Two Questions: Clams and Oscars

[PsiPro]

OK First, I'm getting 4 clams with some shrimp, didn't really want them but they come as a package apparently. What do I feed them? I know they siphon and my water is far from perfect, but if i'm going to get them I want to take care of them, any ideas? I'd like to advoid buying invert food.

And Oscars, I know they get huge, but how huge how fast? How fast to you need to upgrade tanks if you start small? How fast to they outgrow a 20gal? 30gal? 40? Don't worry I'm not planning on buying one, just curiosity... then again it killed my friend the cat.

 

[RoK]

No idea about the clams but if you were to get an oscar I'd say just get at least a 75 gal for it so that you wouldn't have to worry about getting a bigger tank.

 

[krap101]

usually people say like 55 gallons for 1 or 75 for 2. its not because there isnt enough gallons, but the tank isnt wide enough as it gets bigger.

for the shrimp, ive never had an oscar, but i think the shrimp might get eaten, but im sure the clam should be fine. they like sand better so they can burrow. in the wild theres usually enough like algae and stuff in the water and they filter that stuff. im not sure how mine are doing, but i think if the flakes get crushed enough they can suck it up?

some people feed their clams like first fry food and stuff.

 

[PsiPro]

I wasn't planning on putting the shrimp in with an oscar, i'm not actually getting an oscar I was just pondering.

Thanks for the responces.

 

[rich311k]

75 gallons for one oscar. 90 or more for two. Oscars grow very fast, so fast you can almost hear the cells dividing. I know nothing about clams either.

 

[krap101]

hmm oh right lol. woops

 

[Aquarium Freak]

when I had FW Clams the LFS told me not to feed them anything because they took stuff out of the water. I never did feed them anything special and they were fine. I only had them for like 1 month and they never died so they probably do take stuff out of the water. I'm not 100% sure though. And also when I had my 55g I pulled idiot :x and put an oscar in it(BIG mistake) and it outgrew it in 6 months and I gave him to a person in my aquarium club, so you need like 90g plus IMO.
Good Luck

 

[DiverDown]

no idea about clams, but I'll chime in on Oscars too.

55 gal minimum for one, and make sure your filtration is rated for at least a 75 - 90 gallon tank. Mine outgrew a 20 gallon tank in about 4 months.

 

[PsiPro]

OK Onto clams, they came to day, alot of them were deffinatly dead, most of them were alive... or as far as I could tell.

I tossed them in the tank and how I cant tell one way or the other. Most of them are open slightly and I've arranged them all so I can tell when one of them moves, but how do I tell who is dead and who is just sitting around eating?

 

[krap101]

if you pick them up, they should close?

 

[PsiPro]

I thought so too but none of them do this One deffinatly has his siphon out... i think... alot of them are still closed. Shock perhaps? some of them are open about 1cm.

 

[fish_4_all]

I couldn't tell you anything except for this. If they are dead you should know it because your nose will tell you! They should stink to high heaven if they are dead.

 

[PsiPro]

Yea the bag they came in stuck like heck when I opened it, but I cant smell them in the bottom of my tank

 

[PsiPro]

Sadly only one calm is allive now Very sad. I think somthing went wrong in the shipping, mabey got to hot or cold.