Tips for first clam? Easiest species?

[N.Sreefer]

What tips would yall have for someone whos never kept clams before? I heard gigas are easier than maxima and I have a 6foot tank so I was considering them, is it true they're easier than dersa and maxima? Most specimens I see online are 2 inches or under I heard they don't ship well under 3 inches is this true? Ive kept coral for years but never tried a clam had a flame scallop 6 years ago that scared me away from anything other than coral.

 

[Arcflash_207]

Interested as well, have my first good tank for one.

 

[hart24601]

IMO the most important issue is getting healthy stock. A sick clam never seems to recover, but can look good for a long time. If you can get locally look for white growth on the shell, it's a good sign. 2nd is enough light, with the strength of LEDs now this has become less of an issues, decades ago it was issue number 1 as really only MH provided that much light for maxima or crocea, but it's pretty easy with LEDs now - I shoot for 300 PAR for those two species. Derasa and other require less, so many older references say they are easier, but IME that is more for the light issue if you don't have enough, they are all pretty tough if you get a healthy one with no pyramid snails and don't have a fish that nips at them.

So pick mostly based off light level and the eventual clam size - gigas and derasa get big, really big, but it takes a long time. Also be wary of maxima over 3", they are mostly wild caught not cultured, in fact any clam much over 3" is wild and it quite a bit harder, although not impossible.

They ship find if under 3" if healthy, in fact I would say they ship better simply due to not having all that extra weight banging them around. The whole under 3" thing needing to be fed is also a myth, I have grown out several clams that were under 1" with no phyto or anything like that, the only issue is they can be picked on or knocked around easier.

Overall I think maxima are the easiest, provided you give them enough light.

FWIW right now I have a bioata crocea, 2 PEA maxima, 1 PEA cultured snakeskin teardrop in the display. IN my sump a 150g rubbermaid I have 2 tiger derasa, 2 hippo, 2 squammy and 1 purple spot derasa.

 

[Arcflash_207]

Edit: double post

 

[N.Sreefer]

IMO the most important issue is getting healthy stock. A sick clam never seems to recover, but can look good for a long time. If you can get locally look for white growth on the shell, it's a good sign. 2nd is enough light, with the strength of LEDs now this has become less of an issues, decades ago it was issue number 1 as really only MH provided that much light for maxima or crocea, but it's pretty easy with LEDs now - I shoot for 300 PAR for those two species. Derasa and other require less, so many older references say they are easier, but IME that is more for the light issue if you don't have enough, they are all pretty tough if you get a healthy one with no pyramid snails and don't have a fish that nips at them.

So pick mostly based off light level and the eventual clam size - gigas and derasa get big, really big, but it takes a long time. Also be wary of maxima over 3", they are mostly wild caught not cultured, in fact any clam much over 3" is wild and it quite a bit harder, although not impossible.

They ship find if under 3" if healthy, in fact I would say they ship better simply due to not having all that extra weight banging them around. The whole under 3" thing needing to be fed is also a myth, I have grown out several clams that were under 1" with no phyto or anything like that, the only issue is they can be picked on or knocked around easier.

Overall I think maxima are the easiest, provided you give them enough light.

Thank you! I cant get them locally but finding out they ship better not worse at a small size is really useful information! And maxima look really nice so Im happy to hear they aren't harder to keep

 

[fishlover1478]

sorry to hijack but is a 25 lagoon big enough?
please answer the op's questions first

 

[hart24601]

Thank you! I cant get them locally but finding out they ship better not worse at a small size is really useful information! And maxima look really nice so Im happy to hear they aren't harder to keep

I recommend pacific east aquaculture, but be sure to watch for pyramid snails, I give the clams a good scrubbing with a toothbrush. I know PEA is very vigilant, but both me and my friend got snails from there but scrub and it's ok.

Direct from ORA and direct from bioita have also been my best clams. Shipped directly from there, not 2nd hand vendors.

 

[ca1ore]

Personally, I think maxima is the least hardy of the three listed. Very high light requirement. Gigas was unavailable for years, though some aqua cultured specimens have been available in the last few years. Gets VERY large though. Deresa is probably the best choice of the three, though squamosa is a good choice also.

Keep in mind your choice of fish. Those that pick at the mantle can easily kill it.

