davjbeas December 20, 2006 Share December 20, 2006 Hello, I have been wanting a clam. I have heard that an angelfish will destroy clams. My flame angel jumped out of the tank and is dead. My current live stock in my 75 gallon mixed reef are 1) yellow tang 2) lawnmower blenny 3) psuedochromis/ purple dottyback 4)Pygmy/ Cherub anglefish 5) clark clownfish 6) green bubbletip anenome 7) skunk cleaner shrimp 8) sallylightfoot crab snails/hermits SPS, LPS Is it safe to add a clam? Thanks in advance, David 6) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsaavedra December 20, 2006 Share December 20, 2006 Hello, I have been wanting a clam. I have heard that an angelfish will destroy clams. My flame angel jumped out of the tank and is dead. My current live stock in my 75 gallon mixed reef are 1) yellow tang 2) lawnmower blenny 3) psuedochromis/ purple dottyback 4)Pygmy/ Cherub anglefish 5) clark clownfish 6) green bubbletip anenome 7) skunk cleaner shrimp 8) sallylightfoot crab snails/hermits SPS, LPS Is it safe to add a clam? Thanks in advance, David 6) I don't see why not, but as a word of advice pygmy angels have been known to nip at clam mantles. Now I had pygmy angels with clams before with no problems, once again is a gamble, I heard people saying it didn't work out for them. Raf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gatortailale December 20, 2006 Share December 20, 2006 Outside of the Pygmy/ Cherub anglefish, my quick review didn't alert me to any other potential clam nippers. I have Squamosa in my mixed reef with Emperor, majestic, potters & flame and no problems for 5+ months with it in there. However, I don't know your system & didn't see what you said you have for lighting. From most light demanding to least Maxima Crocea Squomosa Durasa Gigas H. Hip. Good one to start with is Durasa. Find one 3-5 inches w/ quick reaction time. Unless you are in rush, you may want to wait until after Jan. 20 and Barry's lecture on clams at next Qtr. meeting. See Squammy behind cap & left of Emp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davjbeas December 20, 2006 Author Share December 20, 2006 (edited) Ok, so probably the only fish that I should be concerned about is the cherub anglefish. And it is a gamble..... It doesnt nip at anything else so maybe it would work out. Would a clam be safe in a tank with a snowflake moray eel? It would be under PC bulbs. I've never had a clam before. But my reef is very stable for a year. David the eel tank and the reef are 2 seperate tanks. Edited December 20, 2006 by davjbeas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dzekunoi December 20, 2006 Share December 20, 2006 (edited) My Flame angel is a pest for SPS but does not touch clams - go figure :( And I'm not sure if you can keep a clam under PC light - maybe only hippocampus (sp?) but they grow huge fast. Edited December 20, 2006 by dzekunoi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie97L December 20, 2006 Share December 20, 2006 i'd say your biggest risk is the pygmy angel, because it's established. often they will ignore something that is in the tank when they are introduced, but everything after is food. however, your pygmy is one of the better behaved, as well. just watch it, and be ready to take the clam out if necessary. watch the sally lightfoot as well... crustaceons have been known to hasten attach clams that aren't doing well... i know my cleaner shrimp started in on my squammy before i even knew it was having issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davjbeas December 20, 2006 Author Share December 20, 2006 My lighting for the reef tank is 250watt DE metal halides 10K with t5 actinics. the tank is a standard 75 gallon RR tank. There is pleanty of light. Are they equal with the difficulty of keeping them? and just different with light requirements? I should probably go with one that can handle a lot of light. The eel tank is really just a satelite tank off the same sump that i an using as a refugium/ eel tank it is 10 gallons and under PC lights. I would prefer the clam to go in the reef tank. I am thinking I will get a clam next tuesday. Is one species better for the light i have? or is the durasa the best one for my setup. David B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie97L December 20, 2006 Share December 20, 2006 My lighting for the reef tank is 250watt DE metal halides 10K with t5 actinics. the tank is a standard 75 gallon RR tank. There is pleanty of light. Are they equal with the difficulty of keeping them? and just different with light requirements? I should probably go with one that can handle a lot of light. The eel tank is really just a satelite tank off the same sump that i an using as a refugium/ eel tank it is 10 gallons and under PC lights. I would prefer the clam to go in the reef tank. I am thinking I will get a clam next tuesday. Is one species better for the light i have? or is the durasa the best one for my setup. David B. they will all be able to handle the light, but a deresa is the hardiest overall. i'd start with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsaavedra December 20, 2006 Share December 20, 2006 The eel tank is really just a satelite tank off the same sump that i an using as a refugium/ eel tank it is 10 gallons and under PC lights. I would prefer the clam to go in the reef tank. None of my business but I think is way too little for a snowflake eel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davjbeas December 21, 2006 Author Share December 21, 2006 Well, the eel mostly stays within the rocks. He is not very big. I had one before that got out of the tank and ended up dead. this tanks top is sealed and he cannot get out. he has been there for a year. I feed him prime reef every day. There is one option though. I could put him in a 55 gallon fish only with live rock tank that has an adult dog faced puffer, diamond goby, gold striped clown, yellow tail damsels. however the eels do not see well, and it might not get enough food in the larger tank because of competition. I will think on it for now.