Clam in fish only

My dad has two clams (about 7" and 6") but he is moving his tank to softies and fish only because he is tired of keeping up with calcium and alkalinity.
Will the clams survive without proper Ca and alk levels or will they die without being able to grow?

 

If that's the only animal in the tank that undergoes calcification, then you would have to go a long time in-between waterchanges before there wasn't enough Calcium, Magnesium, Strontium and Alkalinity for it to continue to grow. (I'm assuming that the light is the same that it has grown under previously). Remember that Ca, Mg, and Sr are all interchangeable. Maybe every month or so, doublecheck the alk if you haven't done a waterchange.

 

I believe the clams will use available calcium and alk to build it's shell... what will happen is the calcium and alk will deplete over time... I don't think you'd want it to deplete to the point that it stops the clam from growing, because that would be bad for all the tanks inhabitants.

 

inwall, can you clarify what you mean by interchangeable here?

 

You're used to hearing the words Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) when referring to a coral skeleton (clam shell). However, that's inaccurate. There's also Magnesium Carbonate (MgCO3) and Strontium Carbonate (SrCO3). Coral skeletons(clam shells) are not only Calcium-based.

 

The ions act the same whn used by the clam/coral. They have the same 2+ charge and the animal is able to use all of them because they all react in the mechanistic pathway the animal uses to deposit it. So you will want to keep all of those high so it can use them all.

 

Yeah. Calcium carbonate. is just commonly referred to. I think carbonate has a -2 charge so any ion that can sustain a 2+ charge will balance the molecule out. Ca, Mg, and Sr are capable

 

OK, that's what I thought you meant...

 

If you are going to have clams in a SW tank it's not a fish only...it's still a reef with very few inverts, LOL! The demand will be lower with so keeping up with Ca, ALK, Mg will be easier, but you would still need to treat the tank as a "reef" in terms of basic params, lighting, etc IMO.

 

If you're going fish only, clams will limit the choice of fish though.