I am thinking about trying clams again

[shallowreef]

Hey guys,

Like the title says i am thinking about trying to keep clams again. I use to keep clams but they all seem to live for a few months and then they died. I know it had to be something i was doing because they all seemed to follow the same path like they were starving or something. So my question to you clam experts is what are the neccesities of keeping clams. First let me tell you what i have going on in my tank right now.

I have a 210 with about 160lbs of LR. A few LPS corals and about 9 fish. (3 tangs,nigr trigger, grouper, gobies and a clown)I currently am not adding any type of supplement but i am planning on starting to dose KALK once i get a dosing pump. My tank is 6' long lit by a 4' fixture. So there are darker spots near each end of the tank. Its still lit just not as bright as the center. Now the fixture has 2-250 10k bulbs and T5 actinics. I run a fuge and i skim heavily. Temp is between 75-76 steadily. I plan on putting the clams at the base of my LR and on the LR. I also though about putting clams in my fuge which is lit by powercompacts but i don't think that would work.

If you look up the thread "my 210 gallon FOWLR" you can see exactly what my tank looks like.

So what are some things that are important to clam keeping because a lot of people tell me that clams are easy to keep. I don't know how true that is but thats what i hear.

Thanks a lot,

Nick

 

[mungus]

Nick I don't know to much about clams but this should keep you reading for a very long time/:lol:

http://www.clamsdirect.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3

Brian

BTW I would love to see your tank sometime in person. Perhaps the next time I head down to chicago.

Brian

 

[chris&barb]

clams need strong lighting and a stable, mature system with a steady supply of Ca/Alk. your lighting seems fine. i would recommend placing the clam under one of the MH. i would be leary of the Trigger fish. i know that type is about as mellow as they get but clams are food in the eyes of most Triggers.

this is a workshop Barry did. http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9723

and heres so info on clams. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/cav1i3/Clam_care/Clam_care.htm

 

[shallowreef]

Brian i am about a half hour away from chicago so let me know when you are heading down this way.

Thanks to both of you guys for the links i now have a lot of reading to do.

Also i just had to laugh when i clicked on one of brians links and they said

"a good indication of a well established aquarium is a good amount of coraline algae, which can take anywhere from 6 months to a year."

My tank has been up for a month and a half and i already have coraline algae growing on the glass and overflows! I can't wait to see what happens when i start dosing my tank.

 

[Barry N.]

i would be leary of the Trigger fish.

I would also agree with Chris on this fish.

 

[shallowreef]

Okay so i may have to ditch the trigger. But i think i am going to see how things work out with him in there. I have seen it done before so..

Thanks guys and keep any tips/advice coming! I am willing to learn al there is to keeping clams.

 

[Minh Nguyen]

Niger Trigger will get huge but will not bother clams and corals. Clams requires pristine water, low phosphate (inhibit calcification)
Your tank have relatively low light for a reef tank. Having a Grouper, Niger Trigger and three Tangs, may be too much bioload. It is likely that the water quality is not high enough, and Ca and Alkalinity not high enough for clams. How are your hard corals doing? If the hard coral don't grow will then it is unlikely that clams will do well either