 

[hart24601]

sorry to hijack but is a 25 lagoon big enough?
please answer the op's questions first

I personally would not have a problem putting a small maxima in there, again if you have 300 par for it and no other animals that nip at them. It takes many years for most maxima to grow large. I have seen very few if any raised in tanks that grow to 6", I think would take about a decade although always exceptions.

 

[hart24601]

As a side note, far as I know the only person (not larger aquaculture facility) in the world breeding clams is acro al from Australia - the only species he has had regular success with are primarily maxima and crocea, in fact he has now been successful in getting f2 babies! That is babies from captive clams and closing the lifecyle of them in captivity! Far as I know not only is he the only individual to do so, but not even the big farms do that. Exciting stuff for us clam nerds. He has historically not had luck with other species, he just started to have some luck with squammys - but his success with maxima are one reason I vote them as being easy - again the big caveat you can't ignore is have enough light. 200 PAR borderline, 300 better although there are always exceptions.

 

[hart24601]

Personally, I think maxima is the least hardy of the three listed. Very high light requirement. Gigas was unavailable for years, though some aqua cultured specimens have been available in the last few years. Gets VERY large though. Deresa is probably the best choice of the three, though squamosa is a good choice also.

Keep in mind your choice of fish. Those that pick at the mantle can easily kill it.

This is so important. I think most clams are killed by fish even if we don't notice it. The occasional nip maybe once per hour can be enough and we never see it. I have had purple and bristletooth tangs develop a taste for the mucus on a clam mantle despite many keeping clams with them just fine. Fish can are individuals and some act differently. Keep an eye on any grazer type of fish, I keep only water column feeding fish with my clams.

 

[N.Sreefer]

This is so important. I think most clams are killed by fish even if we don't notice it. The occasional nip maybe once per hour can be enough and we never see it. I have had purple and bristletooth tangs develop a taste for the mucus on a clam mantle despite many keeping clams with them just fine. Fish can are individuals and some act differently. Keep an eye on any grazer type of fish, I keep only water column feeding fish with my clams.

Do you think mollies would nip at a clams mantle?

 

[DeniseAndy]

Yes, if there is algae on them. If they go after the shell, no big deal. However, smaller clams are much more touchy than larger clams.
I got two babies from a live sale and I am pretty sure my shrimp irritated them. They were big and out and looked great with no parasites, no pinchiness, nothing. Then, two days later, gone. Clams are weird that way too.
I have had best luck with little guys be giving them a home that they cannot get picked on or moved. Just a little area that fish and inverts cannot get to with lots of light. At least until they are a bit bigger than 2 inches or less.

 

[dank reefer]

Glad to see this topic come up as we just got a Maxima Clam for the wife's tank. Its currently sitting in the sand bed just to make sure it would be ok, and for the last 2 days its been open and fluffy. I will be moving it up today and let it sit mid shelf for a couple of days to see how it does.

 

[ATAquariums]

Derasa and hippopus are more forgiving.

 

[hart24601]

Derasa and hippopus are more forgiving.

I am curious about your experience with hippos. In my setup the hippos have responded best to very high light, 600 PAR or more with great growth, while derasa move away from light that intense. While information out there on hippos varies from extremes light to low light guides, my personal experience is that they respond to very strong light and when I moved one away the shell growth stopped to what I could detect visually.


Edit: to the OP derasa are easy going, just make sure you want a clam that big, they grow fast, in my system the latest derasa went from 4" to nearly 10" in around 1.5 years.

 

[ATAquariums]

I am curious about your experience with hippos. In my setup the hippos have responded best to very high light, 600 PAR or more with great growth, while derasa move away from light that intense. While information out there on hippos varies from extremes light to low light guides, my personal experience is that they respond to very strong light and when I moved one away the shell growth stopped to what I could detect visually.


Edit: to the OP derasa are easy going, just make sure you want a clam that big, they grow fast, in my system the latest derasa went from 4" to nearly 10" in around 1.5 years.

They have done well in light ranging from 200-600 par. Flow doesn’t really matter, parameters have to obviously be appropriate and stable.

 

[hart24601]

They have done well in light ranging from 200-600 par. Flow doesn’t really matter, parameters have to obviously be appropriate and stable.

Nice to know you have had them be ok on 200 PAR, that would make me pretty nervous

 

[MTsquared]

@hart24601 Where in IA? I'm in KC and travel to IA for work.

 

[Bryan68]

Not trying to highjack the thread, but what are the ideal no3/po4 values for keeping a clam?