Does anyone keep FW clams?

[betta4me]

I'm interested in getting a few for my 55g and just wanted to get a general idea of your experience with them. Lifespan, sensitivity, etc...?
I can't seem to find any locally and wanted to know before I spend money for shipping them.
Thanks!

 

[RogerMcAllen]

I would advise against it.

Clams are filter feeders, which means that you probably would not be able to keep one alive much longer than it takes for the clam to starve to death. When they do it can often go unnoticed and foul your water parameters pretty bad. Besides, they don't even do much except bury in the sand and occasionally go on a stroll tearing up your plants/substrate.

 

[betta4me]

Thanks, I don't like the idea of something...anything...starving to death.

 

[gzeiger]

I've had good luck keeping small ones (and just a couple), although I generally keep my tanks dirtier than you probably do. They definitely require a planted environment and infrequent water changes so there are lots of plankton around. I will second the observation that they just aren't very interesting unless you have something in the tank that eats them.