Do I need to feed tridacnid clams?
Delbeek and Sprung noted that for many years, Tridacnid clams have been grown successfully in both culture systems and home aquaria without any supplemental feedings. They noted that bacteria, organic and inorganic compounds are always present in the water of closed systems (like our tanks), and these may be consumed or absorbed by the clams.
What do you feed your giant clams?
Feeding small particle foods such as phytoplankton will help to boost health and promote the growth of your giant clams. The PhycoPure Zooxanthellae from Algagen is the first and only product of its kind. It contains a blend live zooxanthellae algae.
What is the mariculture of tridacnid clams?
The mariculture of tridacnid clams was begun to re-stock areas where the clams had been eliminated, and to provide a farm raised source of clams for food. A portion of the farm raised clams now goes to the aquarium trade.
How often should I Feed my maxima clam?
This process works as the maxima clam grows. You just cut down the frequency of the feeding. Once the maxima’s 4 inches (10.2cm), drop down to 2-3 times a week. And at “adult” size? You CAN offer food once a week if you want. Just keep an eye on your water quality. You don’t want to end up with excess nutrients fouling things.
What do I feed clams?
Clams eat plankton, algae, and other organic matter. Clams eat algae, zooplankton, phytoplankton, and other organic matter that passes through their filtration system. These mollusks are omnivores that eat both plants and animals, albeit in their smallest forms.
How fast do tridacna clams grow?
maxima are very slow growing; they reach 100 mm shell length in about five years old, 150 mm shell length in nearly 10 years old, and 200 mm shell length and more in about 15 to 20 years old.
What do you feed Derasa clams?
If it is under four inches, feeding is required for Derasa Clams. Smaller clams need to be fed phytoplankton a few times per week to keep them alive. When the clam gets larger it is still beneficial to feed the clam phytoplankton or just add it to the tank, especially if your nutrients are close to zero.
How long do tridacna clams live?
Tridacna clams can live to be 30 years and older. To make sure they reach this lifespan in your aquarium, we have a few tips on caring for these beautiful reef inhabitants.
How big do Tridacna clams get?
Tridacna Crocea is the slowest growing and smallest giant clam species, only reaching 6 inches in size. Much like Maximas, they can be found in large congregations and come in striped/spotted/blotched patterns consisting of blue, green, gold, tan, purple, brown, and orange colors.
Do clams like high flow?
FME, clams do not like a ton of flow. They do not want their mantles bothered. However, they do need flow to keep clean and get particulates from the water column.
Do you have to feed clams?
However, just like any animal, clams need sufficient nutrition to stay healthy and grow. Clams often live off the products of photosynthetic creatures in their environment but aquarium clams may still require supplemental feeding depending on your exact setup, hours of light exposure, filter type etc.
How fast does a Derasa clam grow?
The Derasa Clam is the most widely available and hardy of the Tridacna clams. This species is one of the largest of the "giant" clams, and grows rapidly, reaching a maximum size of approximately 20 inches. Under the proper conditions, smaller Derasa Clams can double or triple their size in less than a year.
How do you keep clams alive?
Keep them that way by storing them properly. Never store them in plastic: They'll suffocate. (That's why most come in a mesh bag.) Instead, place them in a colander set over a shallow dish, cover with a damp towel, and store in the coldest part of your fridge.
How much light does a clam need?
150 watts of (14k) metal halides would be the minimum “safe” amount of lighting. They will do even better under a 250 watt or 400 watt metal halide. If you are using 250 watts and above, you can place the Crocea even deeper in your tank, or even use 20k bulbs.
What is the easiest clams to keep?
Today though the information and technology available make keeping these beautiful specimens a lot easier! The Tridacna Species of clam is the best for saltwater aquariums. Tridacna Squamosa and Tridacna Derasa are the best clams for beginners, requiring lower light & water quality conditions to thrive.
How can u tell how old a clam is?
Clams grow in seasons when the water is warm (April-October). You can count the growth rings like you would age a tree. Count the darkest rings, each ring represents 1 year. Now it's your turn!
How do you breed tridacna clams?
Reproduction/How to Breed Tridacna Clams in an Aquaculture SettingPlace the clam into a bin on it's own.Inject the calm with serotonin.The clam will then expel sperm into the water column.The sperm should then be removed and placed into the spawning tank.More items...
Can clams reproduce in aquarium?
the only time you can breed clams are probably in large scale aquaculture. very rare to have a clams release sperm and eggs in aquarium, create the larvea, getting through that stage, feeding them the planktons, and to finally raise them.
