cleaner clams
- Thread starter bpro32
- Start date
mwatson
New Member
I have about a 1/2 a dozen in one of my tanks, I have found a few helpful hints as I volunteer at the Virginia aquarium and I get to pick the minds of the experts. I had a ton of Questions on the clams and its hard to get good info heres a little to help.
1) dont use clams you pull out of the ocean..they are full of nasty stuff, the ones you buy to eat have been treated with chemicals to prolong thier life but its temporary and they will not live, the chemicals will kill them in the long run.
2) oysters and clams eat nasty stuff, if they are to survive your tank needs to be nasty...nasty tank= dead fish...
but before you write them off, because they can help alot in your tank, you can do what I do in my tank and we do at some of the displays.
I pull my clams out once a week and place them in a smaller tank that I keep, its about 1/2 a gallon. I fill it with saltwater and place a small little battery operated pump, and completely foul the water till you cannot see the clams with live phytoplankton, you can buy it at almost any pet store. in a few hours the clams are stuffed, and the water is almost clear. I take them out and scrub them off ( cause they are covered with their own poo!) and place them back in the tank.
good luck they are not pretty, but they keep the NO3 down a little.
1) dont use clams you pull out of the ocean..they are full of nasty stuff, the ones you buy to eat have been treated with chemicals to prolong thier life but its temporary and they will not live, the chemicals will kill them in the long run.
2) oysters and clams eat nasty stuff, if they are to survive your tank needs to be nasty...nasty tank= dead fish...
but before you write them off, because they can help alot in your tank, you can do what I do in my tank and we do at some of the displays.
I pull my clams out once a week and place them in a smaller tank that I keep, its about 1/2 a gallon. I fill it with saltwater and place a small little battery operated pump, and completely foul the water till you cannot see the clams with live phytoplankton, you can buy it at almost any pet store. in a few hours the clams are stuffed, and the water is almost clear. I take them out and scrub them off ( cause they are covered with their own poo!) and place them back in the tank.
good luck they are not pretty, but they keep the NO3 down a little.
bpro32
Member
Originally Posted by mwatson
http:///forum/post/2612954
I have about a 1/2 a dozen in one of my tanks, I have found a few helpful hints as I volunteer at the Virginia aquarium and I get to pick the minds of the experts. I had a ton of Questions on the clams and its hard to get good info heres a little to help.
1) dont use clams you pull out of the ocean..they are full of nasty stuff, the ones you buy to eat have been treated with chemicals to prolong thier life but its temporary and they will not live, the chemicals will kill them in the long run.
2) oysters and clams eat nasty stuff, if they are to survive your tank needs to be nasty...nasty tank= dead fish...
but before you write them off, because they can help alot in your tank, you can do what I do in my tank and we do at some of the displays.
I pull my clams out once a week and place them in a smaller tank that I keep, its about 1/2 a gallon. I fill it with saltwater and place a small little battery operated pump, and completely foul the water till you cannot see the clams with live phytoplankton, you can buy it at almost any pet store. in a few hours the clams are stuffed, and the water is almost clear. I take them out and scrub them off ( cause they are covered with their own poo!) and place them back in the tank.
good luck they are not pretty, but they keep the NO3 down a little.
Keeping the nitrates down even a little bit is a good thing. The ugliness wouldn't be much of a problem because I would keep them in the fuge.
So the phytoplankton come in a tube or in a bag like you are buying fish?
http:///forum/post/2612954
I have about a 1/2 a dozen in one of my tanks, I have found a few helpful hints as I volunteer at the Virginia aquarium and I get to pick the minds of the experts. I had a ton of Questions on the clams and its hard to get good info heres a little to help.
1) dont use clams you pull out of the ocean..they are full of nasty stuff, the ones you buy to eat have been treated with chemicals to prolong thier life but its temporary and they will not live, the chemicals will kill them in the long run.
2) oysters and clams eat nasty stuff, if they are to survive your tank needs to be nasty...nasty tank= dead fish...
but before you write them off, because they can help alot in your tank, you can do what I do in my tank and we do at some of the displays.
I pull my clams out once a week and place them in a smaller tank that I keep, its about 1/2 a gallon. I fill it with saltwater and place a small little battery operated pump, and completely foul the water till you cannot see the clams with live phytoplankton, you can buy it at almost any pet store. in a few hours the clams are stuffed, and the water is almost clear. I take them out and scrub them off ( cause they are covered with their own poo!) and place them back in the tank.
good luck they are not pretty, but they keep the NO3 down a little.
Keeping the nitrates down even a little bit is a good thing. The ugliness wouldn't be much of a problem because I would keep them in the fuge.
So the phytoplankton come in a tube or in a bag like you are buying fish?