Clams

Hey, is my set up worthy of keeping clams??
I just upgraded to metal halide and have been eyeing one at my LFS.

 

going by your sig, you have a 250mh? if its your first clam i would go with a Derasa, easy to keep and one of my favorites. click on the link in my sig to see how to ID clams

 

If you do decide to get a Tridacna, I would make sure it was atleast 3"in size for best luck as the clam should have had its population of zooxanthellae intact so as to not rely on nanoplankton and other minute particles to feed!
Derasa and Squamosa are typically the easiest...
Good luck!

 

+2

 

i agree that clams of that size are best to purchase, because they can handle shipping and other stresses better but not about there need for phytoplankton. shortly after clams metamorphasize (days) there mantles are fully developed and full of zoox and they can support them selves on light alone. check out this study of juvi clams that were kept in micro filtered water and never received any particulate matter, just light.

http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0006-3185(198110)161:2<213:SDAAOZ>2.0.CO;2-N&size=LARGE

 

Tridacnid clams Are filter feeding animals that have a fully Functional digestive system!! So it stands to reason that they must feed on something, Not just the nutrition from photosynthesis. Tridacnid clams feed on microplankton. Target feeding is very difficult to do with clams ( Especially smaller specimens ) Clams feed on dissolved organics microplankton. Bottled phytoplankton ( green water ) on a slow drip into your system will help in this matter.

 

I have had a deresa for about 2 years now. Originally only had 396 watt power compacts in a 65 gallon. I have been very hesitant to go for anything else just yet in this new set up, but have to say this gent has given us a lot of pleasure just watching him grow. Go for the deresa, you won't regret it.

 

they are primarily photosynthetic, depending on the species they can ONLY acquire between 10% to 30% of there nutritional need from filter feeding but can switch this on and off and can fully sustain themselve on light alone. just because they have a digestive system doesnt mean they are reliant on particulate matter. there gills are used for capturing particulate as well as respiration. the particulate they capture includes zoox that they constantly replenish. in order for the zoox to reach the ZTS(zoox tubular system) it has to travel from the gills to the stomach, then to the ZTS. they also constantly expel old and or excess zoox and to do that they need to excrete it, completing the digestive system.

 

Yes but not indefinitely and not solely

Umm So you agree then??

 

to you first statement-
yes they can read the link i posted

second-
no i dont agree, that is not what i said. you are equating the fact that they have a digestive system to them being reliant on filter feeding. and at the same time equating my statement they they can support them selves on light alone to saying "they dont filter feed". dont try to twist my words.

read the link and learn something and take the Dr. Ron article you are pulling your info from with a grain of salt