Clam Info

[windeindoiel]

It seems from what people say here that they just don't have good luck with clams, which sucks because I think they make an awesome addition to aquariums. So here was what I *think* helps them to survive. I've kept mine alive and well for over 2 months, maybe 3, I really don't deal with time well but here I go.

I'm not sure about the importance of lighting, I have a powerglo and a marine glo in my 44 gal, but really I'm not sure.

My temperature is at 80 F, my water is hard (I curse my tap water), and my pH is 8.0, which leads me to believe in all my observantness that they do good with a high pH and hard water.

Since I've switched the substrate to sand I've noticed the clams seem to be more active. They dig more than they did in gravel and move more. I never see them move but they're in different places every now and then, and one is so deep in the sand that only the very tip of it is sticking out so it can still get food.

I think that something important to them is probably current. I have 2 strong powerheads in the aquarium and the water moves pretty well in there. Because clams are filter feeders I think this is important because it moves the water and the things in the water they eat around, so that they aren't stuck with the same bit of water surrounding them all the time.

Another note about the filter feeding is that after I clean the tank and vacuum the sand the generally stir things up they stick out their "tongues" more than usual, so I think they're taking advantage of the extra stuff floating around.

Also I'm unsure about how much this matters, but I don't have a lot of plants in there and the rocks are pretty piled up in the middle and away from the clams, so there's lots of empty space around them.

So that is that, I don't really do anything special for them, I just put them in and let them do their thing, and they've been doing good. I really do think they look great, like they're so nice to have in there, and I hope this helps all the people who have heard bad things about clams dying and polluting the tank, and those people who have been unfortunate enough to have to deal with the clams dying and polluting the tank.

 

[OrionGirl]

First--I'm glad yours are still alive.

2 months for an animal that lives 20-30 years isn't really significant though, and studies of wild populations indicates that increased activity is actually bad--it means they are searching for better conditions. Sorry--but IMM, this is still an animal that should be left out of the tank. We don't know enough to provide for them in the long term, and with habitat and water pollution issues threatening healthy wild populations, removing any for a short life in a tank is sad.

 

[windeindoiel]

These are gold clams, which are sold regularily at pet stores.

 

[OrionGirl]

Doesn't make much difference which species you have--they still aren't appropriate for a tank. Sort of like Pacu, another frequently stocked animal.

 

[FishSeller]

The only thing I would do differently is provide your clams with some type of supplemntary food. Infusoria should work. From what I know, your clams are pretty sensitive to waste build up. Keep your water clean, vaccum and/or replace your sand frequently and see what happens.

 

[congealedmeat]

also be aware that the larva of clams is parasitic and requires a host fish to successfully procreate.

I agree with Oriongirl that these don't belong in aquariums yet because we don't know how to take care of them. But then this raises the question of how do we find out? I'm pretty sure most aquarium/pond keeping up until the last 60-70 years has been basically trial and error. We've gotta start somewhere

 

[windeindoiel]

I agree that a lot of it is trial and error, which is part of the reason I'm sharing what I've found.

I do make sure to keep the water very clean, I guess that's something else I should have shared. And the food supplement might be a good idea, perhaps I'll try it.

As for the parasitic larvae, I guess I'll find a way to deal with that when it comes, if it comes.

Anyways my point of posting this was that I do think they have potential to belong in the aquarium, they make a nice addition. I'm just trying to share my experience so that hopefully others will have more success if they'd like to try clams too.

And I'd love to have Pacus, and one day when I'm rich and have the money to build and maintain a HUGE aquarium, I will get some.

I can dream can't I? Lol.

 

[Veneer]

First--I'm glad yours are still alive.

2 months for an animal that lives 20-30 years isn't really significant though, and studies of wild populations indicates that increased activity is actually bad--it means they are searching for better conditions. Sorry--but IMM, this is still an animal that should be left out of the tank. We don't know enough to provide for them in the long term, and with habitat and water pollution issues threatening healthy wild populations, removing any for a short life in a tank is sad.

Actually, while the "gold clam", Corbicula fluminea, is a native of Asia, quite a few specimens in the aquarium hobby hail from North America, where they, as an introduced species, have been implicated in the decline and regional extinction of many native freshwater bivalves.

 

[Veneer]

also be aware that the larva of clams is parasitic and requires a host fish to successfully procreate.

That's untrue - the "golden Asian clam" (Corbicula fluminea) of the aquarium hobby differs from many other freshwater bivalves in that its larvae - hermaphroditically-recruited veligers - are free-living, in contrast to the parasitic glochidea of most freshwater "mussels".

[C. fluminea is also androgenetic - that is, sperm containing the entire paternal genome (rather than just half) enters an egg (here, of the same individual), whereupon it "kicks out" the entire maternal genome; all offspring are thus clones of the "father". In addition, there is preliminary evidence that certain disparate species of this genus are capable of "parasitizing" each others' eggs; the sperm cell of one species, upon entering the egg of another, removes the original DNA, forcing the clam to brood the offspring of another species.]

(http://www.bio.utexas.edu/grad/shedtke/Undergrad.html & http://www.bio.utexas.edu/grad/shedtke/Research.html)

A basic care sheet may be viewed here.

A note - some aquarists place C. fluminea in their wet-dry filters, or against the front plane of their aquaria (often with the aid of a plastic strip, as is sold for substrate terracing).

