clams.

Question
QUESTION: i have a question, can i have a clam in a 14 gallon biocube.

ANSWER: Hi Nick,
I wouldn't recommend it. They need stable conditions, and while some species tolerate nitrates, most do not. They also require good water movement/flow and a system that has enough mature life(plankton, pods, etc) to sustain these delicate filter feeders. Small systems rarely do. It would be a very pretty, amazing creature, that dies slowly. Thats a pet you need to hold off on until you have a tank thats matured a year or more.

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QUESTION: well its been set up for a while and its basically a baby reef with clown fish and some crabs, and we have a ro machine so i use that for water and just add salt

Answer
Marine systems need to mature to support certain life. Clams being one of them. Mature systems(1 year and older) have a natural microbial zoo that lives in them that you wouldnt believe. That most people are completely unaware of. This is what sustains most of the filter feeders in the oceans. It cannot be duplicated from a bottle, the system has to mature and grow. Or be started from a mature system. It is possible to keep such amazing creatures alive for short periods with supplementation, but the life span is shortened drastically. And after all, that is what we do, we keep life. So we need to be as careful as possible to guarantee stability and a healthy existence for our pets. So the question you need to ask is this... Do I want the immediate gratification of a beautiful clam now, that will more than likely be dead withing 6 months, or do I wait until my system is a bit more mature, and buy a life to house that I will enjoy for many years to come? Just be patient, thats my sugestion. I'm not saying you have poor water quality, bad practices or bad intentions at all. I'm merely stating that in our excitement, we quite frequently do damage to life and inservice to our passion. When a stable, healthy system can be grown with just a bit of patience. I have pets in my systems that I have had for well over 20 years. I only wish you the same.