Quarantine clams?

[Richard]

[Hi,
I don't have any clams yet,
but I may go buy one tomorrow.
Do you guys quarantine clams or just put them
in the main tank?

Thanks]

 

[melev]

[I acclimated mine like I do all new inductees. Over a period of 1.5 hours, a little new water is added to the bag the item is in, then finally it is put in the tank.

Peter would probably have some good advice as well, since he's got a zillion clams.

Quarantining is a good idea when you don't know the source, but I don't believe people quarantine clams.

Oh, heck, I don't know either. ]

 

[peterlin]

[It's always a good idea to quarantine anything you introduce to your show tank. There could be critter hidden on the shell.

However, many of us don't have the patience to do that. If you don't already own a clam, you can take a chance and introduce the clam to your tank - after you acclimate it.

If you already own many clams in your tank - you definately should quarantine new clam.]

 

[Richard]

[Would a small tub be okay, with 40 watts of no light,
and how long in the quarantine?
That would be only place to quarantine.
I already have a tub with a couple of gallons of water
with a whisper filter running for a couple of weeks with nothing
in it except water from my main tank.

Or Just take the chance and put it in.]

 

[Kevin Trotman]

@Please_fly_AA wrote:

[I think you said it already. A clam will require at least a 250 watt metal hallide, depending on the clam & tank. A deresa, or other less photosynthetic clam, might be able to survive for a while under a 150 watt MH, but the point in keeping them, of course, is the amazing color. Even that wouldn't be a good idea for more than a week. They'd turn completely brown in a very short time and expell their symbiotic algea.

As long as you don't get one from some of the places in California that have that coughing disease that might kill other clams, there is no point in quarantine.]