Feeding Clams
I thought I saw a thread recently on phytoplanton, and clams. I can't remember if the clams can benefit from the phytoplankton or not. Anyone know??? My reason for asking is I have heard that clams do well using DT's.
It depends on the species.
T. crocea has adapted to the strong illuminated environment and therefore does not take up any floating particles such as phytoplankton or others.
T. derasa is also a "clear water clam" that does not filter anything. It has, in fact very sensitive gills that tend to clog when there is a high density of floating particles in the water, may this be planctonic food or just stirred up sediments from the gravel.
But T. gigas does benefit from phytoplanctonic food, if it does not come in too big concentrations.
Same for Hippopus hippopus , which (unfortunately) is very seldom available in trade. Recent works have shown that among all tridacnid clams H. h. has the worst adaptation to the symbiosis with the zooxanthellae.
With T. squamosa and T. maxima I'm not sure, but I suppose that they do benefit from it since they are normally occuring between 5 to 15 m (T. m.) and 10 to 15 m (T. s.), so they can live in a deeper and darker environment.
But in any case of feeding it should not be done directly to the clam, but only into the whole tank system.
If T. Derasas are sensitive to sediment and then I should probably move them off the sand bed, and up into the rock work somewhere...true???
Generally it is better to have them sitting on a rock, but this can also be a flat rock on the gravel. Just make sure that you don't stir up the gravel while they are in the tank. Having some sediments in the free water will not harm them, but if the sediment density starts to affect the visibility n the water, T. derasa should be taken out for a few hours to prevent their gills from clogging.
My Maximas should be ok on the sandbed
Well, normally T. maxima does not live on sand in nature. I saw them mostly embedded in coral rubble or on solid coral heads.
I wish I could find a T. gigas, as it sounds as it if would be the happiest in my enviroment, sitting on the sand, and sucking up the plankton.
Yes. But to my personal experience T. gigas is not the hardiest among all giant clams. And not even the most beautiful. It's just perfect for people who really want a huge clam, because it grows rapidly.
I lost a crocea recently. When it arrived by MO, the bag was broke and most of the water was gone. It never really opened, but I managed to keep it alive for 6 weeks before losing it, but based on your comments, I may have caused more harm then good, as I was working on my sandbed during that time, nd the water was turbid for a good bit of that time.
That's possible.
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