Introduction: Keeping and Care of Freshwater Clams In Aquariums
82Freshwater Clam Care
© Copyright Notice ©
My photographs are mine, taken by me, with my camera. You may use them for personal reasons (desktop backgrounds, personal websites or you can print them for personal use.)
If you choose to use them on websites I require a link back to my HubPages. You may link to my profile or to one of my Hubs.
You may not use them without my permission or for profit.
I sell my art and if you are interested in purchasing it send me a message.
ALL of my articles are MINE and you may NOT use them for anything but reading on my page.
Introduction: Keeping Clams in the Aquarium
Homemade Freshwater Clam Food Recipe
Clams (bivalves) are wonderful additions to the aquarium. Undue to popular belief, they are not difficult to keep successfully in a properly maintained and aged home aquarium.
Clams are filter feeders meaning they acquire life-sustaining nutrients by filtering the water around them. In most home aquariums, there are not enough proper suspended particles throughout the water in order to sustain the bivalve’s life. In cases such as these, the clams require supplemental feeding or they will starve.
Clams can survive for quite a while without food, it is an unfortunate fact that this aspect of their anatomy leads to their ultimate demise in the hands of inexperienced keepers. Their clams live for at times several months until the day they are ultimately found dead. A dead clam is no laughing matter.
When a clam perishes in an aquarium it will lead to a deadly ammonia spike that can quickly kill the other inhabitants of the tank. That is one down side of keeping clams and mussels in the home aquarium; they bury themselves in the substrate and are difficult to locate when dead. In a heavily planted tank, this can mean days of hard work tearing out and replanting uprooted plants. However, there is a way around this.
To keep clams contained in the aquarium place them in a single serve apple sauce container. Poke holes throughout the container to aid in water flow through the sand. Fill the containers with a fine substrate such as sand. Three or four small clams can be housed per container. Larger clams may need a container to themselves; it depends entirely on their size.
When doing tank maintenance it is advisable to remove the containers and dig the clams out. Dispose of any that are dead. Dead clams smell like rotting, fishy flesh. Clams that refuse to close their shells are dead, dying or injured. They should be watched carefully preferably in a quarantine tank until observed acting normally.
Knowing if a Clam is Healthy
Normal clams are quick to action. When the water is disturbed around and over them, they will close their shells. This is a natural defense mechanism and a good indication of health.
A well-fed clam will show visible growth over time. Measure each clam before adding to the aquarium. Once or twice a month remove them from their enclosures and measure again. If growth is happening and continues, the clams are feeding properly. No visible growth may mean they are starving. In the case of clams that are at their full size, time will tell if they are feeding. It is a good idea to have differing ages as the growth of the juveniles can be used to judge the whether or not the adults are feeding.
A Clam is not a True Filter
Freshwater clams do not clean their environment as many people claim. Though they are filter feeders these creatures act more as animals rather than plants. They do not remove nitrite and ammonia. They add these chemicals to their enclosures. They are animals- not plants.
Clams are sensitive to their environment and ammonia can be particularly deadly.
What clams do remove quite efficiently are various forms of suspended algae. A grouping of a few small heavily feeding clams can clear the water in a 5-gallon aquarium within hours. They also filter out tiny creatures from the water. In a sense, they are filterers, just not the kind many pet stores market them as; clams are filter feeders not filters. You do have to keep up with tank maintenance when housing clams.
|
2.2 lb (1000g) 100% PURE SPIRULINA POWDER WEIGHT LOSS PHARMACEUTICAL
Current Bid: $19.95
|
|
1.1 lb (500g) 100% PURE SPIRULINA ALL NATURAL POWDER WEIGHT LOSS PHARMACEUTICAL
Current Bid: $11.95
|
|
1.1 lb (500g) 100% PURE SPIRULINA POWDER ALL NATURAL WEIGHT LOSS PHARMACEUTICAL
Current Bid: $11.95
|
 | Amazon Price: $22.99 List Price: $44.99 |
 | Amazon Price: $15.44 List Price: $36.51 |
 | Amazon Price: $17.65 List Price: $32.99 |
vote upvote downshareprintflag
- Useful (4)
- Funny (1)
- Awesome (5)
- Beautiful (1)
- Interesting (4)
Comments and Feedback are Welcomed!Loading...
