Can anyone help with keeping giant clams? I love the clams and there really cool. How much lighting would I need and how much food?

Lots. Generally you need a lot of lighting for giant clams.

Some of the less demanding light species are Derasa or Giga clams.

Even then you will need a lot of intense lighting to keep these guys.
I would recommend metal halide or HO (high output) T5 for keeping clams.

You also should supplementally feed the clams with phyto-plankton once every few days.

Other than that clams are fairly easy to care for.


D.

Can anyone help with keeping giant clams? I love the clams and there really cool. How much lighting would I need and how much food?
Hello Mike,
I find clams to be pretty simple to keep once you know there requirements but then again this goes for everything. Lots of light is better (mh, my opinion) and as far as feeding they only need to be fed if they are 3" or smaller. Try to buy a clam that is about 4" so you really do not have to worry about feeding it, it will get everything it needs from the lighting and nitrates. Of course it does not hurt to feed the tank. Also be careful when you get a new clam they have predators and one of the most common are the pyramid snail which will kill the clam. I recommend quarantine new animals for about a month before putting them into the main display tank to make sure they are healthy and predator free. But if you do not make sure you take a good look at the bottom, sides, all over the clam shell to make sure you do not have any unwanted guests. If you place the clam in your sand bed it is a good idea to place a clam shell under its foot for it to attach its self to which will help protect the clam, much more so than just placing it down in the sand. Clams can also be placed on the rock work and should attach themselves within a few days to a week unless conditions (water current, lighting) are not correct. Hope this helps.
Take care

i agree, clam, once giving the right enviroment and good water conditions are really lovley guest, and easy to keep. the key, like mopecula stated, you have to understand there needs. once you have that, and you cane meet them they are great

Clams, Scallops, and Oysters would be another good show.

We could do a show about clams. I have owned over a dozen myself. There is lots of good information out there. If you are truly into clams, you MUST own "Giant Clams" by Daniel Knopp.

Personally, I've not known anyone who has kept a scallop for any decent duration of time. They are strictly filter feeders and their needs to not match up well with the type of systems (reefs with pristine waters) that we keep.

D

yep, another great idea.
please post it in the show questions forum so i can track it

show on clams is definately be cool

Another thing to remember about clams...They can get huge and some get huge fast. My gigas has already grown over 1/16 of an inch, in only 2 weeks... I can only imagine what he will look like in a year or two with growth like that. I have a 37g now and I am certain he will outgrow that in a few years...So far though he is doing great under my t-5 lighting. Heres a pic of the big guy...

http://images.snapfish.com/346434647%7Ffp335%3Enu%3D3245%3E2%3C5%3E675%3EWSNR CG%3D323355%3A5557%3A5nu0mrj

Yes, depending on the species, they CAN and WILL get big. Gigas (appropriately named) is one of those bad boys who will. Derasa will too. Smaller bivalves like maxima and crocea stay within the bounds of an average reef tank.

I love clams. I just finished a DIY acrylic tank that I'm setting up as a "clam only" system for my family room. I can't wait to set it up!!

Dave

wow, love to see pics when its done...I want to build my own tank but I haven't got the gumption...Kinda scared I'm gonna come home to water everywhere...

Darned Server... ate my post.

Well..try again.. After building various DIY sumps, tanks etc, I feel more confident in my skills. Though I do have an acrylic guru, Gustavo (Neo on Boston Reefers) who is my 'foreman' when it comes to big jobs like tanks, reactors etc. I'm only good at making small boxes :)

Dave

Some of my previously owned clams....

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d176/JustDavidP/squamosamantle.jpg
Squamosa Mantle!

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d176/JustDavidP/crocea.jpg
The Crocea Brothers

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d176/JustDavidP/Ultra6.jpg
Ultimate Ultra Crocea! I love this clam. It looks good in my buddy's 120 Reef :( I had to give him up for adoption.

Dave

The big boy....

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d176/JustDavidP/squamosa2.jpg

Nice clams- would love to see more pictures if there are more to add!!