How do giant clams reproduce?
As they cannot fertilise themselves, they reproduce through broadcast spawning. When an egg is release, this triggers nearby giant clams to swell their mantles and contract their adductor muscles. This causes the clams to fill with water containing broadcasted sperm and eggs.
How do you breed clams?
Spawning. When clams spawn they release eggs or sperm into the water column, where fertilization takes place. Spawning is induced by alternately heating and cooling the clams in a water bath. Sperm or eggs from a sacrificed clam also can be used to stimulate spawning.
Nutrient Acquisition in the Sea
Tridacnids filter feed by drawing water into their bodies through their inhalant siphon, which is the larger slit-like opening in their mantle.
Nutrient Acquisition in the Aquarium
As explained above, well-illuminated tridacnids can acquire all the C/E they need from their zooxanthellae, can absorb nutrients from seawater, and can feed on their own zooxanthellae in the sea. They can filter out and make use of fine detritus particles, too.
Feeding and Growth
If water quality and lighting are up to par and a tridacnid is getting all the nutrients it needs, you should start seeing at least a little new shell material being added on within a few weeks, if not sooner. However, you need to keep in mind that some tridacnids grow very slowly, even under optimal conditions.
Other Opinions
In order to beat a dead horse just a little longer, here are the words of a few well-respected authors in the hobby: Calfo (2001) says “Many clams have been maintained for years in aquaria without any deliberate feeding, but rather dependent upon light and dissolved compounds.” Knop (1996) states that “Altogether the food requirements of clams is so small that a special feeding scheme for them is superfluous if the tank is populated with a fair number of fish, especially if corals are regularly fed.
Keeping the Derasa Clam
Just about any reef aquarist will, at some point, wish to keep tridacnid clams in their system. Their colors rival those of any coral. They have an incredibly exotic appearance (even their shells look cool). And (at least for most tridacnid species) they may be kept on the bottom over the substrate, which is a …
Squamosa Clams for the Intermediate Level Aquarist
For many aquarium hobbyists, acquiring and displaying a beautiful tridacnid clam is one of the most definitive milestones in their mastery of the art. While these strange and beautiful bivalve mollusks are a real pleasure to have, they are perhaps even more challenging to keep than most coral species.
Keeping Hippopus Clams
Particularly since the advent of clam farming, tridacnid clams (Family Tridacninae) have been steadily gaining both in popularity and presence within the aquarium hobby.
3 Tips for Keeping Maxima Clams
For a couple of decades now, tridacnid or “giant” clams (genera Tridacna and Hippopus) have been regarded as the cherries on top of any well-constructed and well-maintained reef aquarium. Though there have been a couple of newcomers along the way, most members of the relatively small family Tridacnidae have been available in the trade all …
Derasa Clam Care
The Derasa Clam (Tridacna derasa) is the second-largest clam of the Tridacna clams. It is also one of the easier clams to care for. This clam can grow to about 20 inches in captivity. They typically have a brown gold coloration with white stripes or spots. It may also have bright blue along the outline …
Keeping Clams in the Reef Tank
I remember getting about six months to a year into this hobby, thinking I knew everything about proper water parameters, lighting, dosing, and keeping a reef tank in general. Or, at least enough to keep most coral alive. I had zoanthid, leather, and ricordea colonies thriving and my rose Bubble Tips had never looked better, …
A Brief Rundown of Each Species
Four common species are kept in home aquaria. Here is a quick description of each:
Body Structure of Giant Clams
Although clams seem like a simple animal, they have complex organs. Each have gills, a stomach, a heart, kidneys, gonads, siphons, mantles, byssus gland, byssal threads, hyaline organs, eyes, and more. Corals do not possess these, so they require far fewer calories than clams do to survive.
Water Parameters
This is the first place many aquarists will fail. Clams need a tank that has stable salinity (SG of 1.023-1.025) , alkalinity (9-12 dKH), calcium (380-450 PPM), pH (8.1-8.3), nitrates (2-20), strontium (6-10 PPM, utilized in shell growth), and iodine (0.04-0.08 PPM).
Table of Contents: Maxima Clam Care
Who knows which is the most appealing part about maxima clams? Their size, color, or the array of patterns you can find? No matter what you feel calling out to you, you can’t go wrong. Well, you CAN – if you don’t understand the care needs of this champion bivalve.
