Cleaner Clams Group Buy

This is an interesting idea. I didn't realize clams could be so beneficial, but I do have 4 on a live rock in my biocube 29. They were very small and hardly noticable when I bought the rock a few years ago, and now they're about quarter size in diameter. I wonder how big they'll get? There are so many different kinds, it's hard to say, but I've liked having them around regardless.

I'm now tempted to put a few larger ones in my refugium to my other tank if they'll do ok without substrate....

 

Mine are still alive in my sump. I can't comment on changes, I installed a algae scrubber at the same time so I would expect the scrubber to have more impact on my system. I am not sure how much biomass you need per gallon to really matter. But there is research out there using filter feeders as filters.

Here is using giant clams as the only biofilter:
http://www.spc.int/DigitalLibrary/Doc/FAME/InfoBull/TROC/8/TROC8_24_Braley.pdf

An older paper using oysters to reduce nutrients in a commercial setting:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0044848691900208

It's amazing the amount of research out there that is valid for our hobby that is either ignored, unknown or otherwise disregarded. Google scholar is wonderful.

 

They are on sale again 5 for $9.99

 

Anyone in the CR area want to take advantage of this sale?

 

me.

 

I'm in for 5 if we can get enough interest I could do 10 if need be.

 

That price is good until 11PM CST tonight. So if there enough interest before 9PM CST I would set one up. Shipping is $9.99 for orders over $100 and free for orders over $200. Will not order unless we get at least 10 orders/sets. It is not cost effective for anything less than that quantity.

 

Well, if swcrys is willing to do 2, I can do + how many were you thinking Tickyty?

I'm thinking we're at least half way there, and can easily make it if others did 5 more orders - it would just be $11 for 5 clams, instead of $10 because we'd need to split the $9.99 shipping accordingly. Paying an extra buck or two is fine with me.

How fast do they ship? I will be going through Des Moines on Sunday, so if we were to group together with an order, I could potentially bring them back to the Cedar Rapids area on Sunday if a DSM member was kind enough to house them until then....

 

Shayna, live goods is overnight. So I would say they would be here on Friday. This would be shipped to CR area not DesMoines. I probably should have created a new post.

 

I understand it all fully. I just wasn't sure if a place could really ship orders out tomorrow that were placed as late as 11pm tonight.

My comment about Des Moines was just giving a second option if we don't get enough people to meet free or reduced 9.99 shipping because as of right now, I only see my potential order and swcrys and no one else committing to anything.

 

I would be interested, but it seems like there is no definitive results from the group stating that the last batch really did much. I mean the biggest improvement was in conjunction with water changes or addition of algae scrubbers, etc. Anyone with just the clams being added have successful and noticeable positive changes? I am was in LA, and now in Salt Lake City, and traveling to Denver here shortly, so my ability to re-research this is limited on my phone.

 

Based off previous studies I doubt they have much effect in our tank unless you had quite a large number of clams in your system, or a very small bioload. Looking at the T. gigas study it appears like you need some good mass, it would be interesting if they had approximated the total biomass of clams vs fish in the display.

 

I don't know that anyone has offered any breath-taking results, however if there is a decent number of clams added for the size of the tank (and I can't say I know what that number would be) it makes reasonable sense to me that the clams would outcompete nuisance algae for the nutrients. Also, I just like clams cause they look kinda cute. /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/smile.gif


I figure if this group order thing doesn't work out, I'll just find a way to pick up a few for myself. I know there was some mentioning of people finding them in grocery stores, etc.

 

Just thought I would restart this thread. How are everyone's clams' doing? (alive/dead) have you noticed a significant decrease in nutrients? Any suggestions on how many per gallon(s)? Would you buy again?

 

Hey Terri,

I would buy them again. I have 6 left in my 90. A couple died right away. I would assume that I did not have enough nutrients in my tank to support the 10 I purchased. As you know I struggle to keep Zoas alive in my tank and I am thinking that not having enough nutrients is part of the problem. I know that currently, things basically are at 0 most of the way around, and my current tank is not even 1 year old...

 

Mine are all alive, or at least they look alive still. The system they are in has been through quite a bit with scrubber/no scrubber phosphate and algae swings with nitrates holding around 10-15ppm the entire time.

As for nutrient decrease I have seen none with the clams, and after thinking about it I don’t really expect to. The studies that have been done before with giant clams show that most of the nutrient exportation is due to the clam’s growth, not their base respiration. These little clams don’t really grow, or at least it is very very slow at this size, so they can’t “lock” up nutrients very well. Certainly they require some nutrients to survive, but since they can consume phytoplankton and a multitude of other food coupled with their tiny metabolic requirements I would be shocked to see any real nutrient changes unless one was using thousands of baby clams and letting them grow through maturity.

 

Thanks Chris! You need to get some PO4 and NO3 in there! :0) Things are growing so you do have some...just not showing on your tests ;0)

Thanks Hart! They must be survivors then with all the ups and downs your tank has gone through ;0) Hopefully things have stabilized :0) The information you provide sounds very reasonable. I would tend to agree that a larger number of clams or larger clams would be needed to see measureable results. But, I find it interesting that your NO3 has held at 10-15ppm the entire time. Do you know why your NO3 stayed at those levels?

 

I still chuckle when I see this thread pop up. It seems like there is no real-world proof that the clams are helping anyone's system, and it isn't like they are pretty or neat to look at. Heck several people put them in their sump to hide them away, and yet people keep buying them. You guys (and gals) are just silly. /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/tongue.gif

 

I would guess the floating scrubber kept nitrate at those levels. I harvested a handful of algae a week from it, but it seemed like it couldn't pull the nitrate lower. It was able to keep phosphate low for quite a while, but eventually it was unable to keep up with that as well. For whatever reason that design maintains about 10ppm nitrate.

If you think about nutrient locking and export by various means, chaeto, scrubber, clam, bacteria, all of these are "lock in" the excess nutrients as they consume nitrates and phosphates. (Most are then exported with the exception of the clams) But the reason that gigas clams can be good filters is that they absorb the nutrients as they gain size and mass. There are plenty of reports of gigas clams growing 6in plus a year or .5in/month, think how much biomass of algae it takes to equal that weight! With the cleaner clams about max size they are not growing much if at all so they just can't lock up nutrients like the giant clams used in previous studies. Now if you want phyto filtered out of the water I am sure they do a good job of that, but most people want other organisms to eat that.

Now if you like the looks of them then by all means pick some up!

 

Oh they are so pretty..........Not! I'm passing but may get a few for a sump or two "if" there's another group buy.