baby clam

[iseeweed]

Just got this little guy. I have been wanting a small clam for my new tank. My local LFS had a few of these, so I couldn't resist. Probably not the prettiest, but not that much $$. I will post a pic when he opens back up.

 

[kgross]

One thing to remember, most clams under 1.5 inches length need to feed. Over 1.5 inches most nutrition comes from photosynthesis.


You might want to try feeding some phytoplankton to help supplement his diet.

And give us a picture of him open so we can see what he looks like.

Kim

 

[Anonymous]

Looks like a nice gold maxima.... but I can't really tell.

 

[camaroracer214]

Looks like a nice gold maxima.... but I can't really tell.

exactly what i was thinking.

 

[iseeweed]

Here is the clam open. The LFS was a little confused as to what type it was so any input would be great. I am feeding with Reef Chili which is Bio-engineered Zooplankton, spray dried Phytoplanton, Freeze dried Rotifers, Freeze dried Copepods, Dried Daphnia, Spirulina Powder and an Artemia nauplii replacement diet.

 

[kgross]

It looks like T maxima to me.

Your reef chili should help with feeding the clam as well. Enjoy.

Kim

 

[chris&barb]

I am feeding with Reef Chili which is Bio-engineered Zooplankton, spray dried Phytoplanton, Freeze dried Rotifers, Freeze dried Copepods, Dried Daphnia, Spirulina Powder and an Artemia nauplii replacement diet.

most of this stuff is way too large to be of any use to a clam, and besides that the "small clams need to be feed" thing is a myth.


from this http://www.jstor.org/pss/1540800?cookieSet=1

Juveniles with zooxanthellae can survive and grow in Millipore-filtered seawater with light as the sole energy source for over 10 months, illustrating the phototrophic aspect of the association.

These clams were post metamorphic (millimeters to one centimeter range)
I can probably pull up the full paper if needed along with other work.

Anyway back to feeding. If you want to add something just for the clam to eat look for a live phytoplankton in the size range of 2 microns to 50 microns. This is the ideal size range for tridacnids, anything larger then 50microns is rarely filtered by them and nothing over 200 microns has ever been found to be filtered by them.

 

[iseeweed]

Reef Chili advertises the photoplankton is between 1 and 900 microns depending how well it is mixed. This stuff looks like a fine powder.

 

[blackcloudmedia]

I am feeding with Reef Chili which is Bio-engineered Zooplankton, spray dried Phytoplanton, Freeze dried Rotifers, Freeze dried Copepods, Dried Daphnia, Spirulina Powder and an Artemia nauplii replacement diet.

most of this stuff is way too large to be of any use to a clam, and besides that the "small clams need to be feed" thing is a myth.


from this http://www.jstor.org/pss/1540800?cookieSet=1

Juveniles with zooxanthellae can survive and grow in Millipore-filtered seawater with light as the sole energy source for over 10 months, illustrating the phototrophic aspect of the association.

These clams were post metamorphic (millimeters to one centimeter range)
I can probably pull up the full paper if needed along with other work.

Anyway back to feeding. If you want to add something just for the clam to eat look for a live phytoplankton in the size range of 2 microns to 50 microns. This is the ideal size range for tridacnids, anything larger then 50microns is rarely filtered by them and nothing over 200 microns has ever been found to be filtered by them.

I dont think I would make claims so bold as "feeding is a myth" If these clams didnt need to feed then they wouldnt have a gut, gills to catch phyto, and the such. And if they didnt need plankton after a certain age/size then their plankton filtering systems would atrophy. I think theres still a great deal of research to do before we can definatively say to feed or not to feed. As for my clams, I feed, and there is no negative side effect of feeding plankton as my tank contains numerous sponges.

 

[Ben1]

IIRC, James Fatheree also makes the claim in his book that feeding is not needed in baby clams. I just dont feel like going back upstairs and getting the book. :lol: I am pretty sure Chris&Barb is correct, they pretty much know clams in and out with all the old posting/moding on Barrys clam forums before it switched over.

 

[blackcloudmedia]

Not to down on those with experience in "owned and LFS" and "collection diver" but Id like to see a scientific study that presented the facts. You know from one of those people with a...whats it called....degree. :wink: I can write a book anyday, but wheres the proper expirimentation that definativly states that/when Tridacnas live solely on light. Hell try pulling that theary on a plant and see how long it lives. Photosynthis turns light into carbohydrates...not protein. Where are the amino acids coming from? Where are the elements coming from? What is the carbon source? Where are the organic nitrates coming from? These are all questions that require strict scientific study and not the opinions of ehem...collection divers and store owners of the collectibles trade.

Source on James http://www.theimac.org/James_Featheree.htm

 

[chris&barb]

I dont think I would make claims so bold as "feeding is a myth" If these clams didnt need to feed then they wouldnt have a gut, gills to catch phyto, and the such. And if they didnt need plankton after a certain age/size then their plankton filtering systems would atrophy. I think theres still a great deal of research to do before we can definatively say to feed or not to feed.

I knew i would get a response like this so i compiled research to prove it. Plenty of research has been done in this area. I'm not telling people not to feed their clams, they can do what ever they want. This is to dispel the myth that small clams must be feed to survive.

