Freshwater Clams

[helot13]

Anyone have any experience with these? I am curious about getting a few to see how difficult they are to keep.

[ncbuckeye]

Anyone have any experience with these? I am curious about getting a few to see how difficult they are to keep.

I was thinking the same thing, I heard they really help keep the water cleaner.

[helot13]

They sell them for tropical aquariums, but I am betting they do better in cold water.

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

They can be somewhat difficult as they are obligate filter feeders. Often times we keep our tanks just a bit too clean for these guys to survive for long. It can be done though it's just a bit more difficult.

[ncbuckeye]

They can be somewhat difficult as they are obligate filter feeders. Often times we keep our tanks just a bit too clean for these guys to survive for long. It can be done though it's just a bit more difficult.

Fry food for them maybe?

[helot13]

This leads me to another idea I have been tossing around. If you could create an area of the tank better suited for clams, say a shallow with a slight current running over it, then you could regulate their environment better. I have been trying to design a tank which has a sloping "shoreline" to aid with fish which frequent the shallows for breeding or feeding purposes. Just haven't figured out the best way to design it while maintaining cleanliness and effectiveness.

[helot13]

Fry food for them maybe?


I think that would work if you could get it down to them. They likely would feed more at night as clams are generally shy. More inventions I suppose.

[ncbuckeye]

This leads me to another idea I have been tossing around. If you could create an area of the tank better suited for clams, say a shallow with a slight current running over it, then you could regulate their environment better. I have been trying to design a tank which has a sloping "shoreline" to aid with fish which frequent the shallows for breeding or feeding purposes. Just haven't figured out the best way to design it while maintaining cleanliness and effectiveness.

Generally the nasty stuff would follow the slope down to the bottom, so an undergravel filter of regular vacumming should be all that's needed, as for making a slope, if it's a long tank, I'd put the slope side to side, then place the power filter at the shallow side. I'd use plexiglass for the slope, maybe glue ridges to help hold some gravel. Then I'd cut caves so other fish could still use the area under the slope. As for night time stuff, that's going to be my next thread.

[cocoa_pleco]

theyre filter feeders, its best to have them in a heavily planted tnak with no filter

[travie]

If you keep your tank clean and water clean, it wouldn't be wise to get a clam.

[ncbuckeye]

If you keep your tank clean and water clean, it wouldn't be wise to get a clam.
uuuummmmmmmm still not sure about my tank then. lol :smad:

I try to keep it clean, but I'm not to sure about real clean.

[Adrian]

I have sucessfully kept clams, lived a couple of years, but I had my nitrates at around 40ppm. They feed on nitrates, as do my plants, so they managed to survive. I wouldn't recommend having nitrates at 40ppm, as it may stress more sensitive fish, and definately will stress out other inverts.

Just my thoughts.

[ncbuckeye]

I have sucessfully kept clams, lived a couple of years, but I had my nitrates at around 40ppm. They feed on nitrates, as do my plants, so they managed to survive. I wouldn't recommend having nitrates at 40ppm, as it may stress more sensitive fish, and definately will stress out other inverts.

Just my thoughts.

That sounds like the answer I was looking for, I'd like em, but for their health I won't get any right now.

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

The other theing they do is eliminate the possibility of using any copper based meds in your tank as well. Very little will kill Inverts faster than copper.

[cocoa_pleco]

The other theing they do is eliminate the possibility of using any copper based meds in your tank as well. Very little will kill Inverts faster than copper.

ditto with that, copper meds will kill inverts and corals lickity split