Which clam/scallop species are best suited for pico and nano tanks? What is the minimum tank size required to keep clams?

[Svan139]

I wanna get a clam or scallop for my 10 Gallon pico/nano tank but was uncertain if any species was suitable for such small aquariums.

What is the minimum tank size for clams? What species are best for pico/nano tanks?
Thank you all so much.

 

[Subsea]

Welcome to r2r.

No one good answer here. Depends on your set up and experience level.

Clams, scallops and oysters filter a tremendous volume of water. Both scallops & oysters require much zooplankton in the water. While clams also filter tremendous volumes of water, they are also photosynthetic.

Better discribe your setup to support these filter feeders with emphases on your lighting?

 

[Svan139]

Welcome to r2r.

No one good answer here. Depends on your set up and experience level.

Clams, scallops and oysters filter a tremendous volume of water. Both scallops & oysters require much zooplankton in the water. While clams also filter tremendous volumes of water, they are also photosynthetic.

Better discribe your setup to support these filter feeders with emphases on your lighting?

My experience is definitely very amateur and new. I was planning to get a dosing pump for daily zooplankton.

My parameters should be fairly stable as I have an ATO and daily water change schedule.

Would these be okay with my snails + sea urchin? Or will they compete too much for food? Current lighting is purely natural as everything is close to a window.

However, I plan to add a more proper lighting soon. The tank has no coral currently (just macro algae) but I may add some zoas in the future.

 

[Subsea]

What is your source of live zooplankton?

How long has the tank been set up?

 

[Spare time]

Shouldn't it be phytoplankton, not zooplankton? I kept a flame scallop for a long time until I was unable to get phyto for it.

 

[Subsea]

OP mentioned clams and they are
Photosynthetic.

The longest that I have kept flame scallops is 2 years. I focus on the microbial loop using cryptic refugiuns & live rock

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Clams are an advanced animal, they require high lighting and exceptional water conditions. If the clam actually does survive in a 10 gallon ,it would suck the alk and calcium out of the water so fast, you would need daily testing and dosing. A 10 gallon is very small, not much room for a lot of the equipment you will need. Have you done any reading or research on clams at all yet, any idea what kind of clam you want?

 

[ccc111]

Clams are an advanced animal, they require high lighting and exceptional water conditions. If the clam actually does survive in a 10 gallon ,it would suck the alk and calcium out of the water so fast, you would need daily testing and dosing. A 10 gallon is very small, not much room for a lot of the equipment you will need. Have you done any reading or research on clams at all yet, any idea what kind of clam you want?

Hmmm....I am curious about this.

Wikihow has an article on clams but am uncertain how utilitarian it is: https://www.wikihow.com/Take-Care-of-a-Live-Clam#Caring-for-Saltwater-Clams

Do they need daily testing for calcium/alk? Or can you follow the recommended dosing on Seachem/vendor bottles?

I am curious if a Crocea may be able to survive well. Are there any smaller species?

 

[JoJosReef]

Hmmm....I am curious about this.

Wikihow has an article on clams but am uncertain how utilitarian it is: https://www.wikihow.com/Take-Care-of-a-Live-Clam#Caring-for-Saltwater-Clams

Do they need daily testing for calcium/alk? Or can you follow the recommended dosing on Seachem/vendor bottles?

I am curious if a Crocea may be able to survive well. Are there any smaller species?

Croceas are the smallest of the Tridacna clam species. They also have the highest light requirements. Mixed opinions on if they are the easiest or the hardest clams.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

Not all clams are Photosynthetic... Just saying... But... they do need phyto, live phyto... What temp are you running at? You could go down to the local grocery store if your tank is running cool to get some clams. You could do clams, mussels or oysters.

 

[ccc111]

Not all clams are Photosynthetic... Just saying... But... they do need phyto, live phyto... What temp are you running at? You could go down to the local grocery store if your tank is running cool to get some clams. You could do clams, mussels or oysters.