Awesome pictures Dave. I'd like to see more too. I've often toyed around with the idea of a coffee table aquarium with a MH pennant hanging over it just for clams.

The same Squamosa - Different View
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d176/JustDavidP/2004_0706Image0109.jpg

While we are at Macro... I just love inhalant siphons!
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d176/JustDavidP/macroclam.jpg

The same two crocea in the last set of shots (viewed from side of tank) now in an image straight on. For those of you who do NOT have or have not seen clams. Their colors look very different when viewed at differing angles.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d176/JustDavidP/duo12.jpg

KILLERS! Two beautiful Maxima that started an unfortunate chain of events for me... No need to go into details here....yet ;)

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d176/JustDavidP/2004_0626Image0027.jpg

Beeeeaaauuutttiiiiffuuuuuuulllll Dave!

I have to agree, the photo's of all these clams are beautiful. One day when I have more experience and a larger tank...then I may venture down this road. But in the meantime, I love looking at the pics.

Thanks...I wish they played nice with ponies... I'd love to have one in my 26G right here in my family room :(

Hey Dave - did you have like a rubble layer over your DSB in your clam tank? I notice that your clams were nestled in quite large pebbles.....just curious how you had your substrate layers...

No Christi...The sand bed was a 5 inch sugar fine bed. Good observation though..Let me explain..somewhat :D

More often than not, when you get clams, they are unattached to any substrate. This makes them vulnerable to predation. Typically, if you place them on a flat rock or even an old clam shell, they attach in short time and therefore have a 'trap door' over their most senstive area, the soft fleshy port called the byssal port.

Some times, while jostling for good position in relation to flow, lighting or whatnot, they topple over in the sand. What most hobbyists do, is place them on that rock, and put rubble around them to keep them "propped" in position until they secrete phenolic protein and polyphenol oxidase which, in turn, forms the byssal threads by which they anchor themselves onto the substrate.

You can often see this as a slime near the bottom of the clam. Once it hardens, you can easily see white to translucent threads that look much like a monofilament fishing line between the byssal port and the rock or whatever substrate the clam is on.

In the picture above, with the two juvenile maximas, what you don't see is the flat, shelf rock, burried just by a thin layer of sand. The rubble was removed once the clams attached.

Dave

ah ha! Thanks! I'm planning on getting some clams with the new setup, so it's great to get this knowledge!

Do you ever sleep Christi :) Your posts are evident 24 hours a day. That's dedication to a hobby!

When you get the new system up and running, and are looking at clams, let me know. I'd love to help you along!

Dave

Ahhhh clams, I plan on having many eventually but wanted to start slow untill I am educated a bit more abuot them. I currently have a 2-3" T. Derasa that is doing pretty well I must say :)

I still target feed the clam since it is still at that smaller size but probably won't have to for much longer it is starting to really take off.

Here is a picture when I first got it, I really need to get a current shot though.

http://www.mcgrade.com/Reef%20tank%20Page/Invertebrates/Derosa%20Clam.jpg


I plan on maybe havng 2-3 more when I get my reactor up and running which will definetly include my favorite clam the maxima.

Kevin...beautiful shot!! Your sand is so pristine white too!!! :-)

Do you ever sleep Christi Your posts are evident 24 hours a day. That's dedication to a hobby! umm....well, sometimes I wonder if employers really are all that happy with the invention of the internet! :-)
And you guys have certainly done a good job of getting me addicted!!

Kevin...beautiful shot!! Your sand is so pristine white too!!! :-)


Thanks Christi, I attribute that to a sand sifting starfish that constantly runs up and down my sand bed.

With all this talk of clams, I broke down and bought a crocea yesterday- will have to get you pictures soon.

GO Gwen!!

looking forward to pics!

Cool can't wait to see the pics...

What fish are Clam safe or do you just have Clam only tank? Just Curious.

most reef safe fish are file with clams...
all you common, damsles fish (including clowns) wrasses, gobies, dragonets, tangs, etc..

they are actually pretty easy to keep if you have a properly lit and matured tank..

