[Mattfish]

We've been up on our tank for about 3 months, with water params that are right where they need to be, a good light, and healthy inhabitants - everything consistently good, with a variety of life forms, including fish, anemones, and corals.

How do we know when we're ready for a clam? What are good "starter" clams? Which are considered the coolest/best looking?

I've done some reading, but this is a new area for us and I'd like to start off properly, just as we did in the other areas of life forms.

[Kevin W]

Squamosa Clam Cultured - Tridacna squamosa
I have have had squamosa clam for about a yr now and its doing great!! If you have corals and dose the tank with calcium, iodine, and phytoplankton you should be fine. I have been told that clams will thrive in a dirty tank. Most clams are pretty hardy and a cool addition to the tank

[Mattfish]

Our Calcium is 540 at last check and we feed Phyto-feast regularly. We haven't been checking Iodine, but do weekly water changes, so we're probably good, but I'll get an Iodine test kit to be sure.

Amusingly, the Marine Depot site shows this as a high maintenance clam, and can be nipped and harassed by clown gobies, blennies, shrimp, and most Angelfish and Butterfly fish. We are only missing a butterflyfish to complete the harassment picture on this.... but of course I can get a CopperBanded just to be thorough...

But my big question is, how do we know if the tank is ready and stable enough for a clam?

[DoLceNBeLLa]

I think the only way to be really sure...is to get one and see what happens

[mtfabel]

Im going to assume that the last comment was a joke. I just got a T Max(Tridacnia Maxima I think). It seems to be doing fairly well but I have only had it about a month now. From knowing your background from this site I would think that its safe for you to get one.

[jimw369]

Are you dosing any micro or phytoplankton yet? I would start a small amount a few weeks before putting a clam in the tank. I dose in the eve and have my protein skimmer shut off during the night and turn on again with my lights in the am. Otherwise you end up skimming the stuff your dosing before the clam has a chance to get it and the other corals as well. Almost everything in the tank likes phytoplankton and kents zooplex. Get a clam 3" or larger as a "juvenile" hasnt developed enough zooanxthelae to help it survive from your light source. These are just a few things I have learned the hard way if you know what I mean.

[jimw369]

After reading my last post I think I should clarify something. I have a good skimmer and have it adjusted to skim hard when its on. I also have a 3-4" sand bed and close to 180lbs of LR in a 115 gal system. I shouldnt advise anyone to turn off their skimmer without knowing their full set up. Based on the way my tank is set up I feel it is safe for me to turn off my skimmer at night after dosing. If you are interested in doing this you might want some one with the coveted title "RB Trusted" to chime in.

By the way, CLAMS ARE COOL! Im thinkin a Zero Edge 22 gal tank with a half dozen or so....

[Mattfish]

OK, first I appreciate everyone's posts - I also assume the "just take it home and try it" was a joke.

I ended up getting a 3" and a 4" t. crocea, on the recommendation of my lfs - I trust him greatly and he's got several degrees in this, and knows our tank well. Plus, he's a good friend, so I know he's got our best interests at heart.

Very, very cool! each new exploration has been awesome - fish, crabs & snails, shrimp, corals, then anemone's (ok, the anemone's are good looking but strike me as dumb as dirt...), and now clams. Unbelievable. And the colors are totally different from the top vs. the side views.

I've been feeding Phyto-Feast for the coral, so that should work for the clams, although like the anemone's and some of the corals, I know I'll need to feed them meaty stuff regularly.

I've also started dosing Iodine (Lugol's) and Strontium/Molybdenum for the clams and corals. Our Calcium is good, and the water changes for now will keep things clean. And our RO/DI arrives tomorrow, so that will also up the quality of the system.

This is really getting fun.

[DoLceNBeLLa]

Sorry to those who thought I was serious. It was just a joke.

[DoLceNBeLLa]

When I had my clam (about 3 years in all till a shrimp picked a side of it and it never recovered) it looked the best under very good light and on the sand.

