super market clams
- Thread starter chichi
- Start date
hatessushi
Active Member
Littleneck or cherry clams
I can tell mine are still alive by the little tornados of sand they send up when they breath the purified water out. they why we use clams like this since they wil remove small very amounts of nitrates but put pure water back in the tank. but it is negligable.
I can tell mine are still alive by the little tornados of sand they send up when they breath the purified water out. they why we use clams like this since they wil remove small very amounts of nitrates but put pure water back in the tank. but it is negligable.
N
nereef
Guest
Originally Posted by madddmarr
what temperature do you keep your tank at,ithought supermarket clams had no heat
they are on ice at the market so they don't die and rot.
what temperature do you keep your tank at,ithought supermarket clams had no heat
they are on ice at the market so they don't die and rot.
reefforbrains
Active Member
if its open its dead. if it closed tight, its fine
reefkprz
Active Member
Age, Size, Lifespan:
Most hard clams become reproductively active at approximately 1 year of age (Loosanoff 1936, 1942) and will continue to produce broods throughout their lives, with no reproductive senescence observed (Walker and Hefferman, 1996). Owing to their commercial importance, the typical lifespan of Mercenaria is approximately between 4 and 8 years of age, the peak of their commercial marketability. At this age, most hard clams measure between 2 - 4 inches, which places them in the littleneck (2.0 - 2.9 inch) and cherrystone (3.0 - 4.0 inch) categories. Those hard clams which grow above 4.0 inches are termed chowders or quahogs (Busby, 1986). The natural lifespan of Mercenaria is generally unknown; however, counts of growth rings indicate that the hard clam, in the absence of predation or commercial exploitation, may live as long as 40 years. Growth has been observed to cease after the age of 15 years, with annual growth at this age slowed to approximately 1mm per year (Loesch, and Haven, 1973).
Size classes for Mercenaria mercenaria have been designated as follows to standardize commercial conventions: Seed clams: < 1"; Beans: 1.0 - 1.5 "; Buttons: 1.5 - 2.0"; Littlenecks: 2.0 - 2.5"; Topnecks: 2.5 - 3.0"; Cherrystones: 3.0 - 4.0"; Chowders: >4.0".
Local variations in growth rates are extreme throughout the entire geographic range, and seasonal differences in growth also occur (Ansell, 1968). In northern areas of the geographic range, growth in M. mercenaria occurs only during the summer when water temperatures approach 20 °C, the optimum growth temperature for this species. During winter, growth ceases altogether in water temperatures below 5 - 6 °C. In southern areas of the range, growth is more continuous. For example, in South Carolina and Georgia, hard clam growth is rapid in fall and spring, tends to slow throughout the winter months, and is slowest during the summer. Mercenaria in Florida may have growth rates 3 times those for Mercenaria in more northern waters (Barile et al., 1986)
Water temperature sets the limits for growth; however other factors, such as food availability and degree of crowding also influence growth rates. Crenshaw et al., 1996 showed that hard clams reared at high densities (>360 per square foot) tended to take longer to reach the same size as those reared under more moderate (~30 per square foot) conditions.
Most hard clams become reproductively active at approximately 1 year of age (Loosanoff 1936, 1942) and will continue to produce broods throughout their lives, with no reproductive senescence observed (Walker and Hefferman, 1996). Owing to their commercial importance, the typical lifespan of Mercenaria is approximately between 4 and 8 years of age, the peak of their commercial marketability. At this age, most hard clams measure between 2 - 4 inches, which places them in the littleneck (2.0 - 2.9 inch) and cherrystone (3.0 - 4.0 inch) categories. Those hard clams which grow above 4.0 inches are termed chowders or quahogs (Busby, 1986). The natural lifespan of Mercenaria is generally unknown; however, counts of growth rings indicate that the hard clam, in the absence of predation or commercial exploitation, may live as long as 40 years. Growth has been observed to cease after the age of 15 years, with annual growth at this age slowed to approximately 1mm per year (Loesch, and Haven, 1973).
Size classes for Mercenaria mercenaria have been designated as follows to standardize commercial conventions: Seed clams: < 1"; Beans: 1.0 - 1.5 "; Buttons: 1.5 - 2.0"; Littlenecks: 2.0 - 2.5"; Topnecks: 2.5 - 3.0"; Cherrystones: 3.0 - 4.0"; Chowders: >4.0".
Local variations in growth rates are extreme throughout the entire geographic range, and seasonal differences in growth also occur (Ansell, 1968). In northern areas of the geographic range, growth in M. mercenaria occurs only during the summer when water temperatures approach 20 °C, the optimum growth temperature for this species. During winter, growth ceases altogether in water temperatures below 5 - 6 °C. In southern areas of the range, growth is more continuous. For example, in South Carolina and Georgia, hard clam growth is rapid in fall and spring, tends to slow throughout the winter months, and is slowest during the summer. Mercenaria in Florida may have growth rates 3 times those for Mercenaria in more northern waters (Barile et al., 1986)
Water temperature sets the limits for growth; however other factors, such as food availability and degree of crowding also influence growth rates. Crenshaw et al., 1996 showed that hard clams reared at high densities (>360 per square foot) tended to take longer to reach the same size as those reared under more moderate (~30 per square foot) conditions.
chichi
Member
After we put ours in, it opened a little and it looked like two little holes opened up on the left side, one bigger than the other, these holes would become larger and smaller. Then is looked like a little white tongue came out and would quickly go back in. Is this typical?? :thinking:
