Not for the average reefer... but for someone who has long term positive experience with clams and can provide proper lighting & calcium needs...

How effective would a "fuge" full of clams be? They are filter feeders, and with nothing else in their tank, I wonder how it would result. Or maybe a tank with clams in the foreground and macro algae in the background? If it was at all effective it would be pretty damn cool.

Yes this actually works quiet well.
You just need to keep up with the calcium

And expensive ! Sounds like a great plan ? What are the trade offs though? How big of a system? And you would probably need a calc reactor for sure. And the added lighting would also be expensive. This sounds more like a baller status Fuge !

clams really suck down your alk. you would need to dose to keep up with their needs. some clams also require strong lighting so keep that in mind.

would it be cool? absolutely, pulling it off long term is another.

I'm sure it would work, and that it would be very high maintanance as well as expensive, and it would also BE VERY F#%$ING AWSOME!!!!

Def. a baller status fuge

so it would make a sweet display fuge... hmm...

lol

I know it sounds to be expensive, but wondered if the filtering effects would be worth it. OBVIOUSLY short term running a filter would be cheaper, but long term... both clams and LED's can potentially out live me...

Up front costs would be an LED fixture (color temp focused on more growth than looks), clams, plumbing, fuge, substrate... and the only long term costs I can see are whatever means to do the appropriate dosing...

I think LED's may help develop this hobby more than previously thought... we just need to get creative.

For me, it would have to be a display fuge, and honestly would probably need to be referred to as 'bada$$' instead of 'fuge'.

why not use Manila clams? they DO come from tropical waters and they DONT require the same ammount of care. Aussie Mussels would work as well, in fact i have had 2 mussels for about 5 months in my fuge.

clams in fuge!?!

Manila clams, at least, the kind you buy at the store, are coldwater.

They were "accidentally introduced to Washington State in oyster seed shipments from Japan. The animal quickly acclimated to our waters and is now found from British Columbia to northern California."

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/shelfish/beachreg/1clam.htm

LOLZ its almost like a calurpa problem.

anyways aussie mussels work then. i got em off ebay.

i remember miguel had HUGE derasa clams in his tanks and he said they were awesome to help clean water.... im talkin bigger than basketballs lol

I can just picture a calurpa outbreak in the bays at the Jersey shore. LOL it'd never survive the winter though.

At least the water here wouldn't be so damn dirty, and maybe we could see the sea floor in deeper than 4 feet of water.

I agree that led's have come a long way. However the ones that are now available to the hobby because of the law suit (5 mm not 10 mm like the Solaris ) I would not trust with clams. I know the 5 mm leds do great with sps and other lps , but would not trust them with clams. Why not just get a lumen max elite and 250 watt bulb and call it a day . Less expensive and definetly will sustain your clam fuge.