What temperature do store bought clams/muscles/oysters need? I keep my tank at 75 F.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

What temperature do store bought clams/muscles/oysters need? I keep my tank at 75 F.

That would be on the warm end... Most stuff you get at the store tends to be more cold water, but they usually have a descriptor so you can look it up. Some mollusks can be temperature tolerant.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

What temperature do store bought clams/muscles/oysters need? I keep my tank at 75 F.

That would be on the warm end... Most stuff you get at the store tends to be more cold water, but they usually have a descriptor so you can look it up. Some mollusks can be temperature tolerant.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

What temperature do store bought clams/muscles/oysters need? I keep my tank at 75 F.

That would be on the warm end... Most stuff you get at the store tends to be more cold water, but they usually have a descriptor so you can look it up. Some mollusks can be temperature tolerant.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Hmmm....I am curious about this.

Wikihow has an article on clams but am uncertain how utilitarian it is: https://www.wikihow.com/Take-Care-of-a-Live-Clam#Caring-for-Saltwater-Clams

Do they need daily testing for calcium/alk? Or can you follow the recommended dosing on Seachem/vendor bottles?

I am curious if a Crocea may be able to survive well. Are there any smaller species?

For the best info on clams, James Fatheree is the correct source of info.

Giant Clams in the Aquarium, a New Book by James Fatheree | Reef Builders | The Reef and Saltwater Aquarium Blog

There’s a lot going on in the realm of our favorite reef bivalves, from the newly arrived Red Sea cultured clams, to the revision of Indian Ocean species, and now we even have a new book.

reefbuilders.com

Aquarium Invertebrates: Tridacnid Clams (Usually) Don’t Need to Be Fed in Aquaria

James discusses the myth that Tridacnid clams must be fed in order to prevent starvation.

reefs.com

Aquarium Invertebrates: Tridacnid Clams (Usually) Don’t Need to Be Fed in Aquaria

James discusses the myth that Tridacnid clams must be fed in order to prevent starvation.

reefs.com

 

[minus9]

For the best info on clams, James Fatheree is the correct source of info.

Giant Clams in the Aquarium, a New Book by James Fatheree | Reef Builders | The Reef and Saltwater Aquarium Blog

There’s a lot going on in the realm of our favorite reef bivalves, from the newly arrived Red Sea cultured clams, to the revision of Indian Ocean species, and now we even have a new book.

reefbuilders.com

Aquarium Invertebrates: Tridacnid Clams (Usually) Don’t Need to Be Fed in Aquaria

James discusses the myth that Tridacnid clams must be fed in order to prevent starvation.

reefs.com

Aquarium Invertebrates: Tridacnid Clams (Usually) Don’t Need to Be Fed in Aquaria

James discusses the myth that Tridacnid clams must be fed in order to prevent starvation.

reefs.com

Agree, buy the first book and read it. It's usually around $38 on Amazon. If you can keep sps thriving, then you can keep a clam, the tank size should only matter regarding species adult size(s). Crocea are the smallest tridacna clams, they max out around 6", which takes years to reach. I'm currently keeping 3 croceas in a 10g which is attached to a 25g lagoon. They are lit by a single Kessil 500x that's roughly 2' above the water. With any reef tank, stability is key, tank size shouldn't matter, but smaller tanks are more challenging due to evaporation, etc. Croceas are not huge element hogs, so I wouldn't worry about them draining the system of alk and ca, but you do need to provide a steady source of both (and other elements). If you have fish in the system, then you have a good nitrogen source for the clam.
My advice, buy and read the book. Add some sps to the tank and keep them successfully for a year, then you can add a clam if you want. This gives you plenty of time to learn about the complexities of keeping a reef. I would also suggest buying volume III of "The Reef Aquarium" by Delbeek and Sprung, this book alone will guide you in being a successful hobbyist (volume I is another great addition to your reading list). Be patient, learn as much as you can, then acquire the animals you want to keep, this will reduce your chances of failure (which we all have) and put you on a road toward success.
Cheers!