Feeding Clams

Hey Everyone,

I was thinking of buying a couple of small clams as I have seen the beautiful colours that they come in. I know they are filter feeders, but I was just wondering what things they need to be fed? Also, what supplements are needed to keep it healthy and vibrant in colours.

Do they eat left over food that may fall into it? eg Brine shrimp that i feed my fish.

I have a twin 250 W Metal Halide lighting system with 10k Bulbs (I think thats right?!?) so I think the lighting will be fine.

Thanks for the help,

Breed

 

I think they filter feed things a bit smaller than brine, I recomend Dt's, the live algae cultres and oyster eggs seem to keep all of mine happy.

 

Tridacna Clams require very fine nano /phytoplankton and yeast for food while in the baby-juvenille stages of their life so light really isn't a concern right now! The problem is feeding clams at that small stage in life because they will not eat most of the food(liquid/frozen/live) that we offer our livestock. The reason why lighting is of little importance right now with clams under 3" in size is that their iridophores and zooxanthellae have not developed for photosynthesis and that whole process.
Tridacna clams also require nitrates, phosphtaes and ammonia believe it or not for their success over the long term!!!!!
IMO, I would shy away from these small clams and go with a bigger clam and ORA(farm raised ones will fair much better than wild caught clams) ones are the best.
The Durasa and Squamosa clams are the least light dependent and hardier of all the clams. The Maxima and Crocea are at the other end of the spectrum, with the Gigas and Hippopus in the middle. Durasa and Gigas clams will reach over 2 feet in size and weigh over 100lbs so take that into consideration to be able to deal with that when the time arises.
Maxima and crocea are rock boring clams and should be placed in your rock work whereas the other clams should be placed on the substrate(benthic area of your tank...
Hope this helps-short and sweet!!!!...

 

Before I'd start telling you what and can't be fed to a clam I'd first ask What type of Clam and how small ?

 

Actaully, Nanno. is too small, and has too thick of a cell wall, to be eaten by a clam. If it's accidently uptaken, 9 times out of 10, it is passed as pseudofeces. I'd recommend pavlova, TW or Tet, for this purpose.

 

I wouldn't put a clam in a tank with the fish that you have. Either the trigger, the angel or both will most likely end up eating it.

 

I was thinking that same thing AMCARRIG, however if their was ever a Trigger that was "reef safe" it would be the Pink-Tail. The Blue-Throat is another safe bet with the Niger being placed into that category as well. Now as for the Angel, I would go with a Flame if I had to pick an Angel(Centropyge). Really there isn't a good Angel that fits the mold as a safe reef fish...

 

Knowing my luck, I'd get the trigger and/or angel fish that didn't read the book that said that it was supposed to be reef safe After having made my share of "fish mistakes", I don't take chances anymore, especially with a tank full of clams and corals.

 

I hear ya AMCARRIG!!! You just don't know...I interview all perspective applicants before letting them stay in my tank...!

 

Yeah but their answers to your questions might change once "they" "drop and separate" I had a wrasse that did no harm until it reached adulthood, then it started eating my sps corals!