To buy a clam or not to buy a clam?

[katfish50]

I'd like to have a few giantica clams in my tank. I hope that is what you call the beautiful purple clam..Where would you place them in the tank? I see many of you have them at the bottom of your tank or wedged in between live rock (in online tank pics on this site) I know I have some bristleworms in the tank and it seems if I placed them on the bottom of the tank it would be easier for them to get to.What do they eat? How much light and current do they like?

 

[cboyfan2020]

they need a lot more light then you have now. Most people who keep them have like 500+ watts of light. not sure on current.

 

[goldrush]

Kat,How old is your setup? Your sig. says you have a large blue clam now. Do you have lighting that is not mentioned?

 

[katfish50]

My tank is 6 months old. I had a large blue clam given to me but bristle worms ate him. I have had a neon wrasse for the last two months and he's taking care of the worm problem. I have fluorescent lights w/8 96 watt bulbs for 768 total and one long blue 30watt used an hour before and after lights go out.

 

[sammystingray]

Bristleworms DO NOT eat clams....surely it died and the worms took care of the cleanup. I would not buy another for your current setup. Your signature says you have under 200 watts.

 

[spsfreak100]

I completely agree with Sammy,
Bristol worms will not eat clams, corals, feather dusters, etc., and they certainly are not bad reef inhabitants. They do a great job of eating fish waste, detritus, left over fish food, and dead material in the aquarium. Many people have something die in their aquarium, and blame it on the bristol worms for the fact that they were walking over the dead creature, and possibly consuming it. Bristol worms are harmless, regardless of size of shape.
Anyway,
I would not buy any clam of any sort for your tank. Your lighting is only 2x 96wt Electrolights, which is honestly not near enough lighting you'll need to sustain one. I would Stick to the more low-light corals.
Graham

 

[cboyfan2020]

KatFish, Please clarify the light situation....in your sig you say you have 2 96w light bulbs but in your last post you said you had 8? if you have eight that would be plenty of light I would think but I dont keep clams so I am not positive. But I dont see how 8 96w light bulbs would fit on a 60g tank

 

[scarybo]

Even with 8x96 watt you won't have sufficent light for a clam. It's more than watts..it's intensity. Best way to get that is with MH.

 

[bonzarelli]

JUST TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW I HAVE A CLAM AND HE HAS BEEN LIVING IN MY TANK KNOW 4 8 MONTHS AND I ONLY HAVE 240-WATTS, AND I HAVE OTHER SORTS OF CORAL.

 

[spsfreak100]

Bonz,
Tell us some more about your tank setup, and exactly what you have.
1. What size tank?
2. What species of clam?
3. How big is the clam?
4. How old is your tank?
Graham

 

[katfish50]

Thank you all for the replies. Sorry for the confusion on my lights. I'll correct my tank on my sig. The two set-ups hang across with metal shields on sides with 4 tubes in a row each to make 8@96 watt lights. It is likley that the clam died and then was eaten...I found worms in him the day he died so I thought the worms killed him.

 

[spsfreak100]

Your old Clam died for a reason. I wouldn't attempt to try another one any time soon.
FWIW,
Clams do best under Metal Halides, no matter what species of clam we're talking about. Under anything less, they will show poor coloration, very slow growth, and possibly death. They do the best under Metal Halides. They have the best growth and coloration under halides. Can you tell me why we should put any creature under anything but they best? Shouldn't we try to mock what they would recieve in their natural environment? Why should we put anything in anything less than ordanary conditions?
Sure, the clam may possibly live, but I can assure you it won't properly thrive in the aquarium. If it isn't thriving, what's the point of having it?
To repeat myself, I would lay off on buying any clam. Remember to always check your Calcium levels, as the clams shell is calcium carbonate based.
Graham