Clam's Needs, Confused ?

[427HISS]

For years I've heard and read that clams need a established aquarium. A minute ago I watched a video from Pacific Coast Aquaculture of some very beautiful clam's. He said they need to be fed, as they eat up nitrates and phosphates, which is great, but if I Q/T my new clam using my other aquarium water that has some aged seawater that's fine, but what if did not ?

I'm asking how to Q/T a clam without being "established"

 

[DSC reef]

Typically clams do not need to be fed as a good light source and some fish in the tank are more than enough. If you're keeping the clam seperate in a QT tank then just make sure you have adequate lighting. An occasional broadcast of live phytoplankton won't hurt but good lighting will be sufficient

 

[427HISS]

I agree with the strong lighting, like with corals, but the "established" aquarium is the question ?

 

[DSC reef]

IMO established meaning stable more or less, consistent chemisty, ect.

 

[427HISS]

OK, makes sense, but how do you make a Q/T established, just consistent chemistry like ph, alk, temp and lighting ?
Anything else like sitting it on a piece of live rock or putting in a small bowl with sand in it ?

 

[DSC reef]

You can take sand and live rock and put it in the tank, maybe even a fish. Basically it's going to be an observation tank for new clams only. The only obstacle I see is if a clam comes in with perkinsus for example, I'm not sure if the rock and sand would harbour the disease.

 

[427HISS]

I haven't heard of perkinsus, so I'll look it up. Sounds like a good plan.

 

[ANDREW PRITCHARD]

I bought my first clam last Saturday I a climate slowly everything looked stunning all open
Went out for lunch with my partner maybe around 2 hours got back and nothing left of it

 

[427HISS]

Nothing ?
Did it jump out ? lol...

 

[Gaspipe]

I'm hesitant to say anything due to the fact that I have no experience... BUT

I read/saw (forgot which one) that smaller clams do need to be fed as light alone is NOT enough. If need be I will look for the source of information where I found this. But again, I have no experience.

 

[427HISS]

I don't think,....the young guys have enough symbiotic algae to use as a source of food, so feeding is need being ?

 

[ANDREW PRITCHARD]

M8 I don't honeatly know lol

Very expensive meal for my crew it was though

 

[ANDREW PRITCHARD]

I've heard it only has to be slightly pourly and that's it for the rest of the tank mates

Dinner time

 

[DSC reef]

Even the young clams do not need to be fed to survive. That myth has been proven wrong by respected experts like James Fatheree for one. It won't hurt the clam to broadcast feed live phytoplankton but it's absolutely not necessary to keep them alive. There's good info out there to show how much a clam actually receives in carbon energy from filter food versus lighting. Plus they absorb ammonia, phosphate, ect directly from the water column.

 

[427HISS]

M8 I don't honeatly know lol

Very expensive meal for my crew it was though

Back in the 90's we found a huge,.....bristle worm, that killed three of our clams. Two were 10" one 5". Made us sick !
Haven't bought any so far, with getting back into the hobby. That's why we have question.

 

[hart24601]

For clam QT I take water from display to fill the qt. Then do weekly w/c discarding the clam QT water and adding display water to keep some nutrients.