Since they are filter feeders, make sure to not overdue filtration. Enough to make sure the water quality stays high, but not enough to suck everything out since that is what they eat. I used to do the target feedings with the phytoplankton and that worke really well.

[Krazy]

Water quality needs to be good and stable for clams..

Calcium and alkalinty need to be maintained for clams..

Light is always an issue (I know your ok in the dept though mattfish)

The main things I feel you have covered, I get the impression you take good care of your tank..

3 months is a bit on the young side, they say to have at least a 6 month old tank so its a bit more established..

Being your on top of things though, I'd try a squamosa or deresa clam as these are the more hardy and lower light demanding clams...

Try to get a larger clam (2 inch min) as the smaller ones are harder to keep alive.

I myself LOVE clams as much as tangs..

To date I have SIX clams, I have 2 deresas, 1 squamosa, 1 crocea, 1 gigas, and 1 maxima.

I do NOTHING special for my clams, I dont target feed or show them any attentions at all other then look at them and enjoy the colors and growth..

I feed phyto twice a week, I dunno if it helps or not...

I dose B-Ionic every other day now to maintain my CA and dKH...

[sorensonsnowman]

How often do you feed your clam and use phyto and do you turn off the skimmer each time.? thanks for any reply. The snowman

[Mattfish]

Wow, I'd forgotten all about this post.

We use Phyto-Feast every day, although every once in a while, we'll skip a day if it looks like the corals are not coming out due to possible over feeding with Phyto - every so often, some of our corals don't extend their polyps, so we figure it's because they've had enough and we give them a break for a day.

Since we also have Mandarin Dragonets and feed Arctipods, and regularly feed both Mysis and Cyclopeeze for the Sun Coral, I've started turning off the main return pump when I feed.

With our Coralife SS220 skimmer, this creates a problem, because it needs adjustment when the main return pump is turned back on, and also because our MegaSump filter then floats up letting debris get past.

Bottom line is we're replacing the sump with a custom made sump/fuge and the skimmer with a EuroReef RS135, so I expect that both issues will disappear with the main pump turned off during feeding.

But I guess the main answer to the question is that yes, we feed Phyto daily, and turn off the return pump when doing so. And we have happy clams - a crocea and a squamosa.

[sanjaypawar]

Originally Posted by Mattfish

We've been up on our tank for about 3 months, with water params that are right where they need to be, a good light, and healthy inhabitants - everything consistently good, with a variety of life forms, including fish, anemones, and corals.

How do we know when we're ready for a clam? What are good "starter" clams? Which are considered the coolest/best looking?

I've done some reading, but this is a new area for us and I'd like to start off properly, just as we did in the other areas of life forms.

Tridacna clams are the hardiest. Crocea are relative difficult to keep. But if your water is fine and you have intense lighting any kindda clams should do well. Remember clams are photosynthic feeders and do not depend on meety foods. That's what I learned from my reading so far.

[Fishguy1]

If you have anglefish I would have to say no to a clam I have had 6 clams total and lost three from the bio colored angle I owned.

[michelle's ocean fantasy]

what about a flame angel? Does it matter the 'type' of angelfish in the tank- or are they all going to nip at the clam? What about a coral banded shrimp?

[pogodzib]

Some dwarf angelfish will leave the clam alone, other ones won't. It doesn't matter too much on the type. It will depend on the individual angelfish and their tastes. Also, sometimes the angel will be a reef friendly fish for years and then turn to the dark side.

[dinor2]

Aren't the croceas one type of clam that stays small? Or am I thinking of a different type?

[NAS]

Croceas' top out at aroud 5" I hear.

Im not sure on the Iodine thing... A lot of refrences to minmal dosing with lugol's. But I don't have any hard core info either way. I have not payed any extra focus on Iodine in my clam tank in well over 9 months... that is not to say it is the right way to go.