I saw 2 inch freshwater clams advertised at the Dr.s Foster and Smith website. The clams are filter feeders and the site claims that they are good at eliminating debris. They are originally of Asian origin. Does anyone know anything about them?
Freshwater clams?
- Thread starter greendeltatke
- Start date
Most of what I read from FW clam owners is that the things died very quickly and polluted their tank because they died under the substrate and were very difficult to find. I haven't read a positive post on them yet, aside from people who post the day they get them how cool they are, only to post a week later that they died and ammonia shot up as well as a nice stink in the water.
In addition, I've read that FW clam larvae are parasitic; they'll attach to the fish for a period before dropping off and becoming baby clams. I have no idea if this is true for all species, or even if it's entirely correct - I just remember reading it in a book a while back.
If you do decide to get some, I'd do loads of research first (Google should help out there) and then keep them quarantined for a month or more - this will give you time to get a handle on caring for them properly as well as making sure they're not bringing disease into your tank. If you find they're doing well and compatible with your fish, move them into your display tank.
If you do decide to get some, I'd do loads of research first (Google should help out there) and then keep them quarantined for a month or more - this will give you time to get a handle on caring for them properly as well as making sure they're not bringing disease into your tank. If you find they're doing well and compatible with your fish, move them into your display tank.
I had a mussel in a tank once. It was really cool, actually. I found it at a local creek and had it in a tank with a sunfish. The only real problem I had was that it was rather large and moved around quite a bit, disturbing the substrate. I eventually took it out because of this. I'd look in the tank in the morning and see large channels through the gravel.
It's true that the larvae are parasitic. If I remember, they are called glochidia and they attach to fish's gills, fins or other parts. It's species specific where they attach. They don't seem to harm the fish in the wild, but in a closed system all bets are off. Some of the adaptations of the mussels are really interesting. The parents will actually (in some species) "lure" a fish to it and release a batch of the larvae into the fish's mouth when it tries to eat. The luring appendages can be as developed as an alligator snapper's tongue. Some look like little fish and the parent wiggles it around.
If you catch, say a bass, and look at its fins you may see little black spots. These are often glochidia. They fall off eventually and the fish is typically fine.
It's true that the larvae are parasitic. If I remember, they are called glochidia and they attach to fish's gills, fins or other parts. It's species specific where they attach. They don't seem to harm the fish in the wild, but in a closed system all bets are off. Some of the adaptations of the mussels are really interesting. The parents will actually (in some species) "lure" a fish to it and release a batch of the larvae into the fish's mouth when it tries to eat. The luring appendages can be as developed as an alligator snapper's tongue. Some look like little fish and the parent wiggles it around.
If you catch, say a bass, and look at its fins you may see little black spots. These are often glochidia. They fall off eventually and the fish is typically fine.
I just quickly Googled and here's a picture of the "appendage", actually called a mantle.
It looks just like a little fish:
http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/mussels/enlmant.html
It looks just like a little fish:
http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/mussels/enlmant.html
FW Sphaeriid and Corbicula clams don’t produce parasitic larvae; they’re brood breeders and larvae development is direct.
Try googling ‘Sphaeriidae’ and ‘Corbiculidae’
Tom
Try googling ‘Sphaeriidae’ and ‘Corbiculidae’
Tom
I have 3 freshwater clams in a 45g tank and they're doing fine. I've had them for 3 months (I think?) and so far I've had no problems. Of course the tank is huge compared to them so I didn't really notice them helping at all. Are they supposed to filter debris in the tank? Do they have any other functions? I'm considering keeping them with some messy fish so that's why I ask. Anyways my experience with having them isn't bad, they're not terribly interesting as I don't see them move around. Every now and then they start to bury themselves in the gravel so when I can't see them anymore I have to fish them out. Anyways that's my experience with clams.
Blinky,
I made absolutely no considerations for the mussel. I didn't feed anything special, and this may account for the movement! He was probably hungry and trying to get somewhere where there was current and food.
This was about 10 or 12 years ago and pre-kid, so it's like another lifetime! Like trying to recall someone else's memory.
Tom.E -thanks for the clarification on the parisitization (there's a free alliteration!). Do you know what the difference is between a clam and a mussel? (that's not a lead in to a joke, I'm actually curious!)
Tony
I made absolutely no considerations for the mussel. I didn't feed anything special, and this may account for the movement! He was probably hungry and trying to get somewhere where there was current and food.
This was about 10 or 12 years ago and pre-kid, so it's like another lifetime! Like trying to recall someone else's memory.
Tom.E -thanks for the clarification on the parisitization (there's a free alliteration!). Do you know what the difference is between a clam and a mussel? (that's not a lead in to a joke, I'm actually curious!)
Tony
just read a cool artilcle on clams in a magazine that came in the mail (sound weird to you... tough). in it it clarified that although the larva were originally thought to be parisetic, they are actually slightly benficial to the fish when they attach, also they are host specific