Anyone have Cleaner clams??!!

[gmerek2]

Tempted to buy cleaner clams. I heard some can even be bought at the local food market. Suppose to help with nitrates. Good for refugiums.

[flooddc]

I tried it once from local market. They lasted 3 days and all died. Luckily it was in a separate tank. I suppose you can try. Just make sure you set up a QT.

[dbartco]

Most are cold water clams you are putting into a tropical tank. Life expectancy is minimal, and can pollute the tank. Not IMO advisable. 

[gmerek2]

Yea nitrate storm likely eventually. No thanks!

[AlanM]

http://www.ipsf.com/sandbedclams.html

 

Sells sandbed clams, but Im not sure that is what you wanted.

[zygote2k]

the only way clams can help reduce nitrates is to have hundreds of them.

stick with proper feeding and water changes and you wont have nitrate issues.

[SunWyrm]

I had bought a clam from the supermarket for my mantis shrimp. It buried itself in the sand and my chiragra showed no interest. Chiragra died back in November of last year. I don't remember exactly when I got this thing for my mantis shrimp, but it grew half an inch since. (I just lost it a couple weeks ago.)

 

More to the point it didn't have a noticeable impact in water quality (til it died). Just sat in the sand being an ugly little clam.

[gmerek2]

the only way clams can help reduce nitrates is to have hundreds of them.

stick with proper feeding and water changes and you wont have nitrate issues.

+1 my macro algae barely put a dent in my nitrates but every bit counts plus Its one more cool organism to have in a system.

[TheyCallMeMr.703]

I have some random small clan that was on a rock wayyyyyy back when. It has now doubled size, I thought the thing was dead really.lol but to this day he lives and chills in his spot.

[sam75]

I bought some clams from the supermarket years back. As I was tossing his brothers in a pot of butter and garlic I decided to spare one and put it in my refugium. He buried himself in the sand and lived for 6 months to a year. Didn't really seem to have a noticeable impact on nitrates, but every time I looked at him it made me feel a little guilty... a bit like the Walrus and the Carpenter.

[gmerek2]

Lol you guys are crazyyyy. We need to go save all the clams from safeway. when these clams die do they at least surface from sand and open up to give you warning that they are about to send ammonia and nitrate storms as they decompose? that way if I get a free one I can just keep an eye on it. But if they die under the sand bed undetected that can mean trouble.

[zygote2k]

If a solitary clam dies, it's nothing to worry about for water chemistry. 

I suggest you start reading up on the nitrogen cycle for a better understanding of this process.

you might try reading some books like "The Modern Coral Reef Aquarium" for starters.

[gmerek2]

Sounds good