Please read. Tridacnid Clam feeding and the truth

 

[chris&barb]

Not to down on those with experience in "owned and LFS" and "collection diver" but Id like to see a scientific study that presented the facts. You know from one of those people with a...whats it called....degree. :wink: I can write a book anyday, but wheres the proper expirimentation that definativly states that/when Tridacnas live solely on light. Hell try pulling that theary on a plant and see how long it lives. Photosynthis turns light into carbohydrates...not protein. Where are the amino acids coming from? Where are the elements coming from? What is the carbon source? Where are the organic nitrates coming from? These are all questions that require strict scientific study and not the opinions of ehem...collection divers and store owners of the collectibles trade.

Source on James http://www.theimac.org/James_Featheree.htm

No need to be condescending especially before you read my reply. :wink:

Take it as you will.

Oh and there's plenty of Phd's cited in what i wrote

 

[blackcloudmedia]

Chris...or Barb...I was responding to Ben and Refering to the "expert who wrote a book" ben mentioned, not you. I dontknow your experience.

 

[Ben1]

Chris...or Barb...I was responding to Ben and Refering to the "expert who wrote a book" ben mentioned, not you. I dontknow your experience.

Have you read "Giant Clams in the sea and the Aquarium" by James Fatherree to be able to bash it? Did I call James a "expert who wrote a book"?

I didnt, but have read his book and do consider him very knowledgeable with clams. If you are truely as well versed as James on clams then by all means you should write a book!

With that said I dont understand the atitude, I was just pointing out a reference, sorry if that is an issue for you. Throughout his book, he backs what he writes with many research studies, if you dont consider that efficient, sorry but IMo it is a very well written book.

With that said going back to his book he does say feeding can increase survival rates and increase growth rates, but not that it is an necessity.

FWIW I have have a lot of personal expierence with clams and have tried feeding phyto with different methods, the bowl method, the cut bottle method, adding dirrectly to the tank, etc...I dont think it hurts but I also dont feel it is the difference between life and death in a healthy clam even when as small as the one pictured. JMO....

 

[kgross]

I would have swore that it was in Daniel Knop's Giant Clams book, but I can't find it right now.

I will stand corrected that the smaller clams do not always need more energy from feeding than from photosynthesis

But the clams do need to feed, if they did not need to feed they would eliminate the feeding apparatus and gut as was mentioned earlier. Now they will get some food out of a normal reef tank, which can be enough to sustain them, so supplemental feeding might not be necessary. I do not know how James wrote it in his book, but I would be very surprised if he said that they do not need to feed

Here is an article written by a PhD that talks about feeding and amounts of carbon from feeding verses photosynthesis and the changes in this as clams grow.

http://www.saltcorner.com/sections/gues ... eeding.htm

Kim

 

[Ben1]

Well he goes over all the clams individually, and how much food intake they might get in nature. He talks about farmers adding nitrate sources to increase growth and goes through a lot of detail on feeding. I am not saying anyone says feeding is bad or that a clam shouldnt be fed. I am saying that it isnt needed. James does talk about how clams can directly uptake from the water nitrate and phosphate with out being directly fed.

In paticular he talks about the change in CZAR as clams grow. His qoute is

"To sum this up, the data from these papers clearly show that clams of any size more then a couple of millimeters do not need an additional carbon source. It is true in most cases CZAR for smaller clams is less then it is for larger specimens, but when CZAR is well over 100% for every species studied, and at every size, it doesnt change this conclusion."

 

[ZooKeeper1]

My gold maxima when I got it in 2004

A few months ago

Never fed phyto once. I also have a Crocea that was a tiny baby. That one has been growing fast as well.

 

[blackcloudmedia]

Sorry if challenging the "status quo" is attitude Ben but I get fed up when people give advice that is not backed by science. Like I said earlier if your going to say that a clam doesnt need to be fed then be prepared to back it up. Once again photosynthesis only produces CARBOHYDRATES, not amino acids or fats that are essential to life and growth. It is physicalls IMPOSSIBLE to turn sunlight into amino groups using nothing but H2O. Therefore the clam needs an external source to acquire Nitrogen, carbon etc. And No I cant write a book cause my degree is in accounting not biology, but I do know enough about photosynthesis to avoid reccomendations like "clams dont need food." Now is it possible for your clam to live without phyto...sure its been done. But the clam is still filtering out nitrogenous wastes and such from the water. However when the clam is so picky and evolved to only accept foods that are a specific size and shape...no more no less...Id be hard pressed as to say it doesnt need it.

 

[Ben1]

The point is proof was already posted, as well as me telling you what book I believed I read it in. The problem was the source, you obviously didnt like. In anycase the fact is we are talking about keeping a clam in an established aquarium, not a lab tank with no carbon source in it. A clam is perfectly able to survive in a healthy established system. If you dont like my advice then dont read it. I believe I know more then enough to give the basic advice I do, and I have enough personal expierence with the things I comment on to know my advice is usually right on. If you didnt like my source, or comment becuase it is against what you think you know, your the one with something to prove not me.

Its also how you respond, not that you disagree. There are ways to discuss things and ways to give attitude in what you type, and from your responce I see you have an issue with me. Thats too bad... :roll: