CLams?

[bknow]

whens the best time to put one in...can you put one in with your CUC? and would teh 24" Lunar Aqualight 2x65W / 2 Blue-Moon (Coralife) be a strong enough light for it

 

[renogaw]

i dont think that's enough lighting for a decorative clam. Now, if youre talking about cleaner clams then you're gtg

 

[bknow]

yeh cleaner clam...i wanna kill some nitrates...how many should i get for a 20 gallon tank

 

[michaeltx]

I think its one or two per gallon of water. Sense they dont need light and like "DIRTY" water you can add them after the tank is cycled through as part of the clean up crew.
Mike

 

[renogaw]

ok i have 4 cleaners in my 75 and am going to add a few more i think. start out with a couple i guess add some more if there seems to be enough sand for them.

 

[michaeltx]

if 4 is keeping it in check your good. but if there is still more that needs to gotten rid of then there is enough food for more then your good to add more each system is different. my tank runs about 5 on nitrates if I added more than about one it may not have enough to filter out. on my 100 aggressive I had about 75 small ones scattered through out the tank and they kept them down to about 20
Mike

 

[renogaw]

i actually have not tested trates in months. whether that's due to the sand, the refuge, not feeding enough, or the clams i couldn't tell you.

 

[michaeltx]

probably all of the above. all help in taking out nitrates in the tank.
mike

 

[renogaw]

heh, i put in four more last night, wasn't sure if 1 of em burped, but put in the tank anyway.
All i have to say is i have an awesome clean up crew. Almost immediately the nassarius snails swarmed on that clam that i couldnt tell burped. This morning, the clam is completely clean. It must not have been alive.
Two of the others are buried. one more is just sitting there, i'm wondering if it too will become tank food.

 

[smork81]

Do the clams NEED sand to burrow in? Or can you just put them in a bare bottom sump?

 

[renogaw]

gotta have sand afaik

 

[smork81]

whats AFAIK?

 

[renogaw]

As Far As I Know

 

[michaeltx]

yeah they have to have sand They bury themselves and stick a siphon tube up to filter the water.
Mike

 

[cosguy23]

Sorry if this is considered hijacking but where do you get cleaner clams....... never saw them at the lfs

 

[renogaw]

supermarket--grab some littlenecks.

 

[cosguy23]

Originally Posted by renogaw
supermarket--grab some littlenecks.
how do you know if they are alive....... the black ones........ SORRY this is so hijacking........ I truely apologize.......

 

[renogaw]

sorta cant tell until you get them home. littlenecks are the grey/white clams. drop them in water, let them burp out the water they have in them. drop em in the tank. I guess if they smell bad you can assume they arent good.

 

[dlee]

how long does it take to "burp"? How will you know when they burp? :notsure:

 

[smork81]

To bad all we have are oysters here...No clams!!