Grocery Clams

[MyLady]

I got 2 grocery store clams to put into the tank to help with nitrates. One might not be doing well as I looked at it this evening and saw a few bristle worms entering the clam and its foot was sticking way out. Is that clam bad? What else do I need to know about these clams? Did I just mess up hubby's tank?

 

[thewackyreefer]

Are you saying you bought clams at the grocery store and put them in the tank? Sorry, I've not heard of this before. Definitely following along.

I'm not sure what advice I can provide but keep an eye on em and if they die it's probably best to remove them.

 

[skinz78]

The clams don't do anything to help with nitrates, it is a common misconception with them.

If it has Bristle worms it is a gonner, pull it out.

 

[MyLady]

So the one with bristle worms in it is dead or will die soon? I did see it pull its foot back in. Let me check them now.

edit: oh yea, that one is sure dead. The other one looks fine to me. Responds to being touched. Lets see if the nitrates go down.

 

[nixer]

alot of those foodstuff items are actually cold water inverts and/or freshwater!
i would remove all of them asap!

 

[skinz78]

So the one with bristle worms in it is dead or will die soon? I did see it pull its foot back in. Let me check them now.

edit: oh yea, that one is sure dead. The other one looks fine to me. Responds to being touched. Lets see if the nitrates go down.

Yeah Bristle worms are our tanks dirty work workers. If they are on the job the critter is dead. They get blamed a lot for killing clams but honestly they are only there after the clam is dead.

alot of those foodstuff items are actually cold water inverts and/or freshwater!
i would remove all of them asap!

I agree with this but I wouldn't worry about removing it now. Just keep an eye on it.

 

[CTMarinelife]

Those are only good for feeding my filefish and triggers.

 

[MyLady]

I am sorry everyone. I said nitrates and I meant Phosphates. So after 28 hours or so, 1 clam has perrished and 1 clam is alive. Hubby is going to test the phos tomorrow. Last reading was barely noticeable with an API test. If these things are working, hopefully there wont be a reading. If they dont work, all we are out is a quarter.

 

[thewackyreefer]

How big is this tank that one clam is expected to make a difference?

 

[nixer]

if you have algae issues chances are you wont find phosphates anyhow

 

[MyLady]

its a 56 with a 16 sump/fuge. I dont have an algea problem persay. I would just like to have the phosphates be 0 is all. They have gone down since I have stopped feeding the flakes.

 

[JGoslee]

Those are only good for feeding my filefish and triggers.

Yeah my old pinktail trigger used to get these as a treat on the weekends.

 

[Oldreefer]

I added a couple of these to my fuge after a few adult beverages. Seemed like a good idea at the time. They lasted over a month so far. I checked the literature online. Those grocery-store clams have a very wide tolerance for temperature. I don't expect to see any change in nitrates, but it saves me from making a trip to the store every time I want to give my fish a treat.

 

[MyLady]

well, the other one perrished so now there are none in the tank. failed experiement that cost a quarter. no big deal.

 

[Gill Roy]

Try some GFO for the phosphates.

 

[skinz78]

I agree with that statement and you can also try the Poly Filter pads if you have a place in your sump to put them. They work great!

 

[RogerWilco357]

wow never heard of getting the clams from the grocery store and keeping them alive . how long did the last one last?

 

[DaveA]

I am sorry everyone. I said nitrates and I meant Phosphates. .

IMHO, one of the best ways for doing this is to have a deep sand bed (DSB) DeepSandBeds
I have had one for two years, and it does wonders

 

[nixer]

IMHO, one of the best ways for doing this is to have a deep sand bed (DSB) DeepSandBeds
I have had one for two years, and it does wonders

for phosphate? thats got to be the first i have ever heard of a dsb lowering phosphate!
nitrates perhaps, but phospates i have never heard. are you sure your not getting yourself mixed up?

 

[carlosR]

I thought they were cold water animals? I inadvertently tried keeping one, it didn't last too long but was kind of cool while it lasted. Poor thing, I should have known better but I thought it was frozen and dead.