You're very welcome James. :-)
I was wondering, how do you add clams to an aquarium and how can you feed them? Do you add them like fish you add fish? To feed them when algae is not present, can I just crush up fish flakes?
Brad,
*Yes, you can acclimate the clams just like fish.
*Algae powders can be purchased at various stores online, Ebay, or even at your local pet shop. I really enjoy using organic Spirulina, the clams eat it up quickly too.
*Mine do eat small particles of fish food but it may be difficult to get enough food for them crushed into small enough particles. They really do eat a lot and constantly! :-O
Here is the link to my clam food recipe.
i found a clam in a pond and put it in my fish tank with my jack dempsey. its about 4 to 5 in and it has a crack in its shell, is it safe to keep it in my tank and will it breed by its self thanks to who ever can answer my ?
Hello Shad,
I advise against putting wild-caught animals into your aquarium. They carry diseases that probably aren't in your tank, this is bad for your Jack Dempsey.
If the clam dies it can wreak havoc on your system. If you do decide to keep it, I advise giving it its own container and remember to feed it!
If it were me, because of its injury, I would humanely put the clam to sleep.
I hope this helps and feel free to ask more questions. :)
Wow, what an interesting Hub. I am a black water diver by trade of nearly 20 years. I have spent much of my life underwater searching for and learning about bivalves.
Here in Tennessee we have a few clams but mostly we have mussels. These are harvested for their mother of pearl. They are heavy, thick and can grow quit large.
I used to keep at least one of each species that I could legally harvest in an aquarium along with other wild caught fish.
I had to quite that when one of my larger shells, a 5 lb Washboard managed to get his foot between the silicon and the glass and broke my 200 gallon tank.
Lesson learned.
I greatly enjoyed this Hub
Thanks
Heya Sterling,
Thank you for your kind words!
I love keeping just about any kind of animal. Clams have always fascinated me--I can remember keeping them as a child. Lots of fun!
The only diving I ever did was the kind where you hold your breath and hope you don't land on a gator!
Thank you for all this good information. At the Pet store they show the clams position up straight and mine is not its laying like a clam, is that normal? My clam is also buried. Could someone give me suggestions about the daily living habit of a clam ??
Great info! I had always wondered if clams removed any waste *chemicals* in addition to their filter feeding.
@Darlene, when introducing the clam to the aquarium lay it on the substrate and when it feels safe (is not disturbed for a little bit) it opens up and uses a "foot" (looks like a white or pink tongue) to upright itself and feel its way into the substrate. It then wedges its way down into the substrate. As long as your substrate is deep enough, it will position itself vertically (where the two shell parts join is facing 'up & down'). You should be able to see two little syphoning holes showing up through the substrate. If your clam is laying horizontally and under the substrate - it may be dead? I linked a video of my clam when it first dug into the sand to illustrate it.
Errg, sorry I've never used hubpages - that video was youtube > search "Asian Clam", unless this link works:
i have pet clams-i'm growing them as big as i can but so far they are about he size of my thumb
thanks for the info, I just got a bunch of clams the size of my finger, I'm not sure how big they grow I got them on a river, I wonder if they are safe to put with a goldfish?
thanks
Well, if they are a cold water clam, then they should be okay. Might carry a parasite or disease though. I believe goldfish like hard water, so they would work with the clams preference in water hardness.
Wow... I recently went fishing with a friend and i caught a perch a bluegill and 2 clams. I still have my perch and hes happy in his makeshift tank until i make a native one for him, the bluegill died before getting home and the 1 clam was already dead and when i put it in my fish tank it was eaten by my dojo loach i assume. But the other i put in i left on top of some sandy gravel and the next morning i use my net and find him burried and now i cant find him anymore (i assume he dug a tunnel) but anyway its my first time with clams and im at least happy.
