Fresh Water Clams

Thinking about trying to acquire some pea clams. What exactly would be their food source in an aquarium?

They are filter feeders, eating microorganisms and bits of suspended organic material that they filter from water. The little siphons you see sticking out of the mud are actively bringing water in and out for feeding and respiration. Most people have reported very poor results with bivalves in aquariums. Apparently they usually live only as long as it takes them to starve to death, and this causes problems with water quality since you won't know the clam has died.

Personally I have found that some species can be kept if you're careful about it. You need to keep the number and size very small relative to the tank volume, and it also helps to have a "dirty" tank. The more your filtration consists of plants and porous biomedia vs water polishing mechanical filtration the better they will do. It also helps to have an organic substrate. I've had the best results with clams in a crayfish tank that had a substrate or crushed coral covered with a good inch of oak leaves.

On the downside, they really aren't as interesting as I had hoped. They pretty much burrow in and you won't see them again. Overall I'd recommend skipping them.

On the downside, they really aren't as interesting as I had hoped. They pretty much burrow in and you won't see them again. Overall I'd recommend skipping them.

Probably right. Kind of the equivalent of having a rock in the tank that might die and foul up my water. I am looking for something to add more diversity to the tank.

Do you have plants?

Snails are great too. You'd be surprised at the diversity available if you start looking closely. I really like limpets too, although they are hard to capture.

I had limpets in a plant-only tank. They presumably came in as hitchhikers, but I didn't notice them until they colonized the front glass. I added some killifish and the limpets promptly vanished.

Thinking about trying to acquire some pea clams. What exactly would be their food source in an aquarium?

I have successfully raised them on Purina Clam dust.

Edited by Irate Mormon, 18 October 2009 - 04:59 PM.