Tridacna nutrient uptake

[Alpha_and_Gec]

I am curious as to what people’s experience with clams are concerning their impact on dissolved nutrients. Some papers and forum posts suggest that they are highly effective at sequestering nitrates and phosphates, and I’d like to know how well they work in practical environments.

 

[Tonycass12]

I've got 2 large maximas one is 6" the other is 8". I've never noticed any type of reduction in nutrients. You may see this more with other clam species that are primarily filter feeding but these clams pull nearly all their energy from the lights. Phosphates in my system are .5(that's not a typo its .5) and that's the lowest it's been in the last year. Nitrates sit around 30.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

no impact at all. I've heard of tanks that are filled with clams which will have an impact on the system, but adding just one, or a few, will have no noticeable impact on nutrient reduction. Remember, they get more than 100% of their energy from light, so they don't need anything else. .

 

[Alpha_and_Gec]

no impact at all. I've heard of tanks that are filled with clams which will have an impact on the system, but adding just one, or a few, will have no noticeable impact on nutrient reduction. Remember, they get more than 100% of their energy from light, so they don't need anything else. .

That's the point. Photosynthesis needs nitrogen to function because it's a component of chlorophyll, and that's why I asked about Tridacna specifically instead of tropical oysters, although I don't doubt the filtering capacity of tropical oysters and mussels.

 

[Wasabiroot]

Saltwater clams like you'd find in a supermarket is usually what I hear about when I hear of biofiltration. (not anything from the giant clams). The nutrient demands of giant clams are primarily met through a lot of light and suspended phytoplankton, and I would not rely on nor expect a small clam to make a significant impact on nutrient levels.

 

[Wasabiroot]

That's the point. Photosynthesis needs nitrogen to function because it's a component of chlorophyll, and that's why I asked about Tridacna specifically instead of tropical oysters, although I don't doubt the filtering capacity of tropical oysters and mussels.

Tbf, I thought you meant clams in general also, at first.

 

[Alpha_and_Gec]

Tbf, I thought you meant clams in general also, at first.

The title specifies Tridacna.

 

[Wasabiroot]

The title specifies Tridacna.

Derp...pardon me

 

[MoparMike97]

I've heard large gigas are capable of stripping a significant amount of nutrients from a system, but I don't think you're going to see anything noticeable from the smaller species like maxima/crocea in a normal reef tank.

 

[minus9]

They will uptake both N & P, but for them to impact the overall levels would take a large number of them or very large clam for that to be noticed. It also depends on their growth rate, etc…. If keeping a few clams, I don’t think you would notice any difference at all.

 

[Alpha_and_Gec]

Speaking of clams, how do non - photosynthetic clams filter the water? I was under the impression that they would end up producing nitrates and phosphates as they filter organics from the water, but I’m not certain if that is the case.

 

[Alpha_and_Gec]

I've heard large gigas are capable of stripping a significant amount of nutrients from a system, but I don't think you're going to see anything noticeable from the smaller species like maxima/crocea in a normal reef tank.

The papers I read are mostly regarding gigas… so yes, there could very well be a difference across species or size.