Clams for nutrient redux???

[naesco]

[quote=fishytime;698551]Your nitrates aren't that bad..... If you end up at 0 with your dosing, I would think that a large amount of clams would need to be fed....[/QUOTE


I agree. Unless you feed your clams, they will starve to death.

If you do decide to try this, I would dose phytoplankton VERY heavily once a week. Do it with all pumps and filters turned off for at least one hour.

[Aquattro]

The cost of adding another tank, stocking it with clams and lighting it, plus feeding, seems like an expensive alternative to water changes.

[Werbo]

If you just started the VSV carbon dosing you'll be surprised how fast the last remaining phospahtes/nitrates will be removed from the system.
Keep in mind that a small amount of nitrates and phosphates is desirable for all corals & clams. Otherwise you'll starve the corals (including sps).

[doch]

Thanks for the input guys. I think that I'll skip that portion of the system. I already have 6 nice clams (with one more on the way) in my display. I think I'll just leave it at that.

As for the nitrates... this most recent test was the first time that I had any measurable nitrates. My sump cracked, leaked everywhere, and I never bothered to set up my Zeo again... switched to Prodibio out of simplicity.... then did a little reading and decided to try the vsv as well.

[doch]

Oh... and I forgot... I also plan on adding a mangrove thatch!!!

[reefwars]

How about an ATS??? Algae turf scrubber

[Delphinus]

I remember this idea of using clams for nutrient reduction going back to the 90's and even sort of had high hopes myself at one point for thinking I would have a low nitrate tank because I had a dozen or so tridacnids. The reality is however, that despite that they feed on things like nitrates, so do corals feed on nitrates and phosphates and just having a tank full of corals isn't a guarantee to zero-nitrate readings. You'd probably need a vat of 200 clams sitting in a greenhouse to be able to measure an appreciable difference in nitrates in your average household reef tank. Personally, my advice is buy a clam because they're pretty and you like looking at them, and carry no expectation beyond being a pretty thing to look at.