\\ David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davelin315 December 21, 2006 Share December 21, 2006 Hey Inna, I think you meant hippopus (hippocampus is a seahorse!). As far as your systems, Dave, here's my advice. Your eel may get eaten by your puffer as I remember it being fairly small, so I wouldn't put it in there. It will most likely get the food it needs, but eels aren't as smart as you'd want them to be and an eel that small would look like a worm to that puffer of yours. I would avoid putting the clam into the tiny little tank because if I remember correctly it had a smaller light on it. The smaller the clam, the less light it requires (I believe it's somewhere around 2.5" that a clam becomes more dependent on light than filter feeding). You'd be fine with a tiny clam in there which would make it more dependent on spot feeding, but for a larger clam you'd struggle with survival with the minimal lighting of that tank. In your main tank, any clam would do just fine. For the larger ones, which are easier to keep because of the lighting requirements in your case (meaning you have enough light), you should actually choose based on habits. By this I mean that certain types of clams like certain areas of the tank. You have a large sized crush coral bottom so that rules out certain types of clams such as the derasa (at least in my opinion). Tridacna derasa prefer to live in a sandy bottom, same as Tridacna gigas and Tridacna squamosa. They burrow into the sand with their foot and attach their byssal threads to the bottom of the tank. These are typically the clams that have more of a brown coloration and need less light. Tridacna maxima and Tridacna crocea are rock living clams, meaning they should be placed in the rockwork. Croceas will actually burrow into the rock and if left to their own devices from the time they are born, are often completely embedded in the rock. They secrete an enzyme which dissolves the rock and also move their shells back and forth and rub their way into the rock. Maximas I don't think do this, but rather stay more on top of the rock itself (the difference in the shells is that maximas have much more pronounced scutes than croceas). I've seen many people who keep them in small dishes of sand, but honestly, the best way to keep a clam is in its natural environment. If you try and keep a maxima or a crocea in the sand, it won't be as happy as it can be and if you try to keep a derasa, squamosa, or gigas in the rock, it may hop off the rock and go tumbling down (as will a crocea or maxima that is not happy where it is). Also, placement is important because of where these clams will position themselves. For instance, I once had a maxima that attached itself to a rock and then became turned sideways. It's shell grew in a funny direction because it tried to reach towards the light and then it was unable to close its shell because of the growth pattern. Some good (and quick!) reading is available here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/cav1i3/Clam_care/Clam_care.htm. It's by Barry Neigut who is coming here in January. My recommendation having seen your tank, go with a crocea or a maxima, but do so with caution because of your corals, not your fish so much. Angels might pick on your clams (I had clams in a tank with a flame, coral beauty, lemon peel, shepards, melas, none of them ever picked on the clams - might have been dumb luck...), but I'd be more concerned about your corals. That galaxea coral you have elinates a significant chunk of your tank and you have some others that have some nasty sweepers as well (the lps come to mind). These pose the greatest risk, in my opinion, to your clams, as do some of the fast growing soft corals like the xenia (I had xenia overrun a clam and before I realized it, the clam had died off because the xenia had fully shaded it without me noticing). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dzekunoi December 21, 2006 Share December 21, 2006 Hey Inna, I think you meant hippopus (hippocampus is a seahorse!). Totally I'm all about them horses this days! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gatortailale December 21, 2006 Share December 21, 2006 H. Hippopus is a clam - see: http://www.clamsdirect.com/store/home.php?cat=8 Your lights should be fine. Since this will be first clam, you may want to pick up the new clam book BRK is stocking by James Fatherree. I would also, as noted by me above, start with durasa as your first clam. Not as attractive as maxima or crocea, but a little more forgiving / easier to care for. Should be just fine on your sandbed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davjbeas December 21, 2006 Author Share December 21, 2006 Wow, that is a lot of info. Thanks Davelin for the suggestions. You are right abouth those sweeper tentacles. The one spot I have where I would feel safe putting a clam is on the florida crushed coral substrate(bottom of tank) where i have a maze brain now. BTW the other night I noticed the maze brain has tiny sweeper tentacles. not nearly as long as the galaxia, maybe a half inch long. I never noticed them before. I don't think I will try the clams that go on rocks. So that leaves the tank bottom which is not fine sand but crushed coral. So that means durasa, maybe. Or maybe no clams are suitable with my substrate? David B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davelin315 December 21, 2006 Share December 21, 2006 Personally, I would put it in a dish of sand if you're going to do the derasa. My first clams were maximas and croceas and the derasa was the last type of clam I got. More light demanding, but generalized care is not that much of an issue as your tank has been very healthy and your sps are doing really well. I believe that your tank is ready for any type of clam as long as you place it properly, having seen your tank on several different occasions. You are able to supply it with everything that it needs nutrient and lighting wise. Derasas are, as stated above, easier to keep, but again, if you can keep more difficult sps happy, then you should do fine with a clam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now