Clam

[lordofthesea]

i've seen some on ebay and would quite like one. i know they can't have copper but it's goin into an invert tank so there will be none. also, i know they need fine food to filter - and my question is, can i just squirt it into the water, and let it do the rest? i've got filter shrimp in there to help aswell....

 

[Shrimper]

I've never kept any, but I've heard lots of warnings...

If they are healthy they tend to bury themselves in the sand so you won't see them often. This doesn't help, as they ideally require target feeding, preferably by squirting food at them when they are trying to feed at night. As you already have filter shrimp in the tank there will be less natural food in the tank (cos the shrimp will be eating it) so target feeding will be necessary.

They take a long time to starve to death so its hard to know if they are feeding or not, especially if it is hiding in the sand.

 

[three-fingers]

As long as you research and know what species of clam they are they are OK. The bets food for them is invertebrate food from an LFS that sells marines (they sell filter feeding food for marine clams and such).

But they aren't exactly easy to keep, as if they are healthy they will dig around and move i the sand/gravel, so to feed them you need to have a big search for them a few times a week which often involves destroying the layout of the tank.

So yeah basically what Shrimper said.

 

[lordofthesea]

fair enough

 

[liana_y2kuk]

From what ive heard a normal well looked after tank wont be "dirty" enough for these fellas.
I really wanted some but realised i could give them the right sort of life, so gave it a miss.

 

[OneOnion]

I've never kept any, but I've heard lots of warnings...

If they are healthy they tend to bury themselves in the sand so you won't see them often. This doesn't help, as they ideally require target feeding, preferably by squirting food at them when they are trying to feed at night. As you already have filter shrimp in the tank there will be less natural food in the tank (cos the shrimp will be eating it) so target feeding will be necessary.

They take a long time to starve to death so its hard to know if they are feeding or not, especially if it is hiding in the sand.

How do they move?

 

[saltynay]

Jet propulsion they suck in water then squirt it out.

 

[three-fingers]

Not these guys, your thinking of some scallop species .

Clams and mussels have a "foot" muscle which they use to dig .

 

[saltynay]

Ahh that's what I first thought but a quick google told me differently . I imagined the moving like urchins with flexible stalk like feet.