Wow... I recently went fishing with a friend and i caught a perch a bluegill and 2 clams. I still have my perch and hes happy in his makeshift tank until i make a native one for him, the bluegill died before getting home and the 1 clam was already dead and when i put it in my fish tank it was eaten by my dojo loach i assume. But the other i put in i left on top of some sandy gravel and the next morning i use my net and find him burried and now i cant find him anymore (i assume he dug a tunnel) but anyway its my first time with clams and im at least happy.
Can I put a couple clams into the tank with my 2 red-eared slider turtles?
They might eat them, Chris, lol. Turtles are devious little devils! Of course, it would be a yummy snack for them, lol.
I would say it buried itself in the substrate FishLover. Look really closely at the substrate--you can usually see their little tubes sticking up, filtering the water. It would be like two small, pulsating holes in the sand.
I just added two clams to my tank and it's not something I've ever looked up really and the pet shop couldn't tell me much either but I like things that are different.
One dug himself into the gravel within hours but the others still sitting on the top. How risky is it keeping them with how you said about the ammonia spike when they die? I've got a fair few fish and don't want to risk any.
I would check them daily or at least every two days. Check your ammonia levels once a week too. If you look closely at the substrate, you should see the clams mouth opening. As long as that is moving(filtering)the clams are alive.
If they die, clams can kill your fish if you have them in a small tank. The bigger the tank, the better. That way the ammonia spike isn't so harsh. Make sure you feed the clams because they will starve to death if you do not.
I have a baby turtle tank
and the turtles are soo messy!
they tear the food pellets when they eat and it gets everywhere
the water clouds up instantly
I am wondering if a clam can help this?
That much bioload may kill your clams. You would have to have a kick-butt filtration system set up. You can do natural filtration or mechanical. The turtles may eat the clams though.
Voted up for this very interesting hub!
Thank you! :-)
I have 6 convicts and 4 brisstlenoses 2 rainbow sharks a golden shark a green terror a ghost knife and a yabbie. Can I put a mussel in with them in a 3 and a half foot tank?
I'll be honest with you ...I wouldn't put anything else in your tank.
I'm almost positive the convicts would harass your clams to death though.
I would like to keep a variety of Mississippi River mussels for display at a nature center.
Do they actually stay in a container with holes put in the substrate?
Would your feeding recipe work for them? Do the
Your questions got cut off.
This should work for the Mississippi mussels, yes. :-)
Some clams are real travelers and might escape their cups. All of mine stayed put, as long as they were fed regularly. Hungry or stressed clams tend to move around as they try and find a better place to live.
They should make neat additions to a nature tank! Good luck. :-)
Great tips! Thanks :)
You're welcome. Thank you! :-)
I have a small outdoor pond 260gal with koi. I have hard water and zero ammonnia and nitrites, however I have high nitrates in the region of 70ppm which I attribute to my plants dying due to predators like birds and even snails! My tank used to have a lot of algae due to the high nitrates and while doing a cleaning on my substrate, I found clams in there. Initially it was only 2, then it grew to about 10 or so (not sure how many are hiding further in the substrate). I do not mind having these clams in the pond, however hearing that they contribute to ammonia spikes upon death makes me a bit worried even when i have a relatively large body of water. I recently saw a snail opened up halfway and a few snails and some kind of worm feeding on it. I guess this is how a normal eco
My above post got cut off when I accidentally hit Post Comment.
I guess this is how the normal Eco system works. The question is, if I brought down the nitrate to more acceptable levels, 20-30ppm, would it affect the clams? I have detritus in the substrate which I guess the clams can still feed on. Any comments appreciated!
Thumbs up for this site!
Getting your pond to a good nitrate level shouldn't harm your clams. If they all died at once, it may harm your water chemistry. If a few died at the same time, you have enough water to probably handle it.
