# clams - recommendations for a nano



## beefORchicken (Apr 23, 2010)

my brother and I have been researching and planning for a while about getting a clam for our 25g. what we're stuck at is how big each type gets, everyone has something different to say. what we really want to know is how big these guys actually get. 

if anyone has kept clams in nanos could you share your experience's with them, what type they were, and how big they got?


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## fkshiu (Apr 22, 2010)

Clams are very challenging in a nano because the ones that stay relatively small, crocea and maxima, require the most amount of light to survive. It's tough to get all that extra light in there without raising temperatures.

Further, baby maximas and croceas still filter feed in addition to being photosynthetic. Filter foods can quickly mess up a small aquarium.

Hardier clams like squamosas and derasas simply get way too big to be housed in a nano.


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## beefORchicken (Apr 23, 2010)

fkshiu said:


> Clams are very challenging in a nano because the ones that stay relatively small, crocea and maxima, require the most amount of light to survive. It's tough to get all that extra light in there without raising temperatures.
> 
> Further, baby maximas and croceas still filter feed in addition to being photosynthetic. Filter foods can quickly mess up a small aquarium.
> 
> Hardier clams like squamosas and derasas simply get way too big to be housed in a nano.


how big do maximas or croceas really get? i've read between 8 and 16" ... 
also i'd be placing it within 8 to 10" of 150w mh


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## Keri (Aug 2, 2010)

I'm not a fan of clams in nanos for the reasons listed above. 
It is also Much harder to maintain a good constant calcium level in a nano, clams suck it right up, I noticed a huge difference when I had an 8" derasa in my 120g with my calcium levels. 

That being said, It can be done but you have to be much, MUCH more vigilant about your water chemistries than a larger more stable aquarium. (It's more work than I would be willing to put into it!)


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## beefORchicken (Apr 23, 2010)

Keri said:


> I'm not a fan of clams in nanos for the reasons listed above.
> It is also Much harder to maintain a good constant calcium level in a nano, clams suck it right up, I noticed a huge difference when I had an 8" derasa in my 120g with my calcium levels.
> 
> That being said, It can be done but you have to be much, MUCH more vigilant about your water chemistries than a larger more stable aquarium. (It's more work than I would be willing to put into it!)


well being more vigilant won't be a big problem. I am diy-ing a doser for 2 part and if need be, kalkwasser added manually. we think size will be a bigger issue than chemistry.


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## fkshiu (Apr 22, 2010)

beefORchicken said:


> how big do maximas or croceas really get? i've read between 8 and 16" ...
> also i'd be placing it within 8 to 10" of 150w mh


I've never seen or heard of either a maxima or a crocea get anywhere close to 16" in a home aquarium. My maxima seems to have maxed out at about 7"-8" and the largest of my three croceas is about 5"-6" (shell only). I've had all of these clams for years. I don't expect them to get much bigger. My squamosa, on the other hand, is now about the size of a rugby ball and shows no signs of slowing down.

You may not be getting the best colour out of maximas/croceas with 150w MH.


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## tang daddy (Apr 21, 2010)

you can have smaller croceas and maximas... I am a clam finatic and currently hold 7 in my 75g sps reef...

mind you most of them are small like 1-2in and a few that are palm size..

smaller clams are very sensitive to change I would go with a 3inch plus for starters as I have killed alot of smaller clams in my past, believe me hey are hard and very require lots of care also dont like changes in a tank...

derasas and squamosa I would stay away from, unless you plan on selling them when they outgrow your tank!


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## beefORchicken (Apr 23, 2010)

thanks tang daddy, yeah we're planning on getting something around the 3" size for that exact reason. maybe it's just down to croceas and maximas, hopefully they won't get too big for my tank.


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