There are just a few fish that have been known to eat clam mantles. A quick couple of interntet searches may help out there.

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/tridaccompfaqs.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/cav1i3/Clam_care/Clam_care.htm

Also, any fish that is a herbivore, and would want to clean the clam shells could harrass the clam and cause problems. In that case, just clean the shells with a soft, childs toothbrush so the fish isn't tempted to graze on the clam.

A good "Bible" of sorts is Daniel Knopps "Giant Clams".

Dave

here is my clam ;)

Purdy Clam. Looks even nicer without the skirt of microbubbles *giggle*

looks real nice.

Sweet! I want one!

what a cute clam.. :)
how are the "anchors" doing.. ;) lol

Clam is doing good. I turned the skimmer off last night since there are microbubbles galore all over my tank from my skimmer. Will prolly do a water change this weekend and try running the skimmer again. I also moved him directly under the MH- I hope that's ok. His old "FOOT" fell off and I guess according to Rob he will grow another one. Rob says I can't call it a foot and I can say "anchors" or I need to say byssal or you won't know what I'm talking about. But I think FOOT works just fine- I'm not listening to Rob :p

gwen dont make me cringe....its science!
foot = bad (whole other part in mullosks....)

anchors = ok

byssal thread = great! (actually produced by a gland in the foot, and placed by the foot.....)

Thanks Adam... that WAS like nails on a chaulkboard for me too!

FWIW.. I had a cleaner shimp who would constantly nip, pull and tear at the byssal threads on one of my clams. The new threads would grow back find, but I'm sure it caused stress for the fish. So... :) the Shrimp became skewered! I couldn't catch it... tried for days. So he met the working end of a DIY spear.

Dave

thanks Adam...
(i did explain that to her, im pretty sure she said that just to get under my skin.. she likes to do that.. :) )

and Dave you bring up a good point.. when dealing with rock boring clams like these, you should make a strong effort to not only place them on a rock that they can attach to, but that you also provide some protection to the byssals... by placing other rocks around them..

also, keep in mind to pick your clams place carefully, the longer they are there, the more they will become a permanent fixture of that rock they are attached to..

With all this talk of clams, I broke down and bought a crocea yesterday

Hmm....what else should we all talk about.... :rolleyes:

So... :) the Shrimp became skewered! I couldn't catch it... tried for days. So he met the working end of a DIY spear.

LOL...too funny, DIY spear and spearing a cleaner shrimp.

But it was for the better good of your tank. :)

Hmm....what else should we all talk about.... :rolleyes:

u better be nice!! :mrgreen:

u better be nice!! :mrgreen:

Oh come on....you've got more room in your tank....right? :D

Oh come on....you've got more room in your tank....right? :D

you mean you weren't trying to change the subject so I wouldn't talk?? :mrgreen:

There won't be much room left in the 12g nano once these frags start to grow- there are 11 SPS frags in there at the moment ;)

you mean you weren't trying to change the subject so I wouldn't talk?? :mrgreen:

There won't be much room left in the 12g nano once these frags start to grow- there are 11 SPS frags in there at the moment ;)

Nope, you mentioned that all the talk about clams made you go out and buy one. So I was curious if you'd go out and buy other things if we talked about other items too. LOL :-D

I'll have to check the gallery...do you have pics posted of all of those frags in there? ...guess I should check your thread too...

I'm lucky that I dont have to buy much- getting lots of free stuff through the ARC ;)

http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66898

sure...post them on "that other board"....Rob may have to have a "sit down" talk with you. LOL

sure...post them on "that other board"....Rob may have to have a "sit down" talk with you. LOL

yeah I'm surprised he hasn't already, but he must remember, I found TRT long before I found TR. TRT is like my family, and I'm sure this place will be the same one day also, especially with those voice chats.

