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

What is your experience with clams?

  • I am comfortable keeping clams in my aquarium

    Votes: 133 31.4%
  • I have kept clams, but am not particularly confident with it

    Votes: 96 22.7%
  • I would like to keep clams, but I haven’t tried it yet

    Votes: 160 37.8%
  • Not interested. No clams for me

    Votes: 34 8.0%

  • Total voters
    423

Peace River

Thrive Master
View Badges
Joined
Apr 29, 2014
Messages
21,465
Reaction score
164,292
Location
USA
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Don’t be shellfish, what is your experience with clams?

Please share your experiences with clams. Did it work out? Was it painful failure for both you and the clam? When most people are talking about corals and fish, clams often don’t get the spotlight. This is the thread to talk about clams so please don’t be shellfish, please tell us about your experiences. Do you have any tips or tricks to share about keeping clams? Maybe you have some thoughts about keeping them healthy and helping them if they are not healthy. For many, keeping clams is somewhat foreign and an area that is unfamiliar so please consider coming out of your shell and helping us understand the world of clams! If you do feel like a foreigner to clams, what are your questions?

PacificEastMaxima.jpeg

Photo by @PacificEastAquaculture; https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/clams.311659/
 

revhtree

Owner Administrator
View Badges
Joined
May 8, 2006
Messages
47,602
Reaction score
85,989
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
I've never been able to keep a clam long term. But honestly I would love one day to be able to keep a massive Giga clam! They suck up the trace elements but they are beautiful and amazing!

This was from a FB group where a member, Josh Hill, donated this beast to the Denver Aquarium.
FB_IMG_1557091223578.jpg


FB_IMG_1557091215596.jpg
 

Kathy Floyd

ktfloyd01
View Badges
Joined
May 11, 2022
Messages
2,846
Reaction score
5,847
Location
Nashville, TN
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Years ago, before I knew any better, I had a clam that did amazing in my tank and with me. It would spit at me every time I put my hand in the tank. Had it for about three years before I had to sell the whole system due to a divorce and move. I still miss that clam. Anyway, got a very small maxima a couple of months back and thought it was doing good. Fed roids one day and maybe just a coincidence, but the thing declined, and I just couldn't save it. I thought even bringing it up closer to the light would help. It was too far gone :(

I am going to wait before trying again. I'm just not there yet.
 

Zero_Cool

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 18, 2022
Messages
2,211
Reaction score
2,946
Location
Memphis
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Before my break from the hobby I kept several Maxima clams. Loved the colors - gold, blues and purples in varios shades and patterns. I will definitely add one or two once I get up and running.

I found them to be fairly tolerant of small tank parameter fluctuations and good filter feeders. Proper lighting was most critical for success.
 

flashsmith

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 27, 2021
Messages
1,468
Reaction score
2,278
Location
Dayton
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
In my experience the bigger the better when decide to try one. I never had much luck with tiny aquacultured ones. Get a bigger one to start they are much more hardy and forgiving and they don't need nearly the par to thrive. I've never had a small one last more than a few months. I think feeding live phyto also goes a long way to being successful keeping clams.
 

revhtree

Owner Administrator
View Badges
Joined
May 8, 2006
Messages
47,602
Reaction score
85,989
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Years ago, before I knew any better, I had a clam that did amazing in my tank and with me. It would spit at me every time I put my hand in the tank. Had it for about three years before I had to sell the whole system due to a divorce and move. I still miss that clam. Anyway, got a very small maxima a couple of months back and thought it was doing good. Fed roids one day and maybe just a coincidence, but the thing declined, and I just couldn't save it. I thought even bringing it up closer to the light would help. It was too far gone :(

I am going to wait before trying again. I'm just not there yet.

Just seems like there are so many variables that can cause decline that it's hard to pinpoint.
 

HankstankXXL750

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
May 23, 2022
Messages
1,925
Reaction score
1,597
Location
Kearney
Rating - 100%
5   0   0
I love clams, but they never loved me lol. Tried two and lost each one. Looked great for a while then faded away and nothing I did changed that. Then I read about worms coming up out of the sand and causing them to die, so the next one I tried I put on a half of one that I lost. Have had it going strong for about a year now. So if someone is going to try one, maybe place it on something other than the sand. I’ve seen that people use the putty for gluing rock work and make an impression with their clam and use the impression as a base.
 

Kathy Floyd

ktfloyd01
View Badges
Joined
May 11, 2022
Messages
2,846
Reaction score
5,847
Location
Nashville, TN
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
In my experience the bigger the better when decide to try one. I never had much luck with tiny aquacultured ones. Get a bigger one to start they are much more hardy and forgiving and they don't need nearly the par to thrive. I've never had a small one last more than a few months. I think feeding live phyto also goes a long way to being successful keeping clams.
I have heard that now from several people. That is the (next) route I am going to take. Thank you for this.
 

