Quarantine setup?

[davidcalgary29]

I plan to get a hippopus clam next month. Question: how does one quarantine clam, since (I assume) they prefer to be situated in substrate? I have a 15g tank that I plan to fit with a screen top and an AI prime HD 16 light - I plan to let it sit there for 76 days to ensure it won't bring anything into the DT. Am I overlooking anything specifically for a hippopus (aside from food)? Does it have specific flow requirements?

 

[BlennyTime]

Clams are usually very difficult to keep alive in a typical quarantine tank. If you want to quarantine it, I’d do it for a brief period of time. 10 days at max, if you have the setup to support that.

 

[davidcalgary29]

Then how do people add clams to their tanks without risking the other inhabitants?

 

[DenverSaltyFarm]

Then how do people add clams to their tanks without risking the other inhabitants?

I think clams can carry diseases that really hurt other clams. Their shell is easy to keep an eye on if any hitch hikers are on the shell. I personally feel that it’s better to get the clam use a toothbrush on the shell to get most unwanted things off then put in display and monitor

 

[davidcalgary29]

I think clams can carry diseases that really hurt other clams. Their shell is easy to keep an eye on if any hitch hikers are on the shell. I personally feel that it’s better to get the clam use a toothbrush on the shell to get most unwanted things off then put in display and monitor

It's ich and velvet that I'm worried about, as I don't have any other clams.

 

[DenverSaltyFarm]

It's ich and velvet that I'm worried about, as I don't have any other clams.

I wouldn’t worry about that. you can’t medicate the clam and keeping it in its own qt tank 40+ days with the high calcium demands is very hard. Most people don’t do it for that alone

 

[davidcalgary29]

I wouldn’t worry about that. you can’t medicate the clam and keeping it in its own qt tank 40+ days with the high calcium demands is very hard. Most people don’t do it for that alone

Jay Hemdal says anything wet is a risk, though, so I've got to think about it. It'll be a 15g tank with a sand substrate. It's a Hippopus clam. I would've added it first, before the fish, and then added the fish after 45 days, but you know hard things are to find during the pandemic, and these just showed up for sale.

 

[DenverSaltyFarm]

I guess totally up to you. Just curious did you qt your clean up crew as well?

 

[davidcalgary29]

Yup, they're all going in. I didn't QT the last bunch, which was my error, but I split all the inverts and fish up based on point of origin. I've got two tanks with captive-bred livestock; one pest jar, and one (the Evo) with non-quarantined corals, inverts, and a diamondback goby. I've put all of the corals I plan to move into the DT into the pest jar, but will now have to screen for majanos and blue clove polyps...ah, well.

 

[DenverSaltyFarm]

Yup, they're all going in. I didn't QT the last bunch, which was my error, but I split all the inverts and fish up based on point of origin. I've got two tanks with captive-bred livestock; one pest jar, and one (the Evo) with non-quarantined corals, inverts, and a diamondback goby. I've put all of the corals I plan to move into the DT into the pest jar, but will now have to screen for majanos and blue clove polyps...ah, well.

Wow nice! that’s dedication for sure hard to do. If you do get the clam make sure to post pics :)

 

[davidcalgary29]

Wow nice! that’s dedication for sure hard to do. If you do get the clam make sure to post pics :)

It also means four sets of tools, or lots of bleach and rinsing. :(

 

[hart24601]

I have lost two clam systems over the years (~100 clams) due to a sick individuals, so I would quarantine. Similar or the same disease both times but years apart, not pinched mantle, it seemed to be bacterial, but didn't respond to treatments I tried so who knows. Infected clams ejected mucus and mantles gradually got holes in them before they died.

The sick clams did not have white growth on them, I would QT until you see growth which should be pretty quick. Despite being 5 years apart the sick clams were both blue squammy from Divers Den. I had hoped during that time the issue was resolved, but I learned a several thousand dollar lesson..... just took me twice, ha.

Other issues like prymid snails are much easier to deal with IME.

 

[hds4216]

You can get a clam from a dedicated invert system. It would be free of ich/velvet.

 

[davidcalgary29]

You can get a clam from a dedicated invert system. It would be free of ich/velvet.

Oh, I'm pretty sure it is, as the vendor is pretty reliable, but I've got to test out an invert QT system for the rest of the items that I'm ordering. I just received the AI HD Prime lights today, and the tank is already cycling, so I should be ready to do in two weeks. I'll move the clam to the display if it runs into trouble in quarantine.

 

[DeniseAndy]

I QT my clams, sort of. They are placed into my frag (20g) or 40g system for 76 days. This system does have fish. It also have inverts that I am qting. For corals, inverts and clams, this is how I qt to keep out of my main system. However, qting fish are in a totally separate room and system than this.
I feel it is necessary for most inverts and especially clams to have a fully functioning system for them to grow and be happy. I kept my clams in this system for over 6 months dealing with pyramid snails.
Having fish in there is risky, but they are there for the benefits they give the biological system. I have not had any issues doing this for over 3 years.
Rock is qt'ed in its own system also.