clams from the grocery store...

[igotthatFIREman]

i have heard these clams are good for reducing nitrates is that true? are tehy good to put in a refugium?

[goldmaniac]

I've never heard of that. Honestly, not sure of anything that you'd place in the tank that absorbs nitrates for consumption other than macroalgae-type organisms like caulerpa or halimeda or something. Especially any animal such as a clam.

I'd seriously research before putting in grocery store clams. There's risks to putting supermarket animals into a fish tank, I'd make sure the potential benefits outweigh the risks of infection or the addition of pests.

Besides, those clams are cold water clams. They'd probably not survive in 75-80 degree water and die eventually.

[NY_Carp_Sticker]

unless your tank is REALLY cold they will die after a few fads, and that adds problems that you dont need IMO

[fry_school101]

Grind em up. They make good fishfood.

[NY_Carp_Sticker]

Originally posted by NY_Carp_Sticker
unless your tank is REALLY cold they will die after a few fads, and that adds problems that you dont need IMO

oops, they'll die after a few DAYS not fads lol why did I type fads?

[silverwolf72]

I heard oyster shell absorbs nitrates.

[seapug]

Clams do feed on nitrates. They are often fed pure Ammonium Nitrate in aquaculture facilities, but as others have said, those aren't "reef clams" in the grocery store. Invest in some Tridacnids and put them in the display. They do the same thing but will live and actually look cool.

[Shagsbeard]

Oysters are used commercially in our area to A) provide a profitable food source and B) Reduce nitrates caused by human waste.

They do a dang good job of it too... better than sewer plants. Putting them in your tank sounds like a great idea, but when you realize these guys aren't reef fish, but cold, brackish water fish, you'll realize it's impractical. I guess you could cool the water, but lowering the salt concentraition to the levels they're happy at would prove more difficult.

[trae]

Well said; tried it a few times years back and ended up with a well fed chip star after they died, 50 cents for 4 or 5 at Albertsons

[greenbean36191]

Oysters and clams other than Tridacna don't feed on nitrates. They get all of their nutrition from particulate organics and phytoplankton. The result of their metabolism is ammonia. They are producers of nitrate.

When oysters are used to clean up waterways they do it indirectly by eating the phytoplankton that blooms because it is feeding off the nitrate. They also consolidate high N particulates in their psuedofeces, transferring it to the sediment. The first case isn't going to happen in your tank and the second you don't want happening.

[igotthatFIREman]

http://www.saltwaterfish.com/site_11...ot_parent_id=4

what kinda clam is this. swf.com says "Great for refugiums. These Clams help to lower Nitrates as they feed."

they just call it a cleaner clam, it looks like a clam from the food store if you ask me....

[greenbean36191]

That's because they are. They're just regular old Mercenaria, which is the common quahog clam from the east coast. They aren't cold water BTW.

[Nano Chris]

I read a thread that they can have diseases, i would rather buy some that are actually for a reef than put something in my tank i don't know about.

[igotthatFIREman]

im not really thinking about doing this although i have considered it. i am just curious about them because they look like they are from the market. these arent reef clams? why do they sell them on that web site?

[topshotta]

Most clams that you are going to get from your grocery store are coldwater species and will not survive in a tropical environment. Likely they are topneck or littleneck clams.

[greenbean36191]

No, they aren't reef clams, though they do fine at reef temperatures. Mercenaria (aka quahog, topneck, littleneck, cherrystone, hard clam etc.) occurs from New England all the way to the tropics. They feed on phytoplankton and some particulate organics. They don't feed on nitrate. They sell them because people will buy them. IME SWF.com is not the most responsible vendor.