Tank Size For Freshwater Clam

[Nekohime]

Can you keep one or two clams in a 3g tank? I would, of course, let the tank age properly and get nice and green. Also, when buying an invertebrate food to feed the clam, do I buy a phytoplankton mixture or a zooplankton mixture? All help appreciated.

[Nekohime]

Hello? Was this a stupid question or something?

[Cliff]

It could be that not too many members who have logged in since you started this thread actually have experiance with FW claims.

[SunSchein89]

For example: I don't know much more than they like to burrow and you almost never see them.... good luck, though, hopefully someone else with some experience will be able to answer your questions... or try google

[mermaidwannabe]

For any poster who is sincerely trying to learn something, there's no such thing as a stupid question, here. There may just not be enough people who know the answer to help you.

Please don't be afraid to ask ... I, too, am curious about this, as when I get my 65-gallon up and running, and aged appropriately, I would like to try FW clams.

Much success to you.

-- mermaidwannabe

[sheamurai]

I saw your post and didn't answer even tho I have experience with clams simply because I don't know the answer for your particular circumstance.

However, seeing as I'm all you have so far, here is my opinion.

I don't think the tank "being nice and green" is beneficial for clams. They are filter feeders, not algae eaters. If anything, algae would be using up nutrients the clam might require, so "nice and green" could even be detrimental to clams. Again, I don't know, which is why I didn't offer my opinion in the first place.

In the second place, a 3 gal is awfully small. In that small a tank I doubt there would be enough micronutrients to keep a clam alive, let alone more than one. So you talk about feeding it - I never fed mine as it was in a large tank and there was plenty of micronutrients. I'm not even sure if they require phyto(plant)plankton or zoo(animal)plankton. You would also have to provide some kind of flow to help your clam filter, I would think.

Any feeding however, increases your maintenance, as you will have poor quality water if nothing is using up any excess nutrients.

For your clam to be "happy as a clam" lol, you would also want enough substrate so it could bury itself.

I would be googling wildlife sites and Fish forums to see what FW clams are eating and base my decision on that.

Again, the above is just my opinion, as I have never kept clams in the set up you are proposing.

good luck

[Nekohime]

Thanks, everyone, for replying. :-) I really appreciate your input. I think I'll follow your suggestion, Sheamurai, and google a few sites and then wing it from there. If it doesn't sound like it'll work, I'll do the clams a favor and let someone who can properly take care of them buy them. :-) Feel a little guilty asking about this now since I just had clam chowder yesterday . . .

[sheamurai]

lol
farmers still have to provide good care to cattle, even if they are just going to end up on the barby...LOL

[SunSchein89]

lol
farmers still have to provide good care to cattle, even if they are just going to end up on the barby...LOL

...unfortunately that depends entirely on the farmer. A lot of America's corn fed beef is not kept in the best conditions