Nano Clams

[Yohimbe]

The Nano anemone post was actualy very helpful for me so I'll ask
another silly question: are any of the Tridacna clams suitable for a 29 gal
tank? My first worry would be are there any of the "giant" clams that stay
relativly small and would not require moving to a gazillion gallon tank
in several years?
Secondly, would 130 watts of PC lighting in a fairly shallow tank be
suitable for any such clam?

Thanks for the great info here btw, its much appreciated.

Yohimbe

 

[Scoopy]

I have not heard that you can keep clams under any but halide, but it probably has been done. Someone should chime in that has more experience.

Sam

 

[camaroracer214]

i have 6 clams total. 5 in my 90 under t5ho, and 1 in my 24 cube under metal halide. you can certainly have them under t5ho, but they, like all corals, will do best under the most intense light available.

the only problem with clams in a nano is their potential size and their insatiable appetite for calcium. if you want a clam in a nano, either stick with small clams that you can move to a larger tank, or stick with t. crocea since they only get 6" long maximum. all the other clams get over 20".

 

[Anonymous]

T. Maxima does not grow to 20"
This is a 12 gallon, and you'll note the T. maxima in the upper left corner of the photo. He's under two 24w PC.s, and thrived in this tank until I took it down in order to move out of state.

I don't recommend this for a beginner, just FYI, it's possible.

Had I not had this clam available from a larger system in my home, I probably wouldn't have done this. I certainly wouldn't have gone out and purchased a 5" maxima for this system. I was forced to go to a smaller tank though, and was hesitant to part with him, so I figured I'd give it a go. Contrary to just about anything you'll read or advice you'll hear online, this clam thrived and grew in this setup.

Careful management of calcium levels and proper feeding is key.

YMMV


Jim

 

[Yohimbe]

Nice Tank. Thats actualy very interesting. I wonder how large it would
have been after 3 to 5 years under those conditions. Also I wonder if the lower light levels of PC flourescents would mean much slower growth rate. Thanks for the info as always.

Yohimbe

 

[kgross]

I have had a T crocea growing in my 12 gallon delux tank from JBJ, it is up high right under 2 24 watt pcs and has been doing fine for 2 plus years. It is growing, just not as fast as in my larger tanks with more light.

Kim

 

[camaroracer214]

T. Maxima does not grow to 20"

they may not grow to 20" exactly, but they can get to ~15" which is too big for a nano, regardless.

t. crocea is the only clam suitable size wise for a nano.

 

[tinyreef]

for 29g you can have any size. i doubt even gigas will get that big that quick so you'd need to evacuate it. i mean, i agree eventually, it'll outgrow even a 300g tank. sure, eventually.

but maxima and crocea? the crocea will never outgrow a 29g, physically. and it'll take a loooong time for the maxima to.

derasa, squamosa, crocea, or maxima or even hippos (drab-looking though) are fine for even as low as 10g imo. it's lighting and dosing (ca/alk) that you need to address. it's not so much the size of the tank but keeping up with need.

side note: i've noticed some changes in lighting recommendations in recent months (years?). when i started out it was: crocea, maxima, derasa, and then squamosa in lighting needs. (gigas aren't that common; never noticed them to be, frankly). is that how most still view them to be?

 

[Minh Nguyen]

130 W PC is not much light in a 29 g tank for clams. you can keep Squamosa, Derassa and Gigas with this light but they will outgrow this tank relatively quickly. Maxima and Crocea require higher light intensity. I would recommend against keeping clams in this tank. I keep Maxiam and Crocea in a 29 g tank but I have 150 W MH and I keep my clams on top of the rock close to the MH/ Here they are:

 

[Anonymous]

As I posted above, MH is not necessary as evidence by experience with the maxima and PC. As I said, I wouldn't recommend this to a newb.
Camaraoracer managed to sneak a post in there months later, (I'd like to know how many 15" maximas he' s seen)but the fact of the matter is the maxima will live in a small tank for quite some time without any problems. Managing calcium levels is no problem either.

 

[Minh Nguyen]

It take many years for a Maxima to reach 8 inches. I only seen one near that size and it took more than 10 years.

 

[kgross]

You can keep crocea clams under PC's. I had one in a Nano cube DX with I think 2 18 watt PC's over it. Did not grow fast, but it grew. Clam was only about 3 inches below the bulbs though.

Kim