:?: It has come to my attention that some reef keepers find it easy to keep Tridacna clams and others have little or no success. I'm interested in whether nitrate concentration is a factor. If you're having long term success with these clams what is your nitrate -- not nitrate nitrogen -- concentration, and if you're one of those who can't keep a clam, what is your nitrate concentration?
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Tridacna clams and nitrates
- Thread starter AF Founder
- Start date
seven,
I think the question is not one of how low are the nitrates in tanks that successfully keep them because of harming the clam. That is one of the benefits of keeping them, they "eat" nitrates. There have been several tanks that have need to add nitrates for the clams to stay healthy. Clams can, and are used, to help with the reduction of nitrates. I think this is the reason for the question??? To find out if problems exist due to the lack of nitrate and aquarists not knowing clams "eat" them.
I think the question is not one of how low are the nitrates in tanks that successfully keep them because of harming the clam. That is one of the benefits of keeping them, they "eat" nitrates. There have been several tanks that have need to add nitrates for the clams to stay healthy. Clams can, and are used, to help with the reduction of nitrates. I think this is the reason for the question??? To find out if problems exist due to the lack of nitrate and aquarists not knowing clams "eat" them.
I used to be the hatchery manager of Reefarm near Cairns between 88 and 91 and I was adding AMMONIUM NITRATE to the raceways to make the clams grow faster, the results were unbelievable; some juvenile T Gigas grew 1" in one month. No problems there!
hi.
I understand the effect of clam on nitrate level. The way I read Terry's question is that he want to know the nitrate level of both type of experiences:
I moved all the clams to other tank, and the nitrate level was still very low. Last time I check my nitrate was about a year ago. Having a high nitrate problem is not a good reason, IMO, to get a clam to alleviate the problem. Knop and others probably may disagree with me on this, of course.
Unless one overstocks a tank with clams, I don't think that many of us will have problem with insufficient nitrate for the clams to consume
I understand the effect of clam on nitrate level. The way I read Terry's question is that he want to know the nitrate level of both type of experiences:
If you're having long term success with these clams ...and if you're one of those who can't keep a clam, what is your nitrate concentration?
I moved all the clams to other tank, and the nitrate level was still very low. Last time I check my nitrate was about a year ago. Having a high nitrate problem is not a good reason, IMO, to get a clam to alleviate the problem. Knop and others probably may disagree with me on this, of course.
Unless one overstocks a tank with clams, I don't think that many of us will have problem with insufficient nitrate for the clams to consume
Philippe Dor":10hbs9xx said:I used to be the hatchery manager of Reefarm near Cairns between 88 and 91 and I was adding AMMONIUM NITRATE to the raceways to make the clams grow faster, the results were unbelievable; some juvenile T Gigas grew 1" in one month. No problems there!
Phillip,
I'm well aware that clams utilize nitrates, and in fact utilize ammonia directly, but that doesn't necessarily mean that an unnaturally high NO3 level is not toxic to them. Most forms of sea life uses copper, but that doesn't mean that a unnaturally high CU level is not toxic to them.
What kind of NO3 level was in the raceways?
Jaubert found years ago that stylophora grew faster at a NO3 level 0.6ppm than that at 0.06ppm, but that didn't mean that the coral would grow even faster at a NO3 level of 60ppm.
I have 16 clams in my 400 g tank. Nitrates have always being undetectable using available test (Salifer low nitrate scale). My clams are doing very well and growing very fast. I got a Gigas that grew from 2 inches to 16 inches from Dec 26, 1998 until now. My other clams including Crocea also growing very fast but not anywhere nears this rate. I do know that parasitic snails are the number one killer of clams in captivity. I got several clams killed by these snails before I realized how serious the energy drain of these snails on clams.
I think there should be an important distinction between the nitrate you can test in the water and the nitrates that have already been consumed in the tank.
As in I have a heavy fish load and feed heavily. I have zero nitrates. I think in this scenario the clams have nitrates available for consumption all day long they just have to outcompete the sand bed and skimmer for it.
On the other hand someone with a light fish load and doesn't feed much at all would have much less nitrates available to the clams although their nitrates might test at the same level as mine.
FWIW, Nathan
As in I have a heavy fish load and feed heavily. I have zero nitrates. I think in this scenario the clams have nitrates available for consumption all day long they just have to outcompete the sand bed and skimmer for it.