Quick Facts
Common Names: Maxima clam, Small giant clam, Elongate giant clam, Great clam, Rugose clam, Ultra maxima clam, Blue maxima, Golden maxima, Teardrop maxima, Black and white maxima, Zebra maxima
Description of the Maxima Clam
Looking at a mature maxima clam in an aquarium, you can’t help but marvel at the size. No wonder people call them “great clams.” But they’re the THIRD largest of the giant clam species out there.
Maxima Clam Lifespan
It’s common to come upon “colonies” of maxima clams throughout the Indo-Pacific. The mollusks show up in crystal clear waters that snorkelers prefer around Australia, India, Polynesia, and east Africa. And if you dive around the Red Sea, you’ll come across solid blue varieties. The warm, shallow water is the perfect environment for these mollusks.
Creating the Ideal Maxima World
Maxima clams are easy enough to find. Simply jump into the water anywhere around the Indo-Pacific. The bivalves make their home in shallow, CLEAR waters. If you can think of a tropical getaway, odds are you’ll find the colorful mantles tucked into rocky crevices along the reef. Maximas prefer areas with a strong current.
Maxima Clam Diet
Maxima clams receive meals from two sources: zooxanthellae and filter-feeding. In the mornings, they open the mantle to provide as much light as possible to the symbiotic algae. They also position themselves in high currents to obtain the best planktonic “snow.” When the sun sets? The mantle closes, and they “rest” for the night.
Maxima Clam Behavior and Tank Mates
Hobbyists love maxima clams for their beauty. The array of colors and patterns – especially with the available commercial farming operations – mean endless opportunities for your reef tank. And while they’re not the most ACTIVE additions to an aquarium, you’ll still get to see the mantle open and close.
Aquarium Coral Reefs Articles
Get some laughs with this seriously funny care sheet on the Aiptasia Glass Anemones!
Giant Clam Care
All of the above is true when speaking of a clam that is already well adapted to your aquarium. As with all pets (in your tank or otherwise), they must be taken care of properly in order to actually live up to those claims. Once established a giant clam makes an awesome addition to a reef aquarium.
Nutrient Acquisition in The Sea
Nutrient Acquisition in The Aquarium
- As explained above, well-illuminated tridacnids can acquire all the C/E they need from their zooxanthellae, can absorb nutrients from seawater, and can feed on their own zooxanthellae in the sea. They can filter out and make use of fine detritus particles, too. So, the question here is whether or not these methods can provide them with sufficient nutrients to forgo the need for a…
Feeding and Growth
- If water quality and lighting are up to par and a tridacnid is getting all the nutrients it needs, you should start seeing at least a little new shell material being added on within a few weeks, if not sooner. However, you need to keep in mind that some tridacnids grow very slowly, even under optimal conditions. For example, Tridacna croceamay grow less than 1mm per month, even in th…
The “Three Inch” Myth
- I have read and been told at some time or another that all tridacnids must be fed phytoplankton for long-term survival. Obviously, this is utter nonsense. However, much more frequently, hobbyists bring up the “three inch” rule, which sounds much more reasonable, but is also nonsense. So, let me kill this one off, too. For several years I’ve heard that any tridacnids under a…
Other Opinions
- In order to beat a dead horsejust a little longer, here are the words of a few well-respected authors in the hobby: Calfo (2001) says “Many clams have been maintained for years in aquaria without any deliberate feeding, but rather dependent upon light and dissolved compounds.” Knop (1996) states that “Altogether the food requirements of clams is so small that a special feeding schem…
References
- Ambariyanto and O. Hoegh-Guldberg. 1999. Net Uptake of dissolved free amino acids by the giant clam Tridacna maxima: alternative sources of energy and nitrogen. Coral Reefs18:91-96.
- Belda, C.A. and D. Yellowlees. 1995. Phosphate acquisition in the giant clam-zooxanthellae symbiosis. Marine Biology124:261-266.
- Calfo, A. 2001. Book of Coral Propagation, Volume One: Reef Gardening for Aquarists. Readin…
- Ambariyanto and O. Hoegh-Guldberg. 1999. Net Uptake of dissolved free amino acids by the giant clam Tridacna maxima: alternative sources of energy and nitrogen. Coral Reefs18:91-96.
- Belda, C.A. and D. Yellowlees. 1995. Phosphate acquisition in the giant clam-zooxanthellae symbiosis. Marine Biology124:261-266.
- Calfo, A. 2001. Book of Coral Propagation, Volume One: Reef Gardening for Aquarists. Reading Trees, Monroeville, PA. 450pp.
- Delbeek, J.C. and J. Sprung. 1994. The Reef Aquarium: Volume One. Ricordea Publishing, Coconut Grove, FL. 544pp.
