Clam advice
- Thread starter sundance
- Start date
attml
Active Member
I agree with Kip, lighting is extremely important! Some clams like Deresa's will tolerate less light but I am a firm believer in Halide lighting for all clams (& SPS corals). That being said, I add 2 capfuls of DT's Marine Phytoplankton once a week indirectly to my (55 gal) tank and I usually try to overfeed just enough when I feed my fish Brine & Mysis shrimp so that my clam sucks a little in and my SPS corals latch onto some (I feed every other day). So far my clam seems to be liking the feeding schedule. It has grown about an inch in 3 months. Here it is when I first got it.
rook
Member
Originally posted by sundance
I just got a clam for my 80 gal. What is best to feed it or are they filter feeders?
The clams feed both from the host zooxanthellae and high lighting, as well as filter feeding. Good light is required. Depending on the type of clam, i.e. maxima or crocea, metal halide is required. Derasa and squamosa can be kept under high amounts of vho/pc/t5, although metal halide would still be preferred.
If the clam is under 3", then phytoplankton is needed. Even if they are 3" or over, they will likely do best to receive some phytoplankton. DT's is good, but I prefer a product call Knop's KoralVitF. It is endorsed by Daniel Knop, the guru of clams. It is a isochrysis phytoplankton, which is preferred by clams. Although I believe the new DT's contains this phyto, it also contains two other forms of phyto.
Clams will not eat brine shrimp or other items as they are too large. Clams also do best with a little nitrate in the water and actually filter nitrate out of your tank.
[/QUOTE] Also how should it be placed, flat on it’s side, sitting up with the colored part facing up or any way and let it do it’s own thing. What surface is best the sandy bottom or a rock?
Must be faceing up with nothing shadowing or block the light. Maxima and crocea are normally rock dwelling, derasa and squamosa are normally sand dwelling. But, any of them will be fine either way, so long as they like the spot. It is reccomended to place them on a flat rock or the inside of an old clam shell to protect the bysal gland from pyramid snails.
Look into getting Knop's book "Giant clams". It will answer 90% of your questions.
Also, clamsdirect has a forum dedicated to clams and can answer most questions you have, (hope this is okay mods as it is a specific topic)
What type do you have? Show us a picture.
spsfreak100
Active Member
I completely agree with the advice given above.
T. maxima and T. crocea are both rock boring clams and will need something to attach their byssal gland to, weither it be a rock, a shell, etc. They should not be placed in the sandbed without having their byssal gland being attached to some object.
T. squamosa, T. gigas, T. hippopis and T. derasa are all naturally found in the sandbed. These clams do not do well on the rockwork.
Also how should it be placed, flat on it’s side, sitting up with the colored part facing up or any way and let it do it’s own thing. What surface is best the sandy bottom or a rock?
The "colored part," which is reffered to as the mantel, should be facing upwards.
I'm a firm believer that all clams (with the exception of T. hippopus and T. gigas) should be kept under halides. They do best under halides, as it is similiar to what they would be receiving in the wild.
I also think you should have done the reaserch before hand, rather than right after you got one of these clams. You should also know the name of the clam before you buy it. If you do the proper reaserch, these can be the most rewarding invertibrates to keep (In my opinion, of course).
By the way, I have a T. squamosa, T. maxima and T. crocea in my 80 gallon.
Graham
T. maxima and T. crocea are both rock boring clams and will need something to attach their byssal gland to, weither it be a rock, a shell, etc. They should not be placed in the sandbed without having their byssal gland being attached to some object.
T. squamosa, T. gigas, T. hippopis and T. derasa are all naturally found in the sandbed. These clams do not do well on the rockwork.
Also how should it be placed, flat on it’s side, sitting up with the colored part facing up or any way and let it do it’s own thing. What surface is best the sandy bottom or a rock?
The "colored part," which is reffered to as the mantel, should be facing upwards.
I'm a firm believer that all clams (with the exception of T. hippopus and T. gigas) should be kept under halides. They do best under halides, as it is similiar to what they would be receiving in the wild.
I also think you should have done the reaserch before hand, rather than right after you got one of these clams. You should also know the name of the clam before you buy it. If you do the proper reaserch, these can be the most rewarding invertibrates to keep (In my opinion, of course).
By the way, I have a T. squamosa, T. maxima and T. crocea in my 80 gallon.
Graham