On the other hand someone with a light fish load and doesn't feed much at all would have much less nitrates available to the clams although their nitrates might test at the same level as mine.
FWIW, Nathan
hi.
Nathan is pointing out a very important issue that we often missed. The nitrate can be very low, but the amount of nitrate moving from one part of the system to another can be quite large. This is the reason that some people is having a bad algea problem dispite the fact that the A/N/N level is very low.
In chemistry, people often have to consider both kinetics and equilibria.
Nathan is pointing out a very important issue that we often missed. The nitrate can be very low, but the amount of nitrate moving from one part of the system to another can be quite large. This is the reason that some people is having a bad algea problem dispite the fact that the A/N/N level is very low.
In chemistry, people often have to consider both kinetics and equilibria.
npaden":qz79p16g said:I think there should be an important distinction between the nitrate you can test in the water and the nitrates that have already been consumed in the tank.
As in I have a heavy fish load and feed heavily. I have zero nitrates. I think in this scenario the clams have nitrates available for consumption all day long they just have to outcompete the sand bed and skimmer for it.
On the other hand someone with a light fish load and doesn't feed much at all would have much less nitrates available to the clams although their nitrates might test at the same level as mine.
FWIW, Nathan
Nathan,
The bottom line is that your system is balanced in terms of producers of nitrogen waste and its export, otherwise, the NO3 level would build up, perhaps to the point where T. clams are negatively affected. So far, from the replies I've seen, it appears that those who are successful with T. clams have a low NO3 level, and those who have a high NO3 level have problems. However, we need to have numbers from those that have problems. We must also keep in mind that the different species may have differing tolerance levels. IME, maxima clams are the most sensitive.
Being a keeper of T. Clams I have a tank that has very little or no nitartes at all. The other holding tank, I keep my nitrates and some phos. up alittle and I must say I lose very little clams with this methoid. Like Daniel's book states, he says that nitrates is like fertilizer to them.
Like Mihn says, he has hardly any traceable nitrates in his tank, I think that is due to him having a lot of clams that are taking the nitrates out of the water. When you house 50 - 80 clams in a holding tank I try to keep the nitrates up as clams in that number are very competitive. IMO & IME.
Also have six-line wrasse in all my clam tank to control snail.
Barry
Like Mihn says, he has hardly any traceable nitrates in his tank, I think that is due to him having a lot of clams that are taking the nitrates out of the water. When you house 50 - 80 clams in a holding tank I try to keep the nitrates up as clams in that number are very competitive. IMO & IME.
Also have six-line wrasse in all my clam tank to control snail.
Barry
hi.
How about the following statement:
"Nitrate can be high or low in tank without clam, but for a clam tank with high nitrate, it does not do well."
Also notice that many of us lose our clams due to other problem besides nitrate, suck as disease and parasites.
How about the following statement:
"Nitrate can be high or low in tank without clam, but for a clam tank with high nitrate, it does not do well."
Also notice that many of us lose our clams due to other problem besides nitrate, suck as disease and parasites.
I've kept clams in both high and undetectable nitrate. What I have problems are actually hitchhiker snails and crabs. I have 5 clams for 2 years and I lost 4 of them to 2 hitchhiking crab of unknown origin over a period of 4 weeks. I didn't realize it's the crab taking residence in the clam and slowly chewing the clam from inside out until I crack open the last two showing sign of stress.
I feed my tank heavy.
I feed my tank heavy.
What I was trying to say is that clams might not do well in a tank with a very light fish load or light feeding. I think a clam in a heavily fed tank with low or undetectilbe nitrates is fine, but if a clam is in a lightly fed tank with low or undetectible nitrates would be risky.
Does that make any sense?
FWIW, Nathan
Does that make any sense?
FWIW, Nathan
danmhippo":2sdpqpsk said:I've kept clams in both high and undetectable nitrate. What I have problems are actually hitchhiker snails and crabs. I have 5 clams for 2 years and I lost 4 of them to 2 hitchhiking crab of unknown origin over a period of 4 weeks. I didn't realize it's the crab taking residence in the clam and slowly chewing the clam from inside out until I crack open the last two showing sign of stress.
I feed my tank heavy.
Jimmy,
Are you sure the crabs were consuming the clams? I've seen commensal crabs mentioned in Dr. Ron's forum a couple of times - live inside the clams without harming them. Maybe your crabs were there all along, but you didn't become aware of them until something else killed the clams?
Kevin
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