And look where I'm at tonite?? huh.. huh.. Rob can't get upset ;)

gwen dont make me cringe....its science!
foot = bad

I really think this may be called the foot- let me know if this is bad or not- it fell off :(

I'm sad :(

no.. i am not getting upset with anyone...

while i would love Talkingreef to be peoples home, its not right to do that.. there is so much knowledge out there, you have to be able to go to other sites...

and if gwen decides to change her home.. then i wont complain about that either.. :)

I really think this may be called the foot- let me know if this is bad or not- it fell off :(

I'm sad :(



ah ugh....... um......

looks like it might be a foot to me...

Gwen.. im sorry, i really assumed you were referring to the Byssals...

adam.. look like afoot to you?
andy suggestions for her?

well it doesnt look like any feet/ foots ? that i have seen before, they usually dont look frilly.

my first thought is that its a ctendia (gill)?

this sucks :(

It's ok Rob, I still love you

i have photos of it coming off and that might tell you what it is... give me a few minutes

ok here is what it looks like... it doesn't open more than that...
but like I was telling Rob early- its rocking back and forth and opening and closing a lot.. brb with more pics

dont let the zip tie confuse ya...
shot was taken from top of the tank

gwen the piece... how was it attached?
at the end of the white part, the whole of the white part?

gwen, I hope your clam is ok.

sorry but I don't understand your question? the thicker white part was closest to the clam... if that makes any sense

ok well now i am leanign twards labial palp.
the labial palp is a large sheet of cilliated tissues folded like a menu (accodian style) cilliated ridges etc....

the foot is usually nice and smooth, with a slight channel for the byssal threads...... so..

so far me thinks labial palp >> ctendia >> foot

will it grow back?

i hope so too Scott

ok if its its foot, then it hurtign bad.

if its its labial palp, then it can filter at 1/2 effeciency

if ctendia, then its can breath at 50%

http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=34282&stc=1&d=1141443989

http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=34282&stc=1&d=1141443989
Adam.. if you look at that latest image.. it really looks like the part that extends the byssals

referencing this, it looks like it is actually the byssal thread..

what do you think

http://www.clamsdirect.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1541

minor detail about not beign a member there, but anyways.

well along with what you simize?(did i write that?) think the picture to show, then it is plausable that your clam has lost its foot.

i know that as they mature, some tridacna lose thier byssus, but i am sure not the whole foot.

so then hopefully your clam has decided it is mature and lost its byssus.

yup that pics the same (thanks for the 2nd link Rob) your clam should be kewl, just keep it happy and all should be well!

thanks adam, for your help and advice...

Gwen, i would monitor closely, and try and provide some support so it doesn't fall or get nocked over...
give it time to grow its byssals back

I just bought the clam so it might be coming off due to stress. I bought it tuesday night, took those pics last night. The kid at the LFS pulled it off a rock when I bought it.

ok that other picture u couldn't see

Thanks so much for all your help Adam

oh i did not do anything. really, rob is the man for findign the other link.

i just went thru the options that i felt were reasonable.

yeah.. that might be it... if the clam was well attaches, it would have been damages if it wasnt properly and carefully removed.

ok so you think it will be ok or should I take it back to be sure?

And Thank-you Rob too for all your research!! http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/11/11_4_122v.gif

wow they pulled it off a rock? i would have told them to keep the rock with the clam... You can really hurt it that way.

You should tell the guys at the LFS about it and maybe they won't make the same mistake. I hope your clam is okay Gwen. He/she is a nice one!!

i would agree with telling the LFS owner.. that is very hard on the clams

Thanks ;)
Well this store I got it from is known for clams and it would prolly be rated the best LFS in atlanta if we *the arc* took a vote- it's always listed as the 'must see' fish store on the ARC boards. And the guy that helped me isn't new either- he's been there for sometime.

I will prolly talk to the LFS and ask about it. Just in case I need to take it back.

well, from the post rob found, and since it was not actually its foot, then it should recover.

i woudl 1- complain to the owner
2- see what he/she does then. if they will give you $/ credit then kewl, if they want to exchange it for a healthy one then i woudl go with it. idealy it would eb a combo for both, a new clam and soem store cerdit for putting you thru this all.

sounds good to me ;)

Wow... I wish I had seen this thread over the weekend. Scary stuff.

