Clams

 

 

 

Our clams are hardy and easy to keep given species correct conditions and nutrition!

 

 

 

We have a partner in Tahiti that we work with and are the exclusive importer in the US for his clams. The clams are collected in the remote Austral Islands, not in the areas near resorts or where clams have been collected in the past by other exporters. Because of the remote location and lack of tourism in these islands there is no scuba gear available so all clams are collected by holding your breath and going down a few feet, no more than about 6-8 feet below the surface with the vast majority being no more than 2-3 feet deep. The clams are found on rock outcroppings that rise above the surface and are just a few feet below the surface, in these islands the clams do not occur deeper than about 10 feet below the surface. Dr. Mac has been there and collected many himself so we know exactly how these clams are collected and handled and have developed extensive protocols for proper handling. The shells of all clams are cleaned and then all clams are freshwater dipped now in Tahiti at our holding facility and then held for two weeks afterward before being shipped (plus we hold all clams for two weeks at our facility in the US before they are sold). In Tahiti at our farm we use purified natural saltwater and clams are housed in large tanks under natural sunlight. There are hundreds of millions of clams in these islands and the collection of the few clams for the aquarium trade has zero impact upon these populations. The clams are naturally reproducing all the time and we also culture these clams as well. Native folks eat lots of the wild clams, they are a staple of the local diet, and of course fish and other animals naturally eat many clams. All of these clams we collect are found only a few feet below the surface so they are use to very intense lighting and receive their nutrition from the products of photosynthesis. The best lighting is metal halide, at a minimum 250 or 400 watts.

 

 

 

 

 

INFORMATION ABOUT ALL TRIDACNA CLAMS 

 

Tridacna Clams need strong lighting to survive long term, we highly recommend 250 or 400 watt metal halide lighting or equivelant, such as intense LEDs. Clams, corals, and all invertebrates require saltwater that has full strength natural saltwater parameters: Specific Gravity 1.025-1.027, alkalinity 8dKH, calcium 450+, Magnesium 1300+, nondetectable nitrates and phosphates. 

Intense lighting is critical to successfully maintaining clams in captivity, they obtain their nutritional needs from the products of photosynthesis and therefore require very intense lighting. If you do not have this type of lighting they will typically live for up to 2 months and then suddenly retract their mantle and die within a few days. The loss is due to inadequate lighting and a lack of nutrition. With the correct lighting they are hardy and easy to keep, we have kept some at our facility well over a year with no problems.

Tridacna clams do not need supplemental feeding, they acquire their food from the products of photosynthesis and the symbiotic algae that live in their tissues as well as some nutrition provided by absorption of dissolved nutrients and fine particles in the water. If you have intense light and some fish in your tank that your regularly feed, along with stable salinity, calcium, alkalinity, magnesium levels, then these clams should do well for you.

   

For more information about clam care please check our Clam Care page under the Reef School tab at the top of the page for more detailed information about how to properly care for your new clam.