Clam in a pico

[Parker0824]

Alright, so I'm thinking about buying this 2x1" clam and putting it in my pico barracuda which is 3.5 gallons.

 

Anybody think this is a bad idea? Or have had much success with it? I can't imagine it being all that much harder then keeping it in a big tank because the nutrient supply should be higher I would think with smaller volume, I plan on feeding it phyto, and I do already feed a small amount of oyster feast once a week.

[Parker0824]

Nobody has any input..

[el fabuloso]

Should be fine as long as you have the necessary lighting for it.

[Tinola]

Should be fine as long as you have the necessary lighting for it.

 

+1, also adequate flow, which is easily attainable in a pico

[Parker0824]

Should be fine as long as you have the necessary lighting for it.

 

 

I have an orphek pr-7, idk the par ratings in it, so can't be a 100% on it but in sure it's enough lighting,

Also Do you need to light acclimate them? I was told you don't but didn't understand why not? So if you know anything about that as well please lmk

 

Thank you

 

+1, also adequate flow, which is easily attainable in a pico

 

 

Yeah, I think I have too much flow, might have to turn it down lol,

 

Thanks for the input, didn't think it would be too hard. It's more lighting I'm worries about and the need for biological filtration, but I also read under 4" then the clam is all photosynthetic. It's right now in a 18" tall tank on the sandbed under a 250w 20k radium.

 

I have as you can read from above a par30 orphek pr-7,

 

Anybody have any methods on how to keep clams better in a pico as well.

[el fabuloso]

I have an orphek pr-7, idk the par ratings in it, so can't be a 100% on it but in sure it's enough lighting,

Also Do you need to light acclimate them? I was told you don't but didn't understand why not? So if you know anything about that as well please lmk

 

Thank you

Depends on where the clam is coming from. If it was previously under intense lighting (more intense than yours) then no need to acclimate. Otherwise you should acclimate it gradually before blasting it with intense lighting.

 

Also you should check your calcium levels regularly, especially at first. Regular weekly water changes should be enough but clams can soak up calcium pretty quickly and in a pico you might have to dose. When I had a clam in my pico I had to dose about halfway through the week just to bring the levels back up. But then I also had a bunch of SPS in my tank.

[MeepNand]

Calcium will be a big problem unless you dose in such a small tank. Like a lot.

Alot alot.

[1reefluvr2]

Calcium will be a big problem unless you dose in such a small tank. Like a lot.

Alot alot.

Thats what i wanted to ask, how much to

Dose? And if I have a sump of

3 gallons on a 6 gallon edge will It be less or more since i have more water volume ? I remmember seeing the pico with sPs and clams but I dont remmember how much dosing was going in a week, another question I have if using coral pro salt for water changes would that be enough? If I do 15% weekly water changes can I get away with not dosing bionic part a and b ?

[Rollermonkey]

Regular testing is the only thing that will let you know how your dosing regimen is working.

[TheUnfocusedOne]

Calcium will be a big problem unless you dose in such a small tank. Like a lot.

Alot alot.

 

Nope. WC will save the day.

 

I don't think clams eat up as much Ca as people think.

[Chew_Magna]

Cool thing that you started this topic. I'm toying with the idea of putting a small squamosa in my spec where my brain is now. They're supposed to be "easier", and I also prefer their look.

[MeepNand]

Nope. WC will save the day.

 

I don't think clams eat up as much Ca as people think.

From what people said on my thread on clams, a small clam sucks up a bazillion ppm per day, too much to get to with a weekly WC. Sure, your tank will be clean, but I think the inhabitants will suffer from the increased WC regimen.

[TheUnfocusedOne]

From what people said on my thread on clams, a small clam sucks up a bazillion ppm per day, too much to get to with a weekly WC. Sure, your tank will be clean, but I think the inhabitants will suffer from the increased WC regimen.

 

Had a clam in a 7.5g and two clams in a 12g. The older clam in the 12g started out as a 1.5" guy and grew to at least 4.5" with nothing more than an occasional water change. Water changes will be fine, just fine.

 

 

Has anyone actually tried to prove that claim? I don't think I've ever seen someone keep track of their Ca level depletion rates before and after adding a clam. Obviously there going to eat up Ca, but I don't think anyone has ever tried to quantitate the rate.

[FlCandy]

Had a clam in a 7.5g and two clams in a 12g. The older clam in the 12g started out as a 1.5" guy and grew to at least 4.5" with nothing more than an occasional water change. Water changes will be fine, just fine.

 

 

Has anyone actually tried to prove that claim? I don't think I've ever seen someone keep track of their Ca level depletion rates before and after adding a clam. Obviously there going to eat up Ca, but I don't think anyone has ever tried to quantitate the rate.

 

 

I put a Squamosa in my 80 gallon system in 8 hours the Ca went from 430 to 350 yes they do suck calcium out. I have seen it personally.

 

Edit: I can post the daily tests before addition for a week and then the 3 weeks following the addition.

[Parker0824]

Ya my crocea is happy as hell, I'm going to add another here tomo. Wayyyyy more dope

[Veng]

From what people said on my thread on clams, a small clam sucks up a bazillion ppm per day, too much to get to with a weekly WC. Sure, your tank will be clean, but I think the inhabitants will suffer from the increased WC regimen.

If a WC causes your inhabitants noticable stress, you are doing something very wrong with your water changes, i.e. not matching temp, SG, or waiting too long to water change anyways. (large Alk/Ca differences, etc).

[FlCandy]

If a WC causes your inhabitants noticable stress, you are doing something very wrong with your water changes, i.e. not matching temp, SG, or waiting too long to water change anyways. (large Alk/Ca differences, etc).