Gwen, I had a maxima that did the same. It looks to me like it is just a bundle of byssal threads. No harm, no foul.

The LFS should have sold you the rock with the clam, or at least used a scalpul to remove the clam, thread by thread.

While it doesn't look like a missing foot, there has to be SOME stress or problems when merely 'ripping' a clam from its substrate.

Bad LFS.. they need to get the whip o' caulerpa!

D

ha ha David!

The clam with the rock would have been $90- ouch!! I will know for next time to try and find an unattached clam.

I did talk to the LFS and the guy tried to tell me something was eating it- and I was like hermit crabs will eat me clam? And he say they could and also mentioned bristleworms and I was like whatever- you guys have bristleworms in your tank too. I was too smart for that. :p Besides, my bristleworms are nice!!! He did finally say that he would repace it if it died.

My clam seems alright and happy as far as I can tell. I'll keep ya posted though ;) If a clam is doing bad, how long does it take before it goes? Also what are things to look out for when a clam isn't doing well?

If the clam isn't well, you'd notice poor mantle extension, possible delay in reaction to light stimuli, etc. it would just be kind of 'sluggish'.

As far as "time" is concerned, that is hard to tell. I've seen clams just 'up and die' fast, and have seen others just wither away.

Dave

I can't tell if I'm getting good mantle extension- is there a way to define good?
It does react fast though and not sluggish at all.

mantle extension basically means how far does the mantle come out (mantle being the pretty colored stuff).. if you see that most of it is being held in, and you can not clearly see the syphons, then you are not getting "good mantle extension"

yes yes Rob ;)

Just want 'good' defined. I think I'm ok though. Thanks ;)

And what are siphons? Learning Clams 101 ;)

I see on the inside of the clam there is a little thing that sticks up and pokes around- he he....and then there is an open slit- why do I feel like this is sex ed 101???

:rolleyes:

I thought of a great answer to that one....but I'm just going to keep my mouth shut here! :-)

I thought of a great answer to that one....but I'm just going to keep my mouth shut here! :-)

oh goodness- I was looking for the scientific answer *for once*, not trying to be silly.

And I still don't know what siphons are. Trying to get a discussion going, but it's not working :rolleyes:

The siphons are the inlet and outlet parts of the clam. ie where the water goes in and then out again.

lol.. well you are not too far of..
they are holes you see are where food/water is brought in and shot out...
but it is that one that is poking up, is also where the "spawn" gets released from.. :)

so the food should be targeted towards the slits? not where the spawn comes out, right?

Right. But from what I'm reading most people just puff a cloud around the clam and wait for it to clear. What are you feeding with?

IMO clams dont need to be "target fed" just add your phtyo to the tank...

in fact, i have read may ways of feeding clams (including put them in a phyto rich bucket of water weekly so they can eat) but non of these methods that i have read have ever shown a positive improvement over simply feeding the tank.

i have kept calms for about a yeah now, and have never Deon any "target feeding" i simply add phyto to the tank once or twice a week. in a smaller tank with more skimming like yours, you might need to add it more frequently.. not more, just more often...

the other thing to remember is that in a tank liek yours you haev so much current, that thy "target feeding or cloud" will get dispursed VERY quickly, so you would have to tun off all your pumps for this to be anywhere near affective.

besides, just adding it to the tank will allow everythign to benifit from it... :)
just my 2 cents..

I am feeding phyto DTs

I will need to turn off the pumps when I target feed I guess... mine is under 4" so everyone is saying to target feed it for awhile. I can't take the clam out- the rock is all attached in one piece.

Thanks

After really feeding my tank phyto my Gigas grew 1/8 in a week. I also added a phoban reactor at the same time running Rowaphos . IMO only small clams (under 3") need to be target fed. For mine I just put the Phyto directly in the water column and he seems to be happy and growing, Just remember to turn your skimmers and pumps off or you are wasting your time and money.

