Does Anyone Have Cleaner Clams ? ? ?

[Kevinmc]

I am looking for anyone that has cleaner clams to filter water. These clams are white, gray, or black in color.

 

I am considering adding some to my 90 GAL tank to "help maintain water quality" if they even work, and if not, a few might be fun to look at once in a while. (scratch) I would like to use them to filter the sand bed, (WATER) so far it is clean. I have not been able so far to find anything to fit that need.

 

Thanks

[JManrow]

I saw some at Saltwater Fanta-Seas awhile back.

You might try this link if they do not have any. http://www.mariculturetechnology.com/Livestock.htm

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

[vanz]

manila clams do the same thing?

[JManrow]

manila clams do the same thing?

Good question. The Manila Clam (Venerupis philippinarum) is an introduced Asian species that ranges from the Pacific Northwest to Baja California. The seem to tolerate a wide range of salinity and temperatures. http://www.exoticsguide.org/species_pages/v_philippinarum.html

 

Be cautious if you attempt to try one out in your DSB. This would go for strictly tropical burrowing clams too for that matter, especially if a number of them were to die undetected beneath the sand!

[dsoz]

especially if a number of them were to die undetected beneath the sand!

 

I had this happen, but it was only one big one, and I caught it early (still partially not decomposed). I think it is one of the major factors that set off my algae bloom that I am still fighting.

 

dsoz

[Kevinmc]

So, is the concensis not to get clams, I am looking for "water Filters" not looking for anything other then clams to help maintain my tanks water and snad bed.

 

Thanks

 

Kevin

[dsoz]

Like I said, I had a half-dozen small ones (from IPSF.com), and one big one (from a LFS). The small ones were ate by a sand-sifting starfish, and the big one just up and died one day. I think the decay of the big one was one of the contributing factors to my hair algae problem.

 

It does not seem to matter about the water filter part. To me, you should want to keep your water as clean as possible, but if you put one or more clams in there you may feel obligated to add phytoplankton to your tank to feed it/them. Every time I added DT's phytoplankton, I had a red slime algae bloom. I even waited until after the tank was 8 months old, and tried DT's again... another red slime algae bloom. I concluded that DT's are not for me.

 

Whether you put a sand-bed clam into your tank is up to you. Some think it may help, and others are indifferent to it. I say if you want it, and can provide a good home to keep it alive and healthy, then by all means try to get some for your tank. Just be aware that you will never see it unless you go digging in your sand bed.

 

HTH

dsoz

[JManrow]

You should occassionally see the clam's siphon protruding from the sand if it is healthy.

 

Steve Tyree has successfully used bivalves, tunicates, and sponges as sole filtration in the Envirironmental Gradient system that he describes. http://www.dynamicecomorphology.com/

[defigart]

Ah tunicates. Our closest relative on the reef.

[antnybean]

They are cleaner clams at saltwaterfish.com they're $4.99 but you have to buy like $70 of livestock to make an order i think... So if that sounds good then you should check them out there. here is a link ttp://www.saltwaterfish.com/site_11_03/product_info.php?products_id=574&parent_category=4&category_search=63&root_parent_id=4