General Clam keeping info, tips, etc. for beginners.

[TexasTodd]

Hey all, I read through many of the maast clam threads, including the species specific, and felt some over all info might be good. Especially for new reefers looking to get a clam.

I'm sure Ace and others can add quite a bit, but here's some off the top of my head:

1. Personally, I wouldn't keep a clam in a system under about 24 gallons, and then, only if you're very experienced. For a newbie, 55 gallon min.
2. They need high quality environments with good parameters, stable temp, good lighting, and are not for a new tank. I would wait a minimum of 3-4 months on a new system before placing one. Please understand, this does NOT mean 3-4 months in to your foray in to reefing, it means 3-4 months, on a new aquarium, for an experienced reefer. I'd say more like 6-9 months of reefing without any major problems for a newbie.
3. They can put a huge demand on minerals in your system; especially the larger Squamosa, Derasa, and Gigas.
4. Corcea and Maximas grow pretty slowly and do not get that big. These are unlikely to outgrow a tank.
5. Yes, some get big and it doesn't take that long! Correct me if wrong all, but here's my knowledge of max size: Crocea 10" or so, Maxima 12" or so, Squmosa 18", Derasa 24", Gigas 48"++. The last three grow very quickly with a good supportive system.
6. Growth, I've seen approximately the following growth in a year: Crocea maybe 1-2", Maxima 2+", Squamosa 30-50% or more 5" could be 8-9" in one year, Derasa, 5"+ a 5" could be 9"+ in one year, Gigas 6"+ go from 3" to 8-9" in one year. Theydo slow down as they get bigger, but they get wide too.
7. Based on #6, many clams are unwanted by their owners inside 12-18 months as they start to destroy rock work and outgrow their "spot". The three largest can move around and do.
8. Crocea should be on a rock and high up in tank, lots of light needed similar to highest light sps corals. Maxima like medium high, can be on sand or rock. Squamosa need pretty good light and sometimes do better on rock on sand bed. Derasa can take Medium to high light and are usually fine on sand once bigger. Gigas can get by with somewhat lower light, but can handle high (24" deep, 400w halide etc.) without any problems too.
9. Small (meaning young) clams do better placed on rock (helps keep some pests away), are more dependent on feeding from their owners. They can be removed and placed in a bowl of aquarium water with phyto, or, target fed with cut off plastic soda bottle and rig to dispense phyto in to container after placement over clam. You should feed a new/young clam at least 3x a week until 3-5" depending on species.
10. Don't buy a clam under 3" until you've successfully kept others.
11. Don't take a freshly added clam from a LFS. If you're worried it will be gone, pay the store for it, and ask them to keep and guarantee it for around 2 weeks. If they won't do this, go to another store.
12. As with fish and corals, the BEST place to buy one is from another local reefer that has been kept for at least 3 months.
13. My personal experience on ease of keeping would rank them as follows, from easiest to most difficult: Derasa, Gigas, Squamosa, Crocea, Maxima. Ace can "fit" Hypocampus in as I've never kept one.
14. You CAN kill a clam pretty easily but not giving it proper adjustment to significantly higher light.
15. Clams can spawn in captivity and the three largest can CRASH your system by massive release of eggs/sperm turning your water super milky.
16. A big clam in a shallow tank can squirt a substancial amount of water up and out of your tank, possibly destroying lighting and other electronics.
17. They pull nitrates from your water!

Todd

[tebstan]

17. They pull nitrates from your water!

I need more clams!

Thanks Todd, that's helpful info in a very concise list. When I bought my first clam no one told me they were difficult to keep in a newer tank. I've been lucky. After reading a book about them I realized I didn't even have what I thought... and I still forget and get them confused. Maybe a list of easy ways to ID would be a good addition to this thread? Once you know what to look for, Squamosa and Derasa are easy to tell apart. Crocea and Maxima, though, I still get mixed up.

[Europhyllia]

Just in case anybody would like to read more on them we do have a super informative and up-to-date book on clams in the MAAST library available to charter members for check out.
It's a relatively new book and may make people rethink some of the old 'wisdoms' and gain some new ones.

[Troy Valentine]

Great post Todd. Keeping a clam is a long term commitment. I have a 8-9" Tear Drop Maxima that i've kept for over 9 years. They can become incredibly resilient to the stupid mistakes we hobbiest make through the years.

[TexasTodd]

Thanks Troy, how about a photo of your big clam?

Ace or Troy or another maastard may be better at describing how to identify each. Tebstan, you actually listed the two I have the hardest telling apart LOL. Derasa and Squamosa, both can vary quite a bit in color.

Forgot to mention that Squamosa is the one that can have the most variance in color. Bar none my most regretted unpurchased coral was a bright yellow Squamosa I saw on DFS about 4 years ago. And I mean full on, solid bright yellow. It was available and I waited....then it was gone. Never seen anything like it since even in detailed tanks, books, etc.

Todd

[Pennies2Cents]

great info...