You don't need to target feed Gwen just dose your tank with phyto a little more often. He will be fine at 4"...Give him some time to get situated, acclimated and unstessed out and he/she/it will be just fine...

Inhalant Siphon is the larger, vertical opening nearest the bottom of the clam.

The exhalant siphon, is the protruding 'tube' closest to the top of the clam's mantle.

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d176/JustDavidP/squamosa1.jpg

In a clam that is LESS THAN 3", I would feed DT's and do so by building a "diving bell" type feeder. Use a 2 liter bottle and cut the bottom off. Drill a hole in the cap, large enough to put flexible tubing in. Simply place the bottle on the clam like a "hut" and pump phyto with a bulb syringe or something, into the tube. The water will stain green. Leave the bottle in place, over the clam for a period of time until the water begins, or does, in fact clear up. Then simply remove the bottle. This way, you don't have to worry about turning off pumps and/or skimmers.

If you don't use this method, and instead "feed the whole tank", that is fine too. The only problem I see there is if you don't have any other filter feeders who will handle the 'uptake' of this phtyo and it could cause loss of water quality. ESPECIALLY if you are not feeding a live phyto product.

Also, if you are "feeding the tank", do NOT target feed your clams by pushing phyto toward their inhalant siphon. It's a waste of time. Clams are built to process foods AT THEIR OWN leisure. Just watch, if you push phyto towards the inhalant siphon you will actually see the clam "cough". They need to be able to parse out the particulate matter size. By PUSHING them to eat, it's akin to stuffing a whole hot dog in your kids mouth. They will reject it. Let them take the phyto in their own time, and they will get the most out of it. This is why I, personally, like putting them in a greenwater soup and let them slowly filter the water.

I do NOT like moving clams. So, for me, putting them in a bowl is NOT an option. They most certainly DO stress from being moved around. When a clam is in place in your system, leave it be!

If a clam is over 3 1/2 inches or so, there really is no need to feed it. They will get enough free floating foods in the water to augment the photosynthetic feeding provided by the symbiotic relationship with the zooxanthellae they host within the channels of their fleshy mantles. Also, simply cleaning film algae off of your glass will put enough into the water column. When I cleaned my tanks, my clams would perk right up and start to pump water vigorously!

Dave

Thank-you so much David- great information.
I was indeed watching my clam cough the food up! Poor thing. I think my clam is big enough to fend on its own, however, I am curious how you are measuring the clam. So your clam is a staight line drawn with a horseshoe on top- do I measure the mantle from end to end around the horseshoe, or straight across from tip to tip in a straight line? I'm not gonna physically measure the clam per say, but I just wanna know what part of the clam you are using to eye the measurement.

I am having a nutrient export issue and when I feed the clam, the HA is fueled and GROWS!! ahhh. So if I don't have to feed the tank/clam, then that will help me get an edge on that. Maybe once a month throw some food in there?

Also unfortunately the rock I bought for the nano came with bubble algae- I would like to get an emerald crab to eliminate that problem. Someone told me the emerald will eat the clam, is that true? The emerald would only be temp until the problem is corrected, and then go into the 72g.

Critters in the 12g
crocea clam
2 astreas
25 hermits for the HA
11 sps frags
5 softie frags
1 lps frag

I measure clams in a straight line, from one (furthest point) side of the shell, straight through to the other side. So, basically, it's like putting atop a ruler and looking at the measurement of its longest parts. I don't measure in a curve, or, include that horseshoe :) straight lines....

Honestly, I'd try using the bottle method for feeding and do it ONLY if you really have to. Your clam is probably quite capable of feeding itself both on waterborne foods and by using the lighting. It IS a nano, with good lighting, that should be sufficient. But if you want to or have to feed, and pollution is a problem, use the bottle method and use the phyto sparingly. Honestly, a good, live phyto product should cause little or no problems in your system. As a matter of fact, live phyto can help absorb amonia and therefore can help detoxify the water. Steven Pro and I were just discussing this same topic this week. He too feels that live phyto can be and often is "part" of our biological filtration.

