Any clam keepers using NSW?

[gulfsurfer101]

I'm interested in learning more about the use of NSW in the way of keeping large clams. I'm curious as what kind of experience people have had keeping clams in NSW. I don't expect this thread to be bumped very often, but I will continue to check on it from time to time!

[Sancho]

I have always used NSW. I have kept many clams with no issues.

[gus6464]

NSW means natural sea water? If so, that's what I use on my tank. In San Diego you can get filtered ocean water for free.

[4x5]

100s of reefers down here use NSW and have clams that thrive. Works well in the ocean as well.

[Sancho]

NSW means natural sea water? If so, that's what I use on my tank. In San Diego you can get filtered ocean water for free.

We are so lucky But there is Filtered NSW sold commercially Catalina Water is what I use when I cant get to scripps they also have filtered NSW seen it sold as another name at LFS. Your in Texas your on the gulf which actually has reefs on the Mexico side. The ocean is not filled with Red Sea, Kent, Tropic Marine, or Instant Ocean and the reefs seem to do just fine.

[gulfsurfer101]

I'm in Texas, about 100 miles directly of the coast of the flower gardens, the only reef near Texas. Brain coral the size of Volkswagen are said to be found there so I know the water is good. My question is what do you guys use as a form or filtration, if any before adding it into your system. Also would I still need to feed my clams and coral being that the NSW is full of tiny little zooplankton and phytoplankton. I'm just very concerned about introducing pests into my tank this way.

[Sancho]

Pest will exist in anything you add to your tank from pet store or the ocean. I would be more concerned about hitch hikers on your LR or new additions than what you might pick up from the water. Contaminants from rain or algae blooms are my concern. Put your new water through a UV sterilizer. Please excuse my spelling errors as I am 6 into a 12 pack and my spell check is no longer working.

[gulfsurfer101]

I was thinking of using uv light filtration, and using a coffe strainer filter to catch any larvae that may be present in the water column. I'm thinking of tearing down my 75g, re-plumbing it, and filing it back up with NSW. I'm battling dinoflagellates and am currently preforming a two week black out and housing all my stuff in a bin.

[gulfsurfer101]

Just thought I'd share my god buddies tank housing various tridacna species ranging from crocea to gigas, all with in a 320g tank with an additional 250 underneath, all NSW! This tank is my soul inspiration for making the transition. I'm feeding phytoplankton and zooplankton now, and don't have room to culture my own so this makes more sense to do for me. Enough rambling, enjoy the sh!t out of the original clam jam tank! My good buddy OrienN has much experience with these huge clams, and had even written a few articles from describing what pinched mantle actually is and proper treatments! We ate truly lucky to have him aboard this forum and I am truly blessed to have his knowledge at my beckoning.

 

[gulfsurfer101]

Here's my maxima after being introduced to my 10g nsw holding tank. I'll be doing maintenance to my 75g system and tying another tank in so it'll be housed here for a week or two while I get things worked out.

 

 

 

 

I keep a bin of sea water with an air pump and stone on hand, and just swap out 2g or more every other day. I feed zooplankton, phytoplankton, golden pearls 5-50 microns every other day. I've witnessed very accelerated growth out of some of my lps frags and nicer colors out my euphyllia corals and what appears to be fatter swelling out of them along with some sps I have in there as well. If I happen to overfeed the tank, I just clean up a bit and swap out more water.

[LebaneseDlight]

Perhaps it's due to just being acclimated, but is that PM? Specifically the first ridge on the left. I'm no self proclaimed clam expert...

[gulfsurfer101]

Nah, it's just from the lights kicking on in my tank. The mantle is fully extended even now as lights are out. The fact that it's a wild caught French Polynesian clam also doesn't help as they have little mantle extension. Here's a pic after moving my temporary holding tank to another room today. It's a little peeved from all the moving but otherwise a healthy clam.

 

[gulfsurfer101]

Getting ready to have my kids down for the summer, I moved this 10g from one room to the next and that's why the pics looked a little cloudy, but 24hrs later things have cleared back up with no issues. I did 50% wc as I saw this as an opportunistic moment to do so quick and easy!

 

[gus6464]

One of the things I love about NSW is that salinity is naturally higher than what you get on the store bought salts. I like my water at 35ppm and a lot of the bucket salts don't get there if you are mixing their recommended amounts.

[jball1125]

I have been using NSW for the past couple of years. In that time I kept a maxima and it seemed very happy. I later sold it because of space issues but she was perfectly happy with my NSW WC's.

 

Lately I have been thinking of going to synthetic mixtures but not for health issues, just want to try something new.

[metrokat]

Orion is on this forum? WHERE!!!!

[gulfsurfer101]

He may not frequent these forums as much since his job keeps him tied up with patients at all times, but he graced my bro love thread with his presence a few times.

 

Well I bit the bullet and after having my 75g sitting empty for a couple weeks I decided to go ahead and fill it back up using only nsw! I'm letting it cycle for a week or two jay as a precaution but I don't expect much parameter shifts as I'm using very mature rock out the dt and lots of sand from my old dt in the sump. Things went through the initial cloudy stage but seemed to clear up nicely overnight. The best thing for me about using NSW is I hey to come across strange findings such as this one on my little adventures.

 

Octopus caught in the gulf of mexico!:

[jball1125]

That was cool

[gulfsurfer101]

Thanks. Well now my 75g is back up and running 100% nsw and I'll be monitoring it for the next couple weeks before I start transferring all my livestock back into it.

[HarryPotter]

My tank used NSW, but I don't do water changes so now I guess its pretty artificial.

 

I just test Calcium and adjust accordingly with equal amounts of Kent A&B, and am pretty happy with the results.

 

Here is Lucinda, my small Maxima Clam. Sister came up with the same and it stuck, just like Lucinda's Byssal threads

 

[gulfsurfer101]

Nice but unfortunately my large maxima didn't take the swap to well. I think having it crammed into a ten gallon for so long did it in. It died just days before my 75g was back up and running. It saddened me, but it was what I needed to stop procrastinating and get my tank filled and running. If only it could've held out one more week it would've made it back into the 75g.

[HarryPotter]

Nice but unfortunately my large maxima didn't take the swap to well. I think having it crammed into a ten gallon for so long did it in. It died just days before my 75g was back up and running. It saddened me, but it was what I needed to stop procrastinating and get my tank filled and running. If only it could've held out one more week it would've made it back into the 75g.

Im sorry for the loss, that really stinks. What do you think caused it? Pyramid snails, or simply the difficult (and somewhat erratic) water parameters in such a small tank?

[gulfsurfer101]

I'm leaning towards the latter. Unfortunately no matter how diligent of a regimen towards maintaining water quality it just began to stress and I knew it was a race to get my 75g back up asap. Unfortunately it wasn't quick enough to save it.