I am assuming these are small clams.
I've had things die in my ponds and the fish did fine. They just pretty much ate the dead things.
Thanks for your reply!
Yes these are amall clams. And just out of curiosity, are these clams edible? I could make a meal of clam spaghetti out of them!
I really don't know, lol. I probably wouldn't eat them because clams filter the water to get food. Lord only knows what chemicals they might have eaten. :O
You could probably make fish food outta them though.
I'd leave them alone. Just makes your pond more biologically complete! :-)) I love those little guys!!!
Haha, thanks for the advice!
i just got 2 clams .. there are both just sat on the sand .. ive had them about 2 days .. havnt noticed a change in them .. they are both just sat on 1 side of there shell.. are they ment to do anythin .. do they open ?
They could be dead. Are they open or just laying on the surface closed?
Sometimes they will come to the top of the sand for a bit--they don't usually stay above the soil long, unless they are sick/dead.
Pick them up and give them a whiff. If they smell rotten, chunk them.
Make sure you only use dechlorinated water in their aquariums. My husband added tap water to my tank and it killed ALL of my clams within hours. I was so upset.
i got them Friday and sunday now and they still the same .. they are closed and have been sat on the sand in same place since then.. ive read that the tank ment to get really smelly if they dead but dont smell any different from how its always been.. have noticed that water has gone slightly cloudy too.. unless thats from the cucumber that i give my plecs.. x
The cloudiness may be a bacterial bloom. It usually means something is off with your parameters. I'm not sure what to tell you other than keep your eye on them and yank them out if they die.
What are you feeding the clams?
just grinded up fish flake.. i read up and it said that was ok for them .. is that right ?
how will i know if they dead.. just cos it would be very smeely?.. and wat shall i do about the cloudyness.. will that clear on its own ?.. x
If it is still cloudy, you can do a partial water change. Make sure the water you replace it with is dechlorinated.
When you feed them, make sure you slowly aim the food towards their feeding tube. Use water the same temperature as the aquarium water.
I use a syringe without a needle to slowly drop food over their feeding tubes. Try mixing the crushed food with tank water and making a slushy with it. They really like tiny foods so if the crushed flakes are too big they wont eat them.
I have another hub on here on the recipe I used to feed my clams. Its pricey when buying the ingredients but they last a long time.
Here is the link to the food recipe.
http://isadorapandora.hubpages.com/hub/Freshwater-
.
I have 3 freshwater clams. They are half white and they have brown on them as well. The brown is peeling off allthough. I have had them for about 5 days know and they have not moved at all. I was told that they are bottom feeders and the eat left over food. I have some nvery cool fish in my tank and i love them all. I am afraid they are dead. I ac not smell them due to bad cold. What do i do? I have expensive fish in my tank that i donot want to get sick. They include prehistoric goby, african butterfly fish, elephant nose, fire eel, black ghost knife fish, clown knifefish, 2 african clawed frogs and a few more. Very unsure what to do at this point. An suggestions?
If their shells are tightly closed, they are probably okay. You can just keep checking them everyday, a couple of times a day to make sure they aren't dead. That or take them out. If you have a small air pump, you can keep them in a large bowl of tank water.
They need more than a few bits of leftover food to survive. I wrote a hub on food you can make for the clams. Good luck!
how much substrate do you need to keep calms and will they destroy plants? Also should I use a carbon filter with the clams?
I have a natural aquarium so do not use carbon to filter it. You probably can use it though.
Provide enough fine substrate that they can fully bury themselves--this depends on the clams size. My substrate is anywhere from three to nearly six inches deep. Its sand and silt substrate.
No, they do not harm your plants. They will help to keep the substrate aerated/turned though! I love clams and miss mine dearly, lol. Hubby accidentally killed mine. Sigh.
Thanks
more informative
James 2 years ago
Thank you for pointing out that clams act as animals not plants. They do not remove nitrites/ammonia; they remove suspended particles. Clams grow best in unfiltered, cloudy water.