[Ilia]

I think the clam bug just bit me. I currently own one clam which is in my 46 bow. This thing is amazing and has become my moms favorite creature in my tank . I am seriously thinking of starting one of Barry's clam tanks. Can you guys please post pics and specs of your clam tanks even if they are not the ones sold at Clamsdirect.

Ilia

[scubadude]

I dont have any clam only tanks but I hope you dont mind if I comment on this....The only thing that really worries me about clam only tanks is the amount of ammonia nitrate that they suck up and would you need to replenish it....Barry have you ever heard of an Ammonia Nitrate additive as clam food? Do you do anything in this manner? I would think that skimming would need to be approached on a different level...maybe putting skimmer on timer?

[Joaco]

Originally Posted by Ilia

I Can you guys please post pics and specs of your clam tanks even if they are not the ones sold at Clamsdirect.

Have you already seen Daniel Knop's article about clam tanks?

http://www.animalnetwork.com/fish2/a...ll/default.asp

It's from January 1998, but the idea is still the same, to be able to view clams from above:



Joaco

[Joaco]

Originally Posted by scubadude

Barry have you ever heard of an Ammonia Nitrate additive as clam food? Do you do anything in this manner? I would think that skimming would need to be approached on a different level...maybe putting skimmer on timer?

I don't like much the idea of turning a skimmer on and off, that would change the water level in it too often affecting efficiency.
How about just 'under-skimming', with a less powerful skimmer, but 24/7?

I would be interested to know more about the nitrate additive as well

Joaco

[Barry N.]

....Barry have you ever heard of an Ammonia Nitrate additive as clam food

Yes some of the clam farms are using Ammonium Nitrate to increase growth. This can be purchased in VERY small quanity. We feed the fish that we do have in this tank fairly well and also have a sponge in the sump to help keep nitrates up a little. ( normally <5 ) Have had no problems in the 4 months that it has been running. Have had to increase the dosage of CA, they really such it up.

I don't like much the idea of turning a skimmer on and off, that would change the water level in it too often affecting efficiency.
How about just 'under-skimming', with a less powerful skimmer, but 24/7?

We are using a small AquaC skimmer and it seem to work well. When suppliment feeding we do however turn it off for a few hours so to not take all the food out.

Daniel Knops is where we got the idea about these tanks. We like the open top better with pendent over it and less heat. Certainly not a new idea but it sure is a good way to view these awesome creatures and to see their true colors.

[Barry N.]

After this last post, I did however take a nitrate level test from one of my holding tanks and the nitrate level was between 5-10 and that tank hold approx. 40-60 clams. Can not see this as a problem IMO.

Daniel also recommend that sodium nitrates can also be added to aid in the lack of nutritiment. This must be monitored closely to avoid over dosing or it could imbalance the milieu of the tank.

Only time will tell.

Barry

[Barry N.]

Hi Rocky and Joaco,

One of the farms that my clams come from, we have discussed this before and this is what I have been told and wanted to share with you.

Ammonium Nitrates is the best, but extremely hard to get as you know. We also use Ammonium Sulphate and regular plant fertilizers. We will use whatever we can get as long as it does not prove to be toxic or to promote excessive weed growth due to a lot of the nutrients added being unavailable or unusable by the clams. Have to be very careful when using, this results in clams growing too fast and having a thin shell due to not enough calcium available etc.

Goes on to say that people having a clam tank with a large fish load and the clams suck out the waste as fast as the fish put it out, which we all know that. In my case, with holding tanks we feed the fish fairly well, thus providing nitrates for the clams as well as someother things we are doing.

Barry