 

[Veneer]

First--I'm glad yours are still alive.

2 months for an animal that lives 20-30 years isn't really significant though, and studies of wild populations indicates that increased activity is actually bad--it means they are searching for better conditions.

Taxonomic name: Corbicula fluminea (Muller, 1774)
Synonyms: Corbicula leana (Prime), Corbicula fluminalis (Muller, 1774), Corbicula manilensis (Philippi, 1884)
Common names: Asian clam (English), Asiatic clam (English), prosperity clam (English)
Life form: mollusc

Corbicula fluminea is a freshwater clam that has caused millions of dollars worth of damage to intake pipes used by power, water, and other industries. Many native clams are declining as C. fluminea outcompetes them for food and space. C. fluminea requires well-oxygenated waters and prefers fine, clean sand, clay, and coarse sand substrates. C. fluminea spreads when it is attached to boats or carried in ballast water, used as bait, sold through the aquarium trade, and carried with water currents.

Description
C. fluminea has a yellowish brown to black shell with concentric, evenly spaced ridges on the shell surface (INHS 1996). They are usually less than 25 mm but can grow up to 50 to 65 mm in length (Aguirre and Poss 1999).

Similar species
Sphaeriidae

Occurs in:
estuaries, lakes, water courses

Habitat description
C. fluminea is found in lakes and streams of all sizes with silt, mud, sand, and gravel substrate (INHS 1996). They can tolerate salinities of up to 13 ppt for short periods (Aguirre and Poss 1999) and temperatures between 2 and 30 degrees Celsius, or 86 degrees Fahrenheit, (Balcom 1994). It prefers fine, clean sand, clay, and coarse sand substrates (Aguirre and Poss 1999). It is usually found in moving water because it requires high levels of dissolved oxygen. C. fluminea is generally intolerant of pollution.

General impacts
Ecologically, C. fluminea can outcompete many native clam species for food and space (PNNL 2003). The introduction of C. fluminea into the United States has resulted in the clogging of water intake pipes, affecting power, water, and other industries. Nuclear service water systems (for fire protection) are very vulnerable, jeopardizing fire protection. In 1980, the costs of correcting this problem were estimated at 1 billion dollars annually. C. fluminea causes these problems because juveniles are weak-swimmers, and consequently they are pushed to the bottom of the water column where intake pipes are usually placed. They are pulled inside the intakes, where they attach, breed, and die. The intake pipe become clogged with live clams, empty shells, and dead body tissues. Buoyant, dead clams can also clog intake screens.

Uses
In C. fluminea's native range, it is marketed for human consumption and as feed for domestic fowl (Aguirre and Poss 1999). In the United States, it is sold as fish bait (Aguirre and Poss 1999), and it is sold through the aquarium trade where they are known as "pygmy" or "gold" clams.

Geographical range
Native range: C. fluminea is native to southeastern China, Korea, southeastern Russia, and the Ussuri Basin (Aguirre and Poss 1999).
Known introduced range: In the United States, C. fluminea has been introduced to 38 states and the District of Columbia (Foster et al. 2000).

Invasion pathways to new locations
Other: Used as live bait throughout the United States. The clams sometimes escape into the water alive.
Pet/aquarium trade: C. fluminea is known as "pygmy" or "gold" clams in the aquarium trade.
Ship ballast water: Juvenile clams can be carried in ballast water all over the world.
Ship/boat hull fouling

Local dispersal methods
Boat
Escape from confinement: Researchers sometimes inadvertently release C. fluminea into non-native waters.
Water currents: Water currents spread juveniles throughout a water body.

Management information
C. fluminea populations are controlled by a variety of methods. Where intakes pipes are fouled, thermal regulation is employed, whereby water in the pipes is heated to temperatures exceeding 37 degrees Celsius. But this method is not possible in most existing water systems. Mechanical measures, such as using screens and traps, can effectively eliminate older clams and remove body tissue and shells from the system. Chemicals, such as small concentrations of chlorine or bromine, are used to kill juveniles and sometimes adults. This method is very effective, but because of increasing restrictions on the amounts of these chemicals that may be released from a facility, facility managers have been moving away from this method. Some states have legislation prohibiting the introduction of C. fluminea into their waters.

Nutrition
C. fluminea feeds on plankton.

Reproduction
C. fluminea is a hermaphrodite (both sexes are found on one organism) and is capable of self-fertilization. Sperm is released into the water, caught by another clam, and brooded in the gills. The larvae are released through the excurrent siphon and sent out into the water column. Spawning can continue year around in water temperatures higher than 16 degrees Celsius. The water temperature must be above 16 degrees Celsius for the clams to release their larvae. In North America, spawning occurs from spring to fall (Aguirre and Poss 1999). Maximum densities of C. fluminea can range from 10,000 to 20,000 per square meter, and a single clam can release an average of 400 of juveniles a day (PNNL 2003) and up to 70,000 per year. Reproductive rates are highest in fall (Aguirre and Poss 1999).

Lifecycle stages
Larvae spawned late in spring and early summer can reach sexual maturity by the next fall (Aguirre and Poss 1999). C. fluminea maximum lifespan is 7 years, but it varies according to habitat (Aguirre and Poss 1999), with an average lifespan of 2 to 4 years (PNNL 2003).

From http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=537&fr=1&sts=sss.