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Who has a clam in a 5 gallon tank


PatrickO

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Just thinking out loud here, but possibly might want to get a clam in a few months when my tank is more mature. Anyone have one in a 5 gallon tank? I do 1 to 1.5 gallon water changes every week. How often do you have to dose calcium in a tank like this? For lighting I have a nano box tide, I'm assuming its enough light for a clam. Anyone have personal experience with a clam in a tank this small?

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Couple things:

 

1) Clams need stability and water changes are the exact opposite of that. Alk/pH/anything swings will really hurt them.

2) Dosing calc in a tiny aquarium like that will probably just lead to big swings in calc.

3) Make sure you have an ATO as that will be another swing the clam won't like.

 

I wouldnt try it with Maximas/Crocea/Squamosa, but a healthy Derasa would probably do well if you keep the tank stable. Its a real challenge for me to keep Maximas and my tank is 24 gallons.

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Ive had a maxima clam for 8 months now and the majority was in a 4 gallon pico, I hardly changed the water or tested. It is possible to do it, maybe I got lucky, but the clam has been pretty hardy, even standing up to large doses of tech m for bryopsis. My derasa has grown fast, I mean putting about 5/8 of an inch growth in 2 months. But also make sure your getting good clams, my clam from cultivated reef has been great

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Ive had a maxima clam for 8 months now and the majority was in a 4 gallon pico, I hardly changed the water or tested. It is possible to do it, maybe I got lucky, but the clam has been pretty hardy, even standing up to large doses of tech m for bryopsis. My derasa has grown fast, I mean putting about 5/8 of an inch growth in 2 months. But also make sure your getting good clams, my clam from cultivated reef has been great

You never tested or dosed anything? Sounds like you really did get lucky. What else was in the tank? Mine isn't and won't be stocked too heavy with coral.

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I do tesr just not very often, I use a dip strip every couple of weeks or if anything says im stressed, and I test calcium about as often, ill either dose with liquid calcium or do a water change, but in my tank I have an acro, candy cane, 2 hammers, hammer-spawn, torch, zoas, war coral, maze brain, and mushrooms. My acro has great color and polyop extension, plus my hammer tried to spawn the other day. Plus my two clams.

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Hint. The less u mess with your tank the better your clams will do. They are not appreciative of water changes. Wayne Shang, with his 700 gallon clam heaven tank that has been published in "the captive marine aquarium" hasn't done a water change in 10 years and his Maximas spawn monthly.

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I have a good bundle of chaeto in my AC 70, and when I test the water before I change it weekly I get 0 nitrates and maybe .06 phosphates. I guess I change a gallon a week just because

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I still thing that's a lot that's still 20% and I'm thinking if your going to do any you do more like a few cup fulls. Clams are most to some sort of swing it may be salinity but maybe it's something else. People have done it super successfully it just takes time and experience and tank maturity

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I still thing that's a lot that's still 20% and I'm thinking if your going to do any you do more like a few cup fulls. Clams are most to some sort of swing it may be salinity but maybe it's something else. People have done it super successfully it just takes time and experience and tank maturity

You make a good point. Clam or no clam I may start only changing enough water to suck up detritus off the sand/rocks. Especially since my nitrates/phosphates stay so low on their own. When I started the tank I was afraid of nutrient buildup and since a 1 gallon a week change is easy I went with it. (way easier than the 50% I do on my freshwater tank!)

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