii · Mar 1, 2013

I probably have the biggest clam around here and been having it for almost a year and I have never feed it anything. One thing I notice about mine is that it loves a lot of light. I have 400 watt metal halides and if I move it away from the center of the lights it some how moves back into the brightest section of the tank

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schooleyosis · Mar 1, 2013

Sweet! Good info iiluisii. How long have you had it? What kind is it; maxima, tridacna??? Has it grown much since you've owned it? Share some photos of that bad boy!!!

solar · Mar 1, 2013

I had 2 clams back in 2005, one was a deresa and the other was a maxima. They like alot of light, If my memory isn't to far wrong i think the deresa was 3" and the maxima was almost 2 1/2". Back then I dosed iodine, calcium, and the old version of coral vital. Had a 4 by 96watt power compact with 2 10k and 2 purple actinic 2 350 penguin biowheels filters they were in a 50 gallon. Ended up selling them with the tank and all the rest of the inhabbitants.

But back on topic, I bought both of them from a coral farm in michigan the deresa was about 2" and the maxima was really really small. At first they didn't look so well so i got a better light the one above was using vo before that. With the new light and started mixing up what i called the batch and turkey basiung them and my corals with it. Everything started doing 200% better. What i call the batch is mysis,brine,squid,coral vital,black powder all blended together and turkey basted at night 3 times a week. In a year they reached the size they were when I sold them.

schooleyosis · Mar 1, 2013

Thanks solar. Get them at Tropicorium did ya?

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shellynjason · Mar 1, 2013

Good thread Scooleyosis, I too am looking to get a clam in a few months. Are they tolerate of nutrients in the water column PO4/Nitrate or do they need ultra low nutrients like sps I wonder?

schooleyosis · Mar 1, 2013

I've read they need nitrate and phosphate at undetectable levels. Gmoney what are the params of your system?

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bct15 · Mar 1, 2013

schooleyosis said:
I've read they need nitrate and phosphate at undetectable levels. Gmoney what are the params of your system?

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They filter these out of the water, when people have really big clams they actually have to dose nitrates to keep the clam alive because it sucks them out of the water so fast.

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sandalscout · Mar 1, 2013

While I've not seen it myself, and I'm not even sure that they are still open, I have seen pictures of Aquatic Dreamworld's sump clam, in Evansville Indiana. This thing was MASSIVE, like 14-16", and it sat about 3 inches to the side of the drain from the DT, if I recall correctly. I don't know the story behind how it ended up in the sump, but the story is that the clam was such an incredible filter, that when it ended up nearly in the overflow path, everything in the tank responding amazingly (it was an SPS dominant tank).

I wish I'd had better luck with my clam. He lasted about 5 months, just not quite sure what was or wasn't missing in my tank.

schooleyosis · Mar 1, 2013

Natural filters by the sound of it. Thanks for sharing! I'll have to look into this clam in the sump topic.

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mc-cro · Mar 1, 2013

Here is my Derasa in my 72g bowfront a couple of years ago

scrubbing bubble algae,

I got it when it was about 3", and had him for about 8yrs. Unfortunately, I lost it when I was in the process of tearing down my old system and upgrading to a newer system.

schooleyosis · Mar 1, 2013

Sorry about the loss. That's a big clam, nice size reference! Lol

Any special feeding requirements? Did you ever spot feed it the many years you had it? How much flow did you have it in?

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solar · Mar 1, 2013

schooleyosis said:
Thanks solar. Get them at Tropicorium did ya?

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Yup I sure did!

I used to haunt that place alot.

schooleyosis · Mar 1, 2013

It's a really nice place. That and Preuss Pets in East Lansing

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solar · Mar 1, 2013

Never been to preuss.

I liked the shop in dearborne heights also.
Think its called the critter.

SloppyJ · Mar 1, 2013

Good info. I've had a tank for 3yrs now and never had a clam. I have a spot cleared out for one in my office tank that's cycling now. Any recommendation on which species to get? I really like the teal blue ones.

mc-cro · Mar 1, 2013

Derasa are the hardiest of them. but they are not usually as brightly colored as the squamy and the maxima.

The very large one I posted is a Derasa, and it survived several tank moves, some more than 4hrs away. It also survived long periods of neglect of my tank. ( I am not proud of that.

the clown fish hosted in the mantle for years. he would sleep in it every night and the mantle would cover him up. For a while, the clown even decided to move inside the clam.

No special feeding. other than it really did not like reef chili. It would constantly try to blow it out of its "gills" or whatever they are.

schooleyosis · Mar 1, 2013

Uh oh, we veered off topic already! LOL

I make sure to visit Preuss every time I go back to Michigan. Although West Michigan is starting to get some really good shops so I've been frequenting them when I go back.