 

Probably meant the stress re lack of Nitrates.

[Veng]

So there's the rub. If you've got your chemistry setup correctly, you're growing nitrates and removing them at proportional rates. For example If you are looking for 1-2 ppm, you generate 0.25ppm per week (net) and you do a 50% net water change a month (16% weekly) If you start at 1.5ppm, you'll never venture outside the bounds of 1.26-1.5ppm.

 

Hell, you can even do a 50% water change once a month and still keep the nitrates within the acceptable range for clams.

[TheUnfocusedOne]

I put a Squamosa in my 80 gallon system in 8 hours the Ca went from 430 to 350 yes they do suck calcium out. I have seen it personally.

 

Edit: I can post the daily tests before addition for a week and then the 3 weeks following the addition.

 

Meh, test kits are unreliable, I'll prove it to you. A ppm is mg/L, and 80g tank is ~302L. Your change in ppm is 70 over 8 hours, so (70 mg/L)*(302L) = 21140 mg of Ca, which is 21.1g. That means your clam is sucking up ~2.6g Ca/hour.

 

To put it further, you clam would gain ~50lb a year from calcium uptake alone. See my point?

 

I honestly have never had a problem my clams depleting nutrients from the water.

 

 

Edit: those are quick back of the envelope type calc, more like estimates

[Veng]

Meh, test kits are unreliable, I'll prove it to you. A ppm is mg/L, and 80g tank is ~302L. Your change in ppm is 70 over 8 hours, so (70 mg/L)*(302L) = 21140 mg of Ca, which is 21.1g. That means your clam is sucking up ~2.6g Ca/hour.

 

To put it further, you clam would gain ~50lb a year from calcium uptake alone. See my point?

 

I honestly have never had a problem my clams depleting nutrients from the water.

 

 

Edit: those are quick back of the envelope type calc, more like estimates

I agree that it has nothing to do with the clam for sure. It's either a real Ca level and you had a very bad pricipitation event, or (much more likely) you're testing isn't that accurate. If I recall the Red Sea Ca test off the top of my head, it's like 5ml water and roughly 0.7ml of triation. If you aren't being accurate with your water level (lets say you put in 4.5ml one time and 5.5 ml the next, and you aren't being accurate with your triation, because lets face it, 0.1ml is hard to read and over shooting +/-0.2 here is prety, that gives you a swing from +/- 40? Your measurements are well within that if you're being even slightly sloppy.

[x3thelast]

I've kept clams in 1-5 gallon tanks. Currently have a crocea in my spec v. Keep a decently clean water and do the minimum weekly water changes. I personally dose my tanks sponge power. My clams respond to it very well much less pollutant than blasting phyto

[1reefluvr2]

I've kept clams in 1-5 gallon tanks. Currently have a crocea in my spec v. Keep a decently clean water and do the minimum weekly water changes. I personally dose my tanks sponge power. My clams respond to it very well much less pollutant than blasting phyto

Can you post a pic of the sponge power bottle and tell us what amout to dose in a 6 gallon edge with a 3 gallon sump please.

[FlCandy]

Meh, test kits are unreliable, I'll prove it to you. A ppm is mg/L, and 80g tank is ~302L. Your change in ppm is 70 over 8 hours, so (70 mg/L)*(302L) = 21140 mg of Ca, which is 21.1g. That means your clam is sucking up ~2.6g Ca/hour.

 

To put it further, you clam would gain ~50lb a year from calcium uptake alone. See my point?

 

I honestly have never had a problem my clams depleting nutrients from the water.

 

 

Edit: those are quick back of the envelope type calc, more like estimates

 

 

I agree that it has nothing to do with the clam for sure. It's either a real Ca level and you had a very bad pricipitation event, or (much more likely) you're testing isn't that accurate. If I recall the Red Sea Ca test off the top of my head, it's like 5ml water and roughly 0.7ml of triation. If you aren't being accurate with your water level (lets say you put in 4.5ml one time and 5.5 ml the next, and you aren't being accurate with your triation, because lets face it, 0.1ml is hard to read and over shooting +/-0.2 here is prety, that gives you a swing from +/- 40? Your measurements are well within that if you're being even slightly sloppy.

 

 

Just FYI I am a vet Tech and have to read 0.05mL all the time for IV injections and IM as well, so 0.1 is nothing to me. I make sure to go 0.1 every time I put a drop in and I use the Salifert tests. There was no percipitate as the water did not cloud, and I have had the same corals for over 3 months, I can show you a weeks worth of testing where it was perfect and constant at 430, then the 2 tests that day and the following day as well when it dropped.

 

I am more then accurate with my testing, even those Hannah checkers can be inaccurate if you don't make sure their clean and calibrated properly.

 

Sorry sloppy is not me.

[TheUnfocusedOne]

I'm not saying it has to do with your technique, I'm saying there's a serious limitation in the testing kits. I never take those things quantitatively, why do you think the gradations are so wide?

[FlCandy]

On mine their only 10-15 depending on the reading. And I know how to do the math to figure out where I am if the stopper is inbetween the lines. Not hard if your somewhat educated.

 

So basically don't trust your test kits kids, their not accurate that's what I am getting from this. If theyr weren't accurate "ENOUGH" they wouldn't advise you test your levels with them.

 

It all depends on the user, the more educated and skilled the user is the better accuracy you get. And when my readings are spot on the same for over 2 weeks then in a matter of 8 hours after adding a clam I have dropped over 80ppm in the tank and there is no percipitate I know who sucked the calcium out. There are ways to tell what and who is using what and the addition of the clam was too much for my waterchanges to keep the calcium elevated enough.

 

That was just my first hand experience though.