I've seen some pop up on ebay and want to know if they're a good thing to have. My guess is that they'd stir sand and prevent toxic pockets from forming...
Anyone have any experiences at all?
Anyone have any experiences at all?
Anyone keeping FW clams?
- Thread starter Squawkbert
- Start date
At a petstore I use to work at we use to keep them in community tanks where we dint have cory cats. They did a decent job moving around the gravel and I don't recall ever losing any.
Brian
Brian
I bought a bunch of them on aquabid and was told they are great with cichlids that they are stong enough not to be bothered by them. Well about two days after I got them I had no more clams left and my cichlids where fat with a nice expensive clam meal. I would only get them for a community tank with no loaches
From what I've heard, they are like living under gravel filters. In the wild, I've seen them clear a space in heavy weed and algae down to bare sand in about an 18" circle for a 3" clam. I think I might pick a couple up this summer from the local tributaries and try them in my tanks. Worse thing that could happen is having some nice clam-shell decor in my tank.
I believe that some clams have an intermediate stage in their life cycles which parasitizes fish. I don't know whether the infestation would cause serious harm to the fish, or how likely it is that they would breed in an aquarium, but the possibility convinced me to avoid them. I was hoping they might be of some assistance with green water.
Beasts
Beasts
i had a few 1.5" clams in my 75G. i saw them upon acclimation, and the next day, they were gone. i didnt see them again until i emptied the tank. (5 months later)
IMO, unless you have sand or need them for water quality, i dont see a point in them.
IMO, unless you have sand or need them for water quality, i dont see a point in them.
Dangerdoll
Global Moderator
another caution is when they die, you never really know most times until it's too late and they have fouled up the tank. I never had any interest in them because of that risk.
I have one (asian clam, most common in the hobby), and he isn't worth much.
He doesn't really move ever (though he sometimes he will bury himself a bit deeper in the sand). He does open his shell slightly and siphon the water, but that's about it.
Worse, in a regular tank, they starve to death. They can only get enough to eat through sifting the water (they don't sift sand). You need to make some infusoria and regularly squirt it with a baster right in front of his siphons. Barring this, you need dedicated filter-feeder food from a saltwater aquarium shop. I was recommended fry food by my LFS, but the clam is not growing.
The one good thing I can say is the clams are not the ones who parasite fish...those are freshwater mussels.
He doesn't really move ever (though he sometimes he will bury himself a bit deeper in the sand). He does open his shell slightly and siphon the water, but that's about it.
Worse, in a regular tank, they starve to death. They can only get enough to eat through sifting the water (they don't sift sand). You need to make some infusoria and regularly squirt it with a baster right in front of his siphons. Barring this, you need dedicated filter-feeder food from a saltwater aquarium shop. I was recommended fry food by my LFS, but the clam is not growing.
The one good thing I can say is the clams are not the ones who parasite fish...those are freshwater mussels.