Clams!

[Scrup]

Well I have had these guys for about 10 months now, thought I would share some pics. I am by no means an expert, just hoping to pass something along someone else may find useful. This is just what I have picked up in the short time I have had them.

The larger half of the shell is the side they breathe/feed from. That is the side you check to see if they are alive. Sometimes it takes a few dunks in the water to get them to squirt.
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This little guy just passed, not even smelling yet. I have only lost 2 so far, and this only furthers my theory that they starved to death, as it has always been a day or two after I make the other tank residents fast.

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You can see the breathing..um...tubey thing here. Sorry its early.

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Healthy clams will have their shells shut tight when you disturb them

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This is the end they will squirt you out of. Been hit plenty of times in the face. 100% proof they are alive.

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They are great in ponds, but not a lot to see in the tank, as they will bury themselves and you will just see a tiny little part of a shell sticking out. The other downside to having them in the aquarium is, if they die, you probably wont know it until you get a horrible smell and a huge ammonia spike. I don't advise them for the casual aquariust. I have these for my pond, and only my pond.

Some people suggest feeding them saltwater clam food, I simply crush up goldfish food and put it in the filter return so it gets shot into the water before the goldfish eat it.

[Red]

Do you target feed them? Very nice clams! How often to do you check to see if they are alive?

[Scrup]

Thank you!

I check em weekly when I do my water change, and no I have never target fed them. Just sprinkle the food in the water. From what I understand they eat the microorganisms that eat the crushed food, and not the food itself. They also can clear a pea soup pond in about a day, so I am fairly sure they eat any small organics in the water.

[EmmanuelJB]

Very Nice Pictures! Are those the same clams that you find in lakes? If so could you take clams for a lake and put them in an aquarium?

The reason im asking is because they are illegal to sell for aquariums in Maine, so if I took 4 out of the lake who would ever know?
If you can take them out of the lake could I put them in my 10 gallon divided betta tank? If not could I set a five gallon and put a few in there?
The main thing im concerned about is them being full of parasites.

[Oskar]

That's great! I have always wanted to keep them,but have heard they are difficult to keep alive in tanks,and I don't have a pond.
Thanks for the info.

[UncleWillie]

I strongly suggest to anyone reading this thread to do some research before just plucking 'clams' from the water and taking them home. These are not clams - they are freshwater mussels - one of the most (if not the most) vulnerable taxa of aquatic organisms in the US. These are bivalves, unionids...
In most states, it is ILLEGAL to take any native mussel from any body of water without the proper permits. There are many imperiled mussels out there and must not be taken from the wild.

Now, Asian clams (Corbicula sp) are very distinct, short lived, and obviously exotic. They do not require the same processes for reproduction as many of the native mussels do. If you took these from the wild - who cares.

This being said, I suggest everyone do some research. This means find out what species are in your area, which ones are vulnerable to exploitation, and the legality of taking mussels from the wild. Please?

[Scrup]

I got mine from a store...but good advice!

[Scrup]

Very Nice Pictures! Are those the same clams that you find in lakes? If so could you take clams for a lake and put them in an aquarium?

The reason im asking is because they are illegal to sell for aquariums in Maine, so if I took 4 out of the lake who would ever know?
If you can take them out of the lake could I put them in my 10 gallon divided betta tank? If not could I set a five gallon and put a few in there?
The main thing im concerned about is them being full of parasites.


They probably would have parasites, and a 10 gallon would most likely not have enough food to keep them alive.

[annageckos]

The problem with keeping clams or mussles in a tank is that they need 'dirty' water. The eat all kinds of microorangisams and the average aquarium does not have enough food to keep them alive. A pond would be great though. Also, mussles have a parasitic larval stage where they attach to fish's gills.

[UncleWillie]

Scrup, glad to hear. I was mostly targeting anyone who after reading this thread would have a desire to go out and start grabbing things out of their local streams, etc. Sorry - it was not my intention to disrupt your thread. I am glad to see that you are getting good survival from these guys.
i hate that ou have some dead ones, but shuck them out - you will see that the nacre in many mussels are quite beautiful (some more than others). If they are exposed to too much light they will loose this color. But fresh-dead mussel shells make great decor for tanks. My tanks are littered with some freshdeads that I collected over the years during field work.

[TempestCustom]

i actually bought some from my LFS,i had a feeling they were there and i went and they were!!! 3 and they are about 2"across . one passed. i keep them with my convict since he is a pig. i love them lol.. mine havnt burried though. why? they just stay on top and open up to eat