Do clams do better in a BB or DSB tank?

[B Pierce]

I know the bare bottom craze has hit all the SPS guys out there. My question is...will clams do better in a tank that has a DSB or BB?

I currently have a T. crocea and T.gigas in my bare bottom SPS tank and they do fine. I would love to hear everyone elses experiences.

thanks,
Bill

[this is me]

They do fine in my BB system as well. Although I'm planning to switch from sps to LPS sometime in the next 3 months. I dunno....

[gwaco]

my feeling is they will do better in a b.b. system do to the better suspension we strive to keep , i think in dsb that uses lower flow to keep the sand from blowing around , the phyto & bacteria just sink into it .

[M.Maddox]

More than one way to skin a cat, but I'm a DSB proponent all the way.

[grimmjohn]

I don't really think it matters, as long as the system has enough nitrate to keep the zoox alive (and what system doesn't () : ) ). Though BBs often have clearer water..which means more PAR for light loveing clams () : )
The suspension theory sounds good too, thou if you read the sticky in this forum there's an article about how a DSB allows lots of good little "no-see-ums" to reproduce, which apparently (to the author ;) ) goes a long way toward feeding clams...that article had me worried when I was deciding to go BB, but then I saw some tank pics, realized my babies were a few inches under some halides and got rid of the sand, fine ever since () : )

Cheers,

grimmjohn

[acro-wrasse]

Although I have only used DSB, I think you can be successful with BB, SSB and DSB.

There is way too much passion around "my way is the only right way".

I raised a gigas from about 2-3 inches in my DSB to over 20 inches, then gave it up to the LFS who kept it in a refugium for their BB SPS tank. It did great until they tried to move it to a new tank.

JMO

[critterkeeper]

I raised several tridacnids in bare bottom tanks with now problems. In fact, my first couple of reefs were bare bottom - and had wet-dry filters. Come to think of it, my first one actually have dolomite gravel and an undegravel filter. That was quite a while ago, when there was no such thing as DSB.

I use DSB now, and I think that clams can benefit from it more than bare bottom. But, the exact reason isn't straightforward. I keep my sand bed well-stocked with critters, and I feed with phyto. So, the clams get some detritus, they get some of the food I use, and they certainly get some occasional zooplankton, eggs and such from the sand bed. (BTW - tridacnids do eat zooplankton).

I wouldn't worry about either method, but I'd personally prefer DSB.

[Shawnts106]

I would say that if the proper food is provided they can do good in an empty glass box with water....

however I think as far as the "natural" side of things go... a DSB would provide more of a natural food source and environment...

My vote OVERALL goes for DSB... or at least a Shallow fine sand bed...