ReeferHD

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 9, 2022
Messages
744
Reaction score
1,407
Location
New Jersey
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
i'd say ive had a good experience with clams, it's in my name after all, but recently i lost a few due to vermetid snails and filefish pecking at their mantle. Now that those are gone i picked up a 7" gigas from my lfs, its doing quite well now that there are no predators. Its already opened more than it was at the lfs.
 

Dburr1014

7500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 8, 2016
Messages
8,180
Reaction score
8,127
Location
CT
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have a clam in my tank. It is my second clam.
1st one sold due to a tank break down and break from the hobby.
Currently, my clam is almost 4 years old.
Current pic which is actually February 2022 and one from when I bought it at a show in March of 2019.

20220218_154815.jpg 20190316_135200.jpg
 

LPS Bum

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 22, 2021
Messages
570
Reaction score
828
Location
Colorado
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Many years ago I kept a Crocea. I had it for years under metal halide lighting, and it did great. Wound up trading it to my LFS when I moved. I've tried a couple of clams since then, under LEDs, and have never been able to keep them long term.

Coincidence? Maybe. Maybe not...
 

CdubsMixReef

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 2, 2019
Messages
42
Reaction score
20
Location
Pleasanton
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I learned the hard way that keeping clams Isn’t the issue it’s the inhabitants you have in your tank, I brought some live rock from a a website (not this one) and there ended being a crab that I don’t know the name but his house is s turbo snail shell. Long story short got a gold maxima and in the morning the crab was picking at the mantle, next time even though crab is gone I’ll be putting clan on a 3inch piece of pvc and a clam hammock on top. Live and learn.
Many years ago I kept a Crocea. I had it for years under metal halide lighting, and it did great. Wound up trading it to my LFS when I moved. I've tried a couple of clams since then, under LEDs, and have never been able to keep them long term.

Coincidence? Maybe. Maybe not...
 

CdubsMixReef

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 2, 2019
Messages
42
Reaction score
20
Location
Pleasanton
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I learned the hard way that keeping a clam Isn’t the issue it’s the inhabitants you have in your tank, I brought some live rock from a a website (not this one) and there ended being a crab that I don’t know the name but his house is s turbo snail shell. Long story short got a gold maxima and in the morning the crab was picking at the mantle, next time even though crab is gone I’ll be putting clan on a 3inch piece of pvc and a clam hammock on top. Live and learn.
 

Waters

"...in perfect isolation, here behind my wall."
View Badges
Joined
Nov 5, 2013
Messages
7,967
Reaction score
17,176
Location
Mentor, OH
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I struggled with placement every time I tried any clams. Either couldn't find a suitable place on rockwork or they would just blow (or get knocked over) on the sand. Tried multiple clam cradles....they were all ugly.....so I gave up :-(
 

rc4kinu

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 20, 2014
Messages
19
Reaction score
69
Location
Orlando
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I’m would say I’m pretty good in keeping clams. They are (five) doing well and survived multiple disasters over the that killed all corals. Somehow they and my fish all did ok. I bombard my tank with Radions AB template at peak midday at 100%. I check for parasitic snails nightly. When I get a new one I brush their shells with a waterproof electric toothbrush and use Reef Delete UV on shells daily to kill anything else.
 

Attachments

  • A51D00EC-2151-4A9D-946A-DF50F517204F.jpeg
    A51D00EC-2151-4A9D-946A-DF50F517204F.jpeg
    326.8 KB · Views: 76
  • CB4C5893-5543-46FA-BA68-246C08FE4EFC.jpeg
    CB4C5893-5543-46FA-BA68-246C08FE4EFC.jpeg
    187.4 KB · Views: 76
  • 9F7925EC-F75B-40CA-BDC3-782C3557472B.jpeg
    9F7925EC-F75B-40CA-BDC3-782C3557472B.jpeg
    199.2 KB · Views: 76
  • 72BA6ECF-808C-4E3E-9233-B1371E0D8FD6.jpeg
    72BA6ECF-808C-4E3E-9233-B1371E0D8FD6.jpeg
    180.9 KB · Views: 78

HudsonReefer2.0

Algae Happens
View Badges
Joined
Dec 18, 2021
Messages
5,232
Reaction score
9,502
Location
Mile Square City
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
I’m would say I’m pretty good in keeping clams. They are (five) doing well and survived multiple disasters over the that killed all corals. Somehow they and my fish all did ok. I bombard my tank with Radions AB template at peak midday at 100%. I check for parasitic snails nightly. When I get a new one I brush their shells with a waterproof electric toothbrush and use Reef Delete UV on shells daily to kill anything else.
That Noae is cherry.
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 68 37.2%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 62 33.9%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 13.7%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 28 15.3%
  • Other.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
Back
Top