Mind blown

[Shawn_epicurious]

....yes! I definitively hand a mind blowing experience today, so of course... I came here for verification. : )

the normal stuff... 200 gallon tank, 3 months in, yes it’s very new. Feels to me like it needs to mature... And my goal is SPS dominant... there... that parts done lol..

I was told today that I could actually do clams, before SPS!! I was told, they are easier than most SPS. I’ve always thought being able to keep clams healthy and happy was like... the pinnacle of difficulty In this hobby.

I know this might be an odd debate, but... is that true?

 

[Lasse]

In general I do not know but for my particular aquarium its true. When i had some trouble with SPS - my deresa clams just grow and grow and grow. The largest - from 4 cm to around 20 cm in 3 years.

The large one is 3 years old in my aquarium, the one to left 2 years old. The small blue one (slower growth in that species) 1 year old. They all was around 4 cm when placed in my aquarium. So in my case - and with T.deresa - its true

​

However - my tank was 1 year old before I started with clams, mostly because of thoughts similar with yours. At that moment - my SPS works well.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[homer1475]

I had clams long before I delved into SPS.

IMO clams are much easier to keep healthy then some SPS.

 

[Waters]

I was always told the opposite....SPS long before clams but I have no experience to back that info.

 

[homer1475]

In my experience, clams require pretty pristine water conditions(same as SPS), but are much heartier when comparing things like ALK swings.

You see clams in many LPS tanks(similar flows requirements), where as a typical SPS dominant tank has way to much flow.

 

[C. Eymann]

Depends on species of tridacnid clam and sps you are comparing, , deresa, squamosa and gigas can be easier than some types of sps.

Where as Id say crocea and maxima long term difficulty can be on par with some of the more finnicky species of acropora.

 

[Softhammer]

Totally agree. Do not even try maxima or crocea. I’m far from new and I don’t even mess with them anymore. However a healthy ORA derasa or even gigas since you have a sizable tank would be a good place to start. think brown clams, the colorful ones, and I’ve had enough to make you sick, all look great for months or years and poof, they’re toast. Now I know many will disagree or even call me an idiot like some nano cuber did, but I wouldn’t risk it. My current derasa has been in my possession for almost 9 years now, came in as a ORA derasa at 2“ and now is probably 14-16” and at least 10+ lbs. ( I don’t mess with it).