Emerald crabs eating clams?? Never experienced it or heard of it myself, but that doen't mean that a rogue mythrax crab HASN'T eaten or pestered a clam. I had over 6 emeralds in my 75G reef with 6 clams. Never once did they cause a problem. Emerald crabs WILL pick algae from the scutes of the clam and may bother them in that manner, but again, I brushed my clams shells and kept them free of algae and sponge growth. This keeps tangs, blennys and other "grazing" fish and such from being enticed towards the clams. Sure, accidents happen. If your clam is covered in algae and a crab is pruning it, it may nip its mantle by accident.

Dave

What do you use to brush the sides of the clam with? That's a good idea.

And from your experience, it seems that an emerald would be ok especially if it's only short term. I know those suckers can be mean and would only buy one for this reason.

Are phyto DTs live phyto?

I used a medium bristle, child's toothbrush. It works great and has a smallish head so you can get into the nooks and crannies.

There are many reasons for doing this. One of which is algae growth. In some cases, you could get a 'boring sponge' that may look innocuous, but is actively digging a hole (not really digging, but eroding) through the clam's shell. If YOU want to figure out which sponge on the clam is good and which is bad, more power to you. :) I opted to keep all sponge and algae growth off of my clams. Just be careful not to brush the "fleshy" parts of the clam. You could cut it and open it to infection or predation.

If I had valonia in my tank, even if it were FULL of nothing but clams, I'd put in some emerald mythrax crabs. I am NOT a fan of the bigger, red, or brown varieties, but I have NEVER had a problem with an emerald crab. Honestly, if you did have problems, you'd see it, and in a nano, you could fish him out quite easily if need be. Otherwise, I'd not even look at it as a temporary fix, emeralds have ALWAYS been part of my systems and have been great citizens and a powerful part of the clean up crew. The ONLY tank I didn't put them in was my seahorse tank. Only because the ponies sometimes grow algae on their back and tails, and it is just an open invitation for an accident.

Yes, DT's are packaged live. BUT...don't always arrive at the consumer "live". If your bottle smells sweet, and salty, like fresh seaweed or like a clean ocean, it is live. IF it smells very sulphur like, or like rotten eggs, or just plain otherwise "nasty", it could have "passed its prime". Also, remember to shake your bottles up from time to time whether or not you use it. Keeping the cells suspended is better for their shelf life. Once they settle into a thick muck, they begin to die.

Dave


Dave

i have kept emeralds also, and never had any issues with them, but have never kept them with clams.

the DTs as Dave stated is live.. but he brings up a good point... when you are in the store getting it, open it and smell it.. at $15 a bottle, you need to make sure you are getting what you are paying for. if you plan on adding it to your larger tank, then home culture might a good option to look at (will be doing a show on this very soon). and since its essential free after startup costs, you can grow as much or as little as you need.

Well I guess the DTs I just bought are dead- the bottle mentions that they will smell bad and they do. The expiration date is sometime in June.

As far as the emerald- I don't care for them. The one I had was always messing with my feather duster and then it died a little later- I do blame the emerald.

I have seen my hermits crawling on the side of the clam pickin algae. I'll try and take care of that.

Thanks for all your help!!

Gwen...have someone else smell the DT's too. It will have some smell to it that SOME find offensive (I'm one of those weirdos who likes low tide :) ) but evenif offensive to you, may not mean it's dead. It's really hard to explain, but it should have a crisp, biting, yet sweet smell to it. If it smells like rotten eggs, or worse, you may be right.

Dave

yeah it smells like rotten eggs- really really bad. It's prolly dead.

yes, its likely dead.. i would replace it...
and again.. and important thing to keeping phyto (both purchased and self cultured) is you have to shake the bottle up every day to two.. letting it sit stagnant will cause you issues with it staying fresh.