Noob clam question

pulse

Member
I just put in a refugium and one of my buddies told me to get some clams for it. He said they are very good at taking nitrates out.
I have a 150 gal fowlr, with a small ( 7 gal) refugium.
Does it make sense for me to put clams in there? If so which ones? What are their requirements?
 

dplantz

Member
Well clams aren't nitrate eaters, they just say healthy with a little nitrate to feed off (5ppm or less). If its FOWLR then you might have some clam eaters or pickers that could kill it. Metal halides is the only way for clams, and this is where they get most of their feeding from. Sure a fuge helps feed the fish, corals, and some inverts, but lighting is the main thing for clams. Reducing nitrates is as easy as water changes, but there are alternatives like deep sand beds and nitrate reactors. Also keeping the fish "hungery" with moderate feedings and good skimming can keep them down.
 

pulse

Member
maybe i'll try a few clams in my fuge. their cheap and it doesn't seem like it can hurt.
i dont have metal halides, but i do have a broad spectrum bulb, and they definitely won't get picked on by other fish
 

dplantz

Member
Well crocea and maxima require metal halide, but derasa and squamosa can be kept under less light. Clams aren't really cheap though.
 

spanko

Active Member
No need for intense lighting if you are talking about cleaner clams like you but at the grocery store. They will burrow under the sand and feed off or nutrients in the water.
 

deltablack22

Active Member
Originally Posted by dplantz
http:///forum/post/2722627
Well crocea and maxima require metal halide, but derasa and squamosa can be kept under less light. Clams aren't really cheap though.
I believe he is talking about "cleaner clams". The ugly useful ones...
 

pulse

Member
Indeed, I am talking about the cleaner clams. I have crushed coral bed about 2" deep......


Will that work, or do i need to replace or add more?
 

candycane

Active Member
I don't like using cleaner clams in tanks. There is a specific reason they are kept on ice most of the time at stores. If you research these clams, they come from basically New England all the way down to Northern Florida. They are clams from tempered waters. It seems to me, to be kind of pointless to buy them to lower nitrate levels only to have them die eventually and create it again when there are several other natural remedies for removing nitrate.
Look at the thermometer. The room temp is 74.5 and the water temp in the tank is 79.7 right? I don't know of many areas up and down the eastern seaboard where the water temp gets that high.
 
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