Wild Clams

[fish_4_all]

How safe would it be to go out and get some fresh water mud or butter clams and put them in a freshwater tank? Would you have to treat them with melafix or do somethng else to make them safe?

I know where to get them by the hundreds but don't want a big problem by doing so. Also, would they bury themselves in the gravel or would they be exposed and probably not survive?

 

[PsiPro]

I'd immagine they will try to burry themselves, and proably get under it evnetually depending on how compact your substrate is.

As for getting them in the wild, they tend not the breed in aquariums so I immage thats where most vendors get them from as well.

 

[krap101]

personally i wouldnt, i think wild fw mussels when they breed, their "fry" are parasitic

 

[Lance M.]

I got 4 FW clams in a tank from my lfs. The are doing well and are burying themselves in the gravel. They are very sensitive to medications so I don't know if they will survive if you add anything to the water, I guess if you had a hundred you'd be able to find out

 

[fish_4_all]

Well the ones I find in the mud around here look like butter clams. They are only about 1 inch long, most of them much smaller. We have the larger fresh water clams but I think a 3-5 inch clam would be way too big for a 10 gallon tank. I don't know if these wold be considered mussels or not. At least I know they would be good food for the loaches and corydoras once sterilized.

 

[PsiPro]

I've read about the musscle "fry" being parasidic. Dont know about clams tho.

I'd pick them up and put them in QT to check em out.