Nitrate absorbtion by tridacnid clams

[inkblue]

lol chief, you need large body mass to soak up enough nitrates.

you would have to run a remote clam tank as a filter, there would be no
room in a reg show tank for the clams needed.

that would be very cool though. if you had the space and money you could plumb in a low clam tank that you could look at the clams from above.

This is a really go0d idea. but tHen that remoTe clam taNk wiLL need some seriouS liGhting... :scratch:

 

[jhale]

no one said it would be cheap

fwiw shaun keeps his giant clam under vho's and t-5's

 

[Hotwheels]

I believe there was a study or test done quite like Jhale describes.
Dean maybe you can help us out here.

It was a reef display tank connect to another tank of three giant clams. a pretty decent read. the clams did the job but very costly filter if you want to conserve power usage.

 

[jhale]

heh, you can't think of it as just a "filter"

A different kind of set up could be cool.

what about three levels draining into each other.

the top display flowing into a low clam tank, then ending up in a
sump and fuge below the two

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

a low clam tank that you could look at the clams from above.

I guess you have to hang the light pretty high from the surface or unless you have x-ray vision to see thru them.

I use little necks as part of my eco-filter but they just filter dirt instead of nitrate.:irked:

 

[ShaunW]

I just had this conversation with a scientific friend who looked at my clam recently. The conversation when like this:

Him: "What do clams eat?"
Me: "After a certain size they can be strictly photosynthetic."
Him: "So where do they get the N-source for N containing amino acids?"
Me: "Alternative metabolic pathways."
Him: "But they still need to acquire the raw material from somewhere, i.e. nitrogen! and they must acquire alot since they contain large amounts of protein since they have a large fleshy parts to them."
Me: "It must be through absorption via the water column of N in the form of nitrate! what other source would be available otherwise? :scratch: not nitrite, not ammonia, and not nitrogen gas. Otherwise they are not strictly photosynthetic."
Him: "That makes sense, Do you want another beer? :lol:

Then he asks the question I always get from non-reefers:
Do you think that clam would taste good?

 

[prattreef]

My understanding is that clam farms add ammonium nitrate to grow out systems to speed the growth. So yes i believe they are quite effective at nitrate removal. BUT, as stated above you would need a fair number of clams or at least a few really big ones to impact a typical reef aquarium.

 

[jhale]

I guess you have to hang the light pretty high from the surface or unless you have x-ray vision to see thru them.

250 watt pendants, no need to be superman

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

:bump:

 

[ihatefish]

thick sand bed = lower levels unless u want a tank full of clams

 

[CyanoMagnet]

I had a thick sandbed. I think they are ugly. They are also limiting factors in water flow.

SO I went BB. Nitrates climbed up.... I got a sulfur denitrator and now they are at undetectable (salifert) for 2 months and no water changes (ive been busy wc police).

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

So do your clams aid in nitrate reduction?

 

[rgun2515]

Hard clam
farm raised in Florida
Great for refugiums. These Clams help to lower Nitrates as they feed.

From Saltwaterfish.com

See link below...


http://www.saltwaterfish.com/site_1...ategory=4&category_search=63&root_parent_id=4