# what type of clam is this?



## Indigo Betta (Sep 27, 2012)

what type of clam is this?:hmm:


----------



## MistersMom (Aug 9, 2011)

Fresh water? Lol


----------



## eatmice2010 (Jan 1, 2013)

Can you post another pic, from this point it looks like a type of mussel more than a clam


----------



## efg321 (Jan 11, 2013)

Oops not about the clam but where did you find the rhyolite gravel?


----------



## GoodMorning (Jan 19, 2013)

the kind you eat at the buffet


----------



## Indigo Betta (Sep 27, 2012)

efg321 said:


> Oops not about the clam but where did you find the rhyolite gravel?



got the gravel from pets at home


----------



## Indigo Betta (Sep 27, 2012)

eatmice2010 said:


> Can you post another pic, from this point it looks like a type of mussel more than a clam


best photo i can get, i think your right its a mussel not a clam, probably called a freshwater mussel, pets at home said it was freshwater clam but i think their just misleading me, i don't mind if its a mussel or a clam though, i like the way it looks either way.


----------



## JAGalletta (Oct 24, 2012)

A quick Google search returns this image for freshwater mussel:










If this looks like what you have, then you indeed have a freshwater mussel!  I can't be any more specific than that, but there probably are a few different species of them. Good luck with it, it's a pretty interesting addition to you aquarium!


----------



## Indigo Betta (Sep 27, 2012)

Have looked on some sites about Freshwater Mussels, I think that's what I've got. Seems they help to filter the water. Useful little things, might well be getting some more for the other tanks. 

Thanks everyone!


----------



## MSG (May 8, 2012)

*Don't buy any more of them.*

Mollusks cannot survive in home aquariums. There's not enough food for them & basically you're just letting them starve. Once they finally croak after a month or two.... they're going to foul up the water & poison everything in your tank. 

Also they NEED sand to burrow into, the gravel in your tank aren't going to do anything other than leave them open for attacks from other inhabitants which will cause them to "CLAM UP". 

In the wild, mollusks are buried right underneath the surface so they can feed off the microbes/algae in whatever body of water they live in. 

Extremely useful invertebrates in the wild, but in an aquarium because of their lack of mobility to locate food for themselves they're completely useless & a waste of money. 

Invest your money on LIVE aquatic plants instead of these slow moving shelled bio-hazards.

Last time I checked those things were were $2-$3 each.


----------



## MistersMom (Aug 9, 2011)

I don't think he bought it, i think he found it.


----------



## Indigo Betta (Sep 27, 2012)

Actually it was sold to me by pets at home as a CLAM, when I got my first fish. Its about 8 months old now, so I don't think its going to die- at least I hope not.


----------



## emeraldmaster (Sep 6, 2012)

I kept the same kind of muscle in our tanks for almost 2 years! No need to tell me that they are useless! But mine were wild caught, had 6!!! These buggers are great and I could remember where I caught them I would do it again...


----------



## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

MSG there's no reason to be talking like that around someone's pet, I find it very rude. You were wrong about it dying, you don't have to keep going on about it. Just because you don't like it doesn't mean no one should keep them.

It does look like a mussel, there's so many types that I'm not sure how you would start trying to find the species. If the store would tell you the origin if it's wild caught that would help narrow it down a lot.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Skyewillow (Dec 28, 2012)

I had a big freshwater clam like that in my tank with my goldies, I made sure to crush spirulina and regular fish flakes till they were too small for the fish to bother with, and that sucker doubled in size till my fiance sold him behind my back. >_> We found ours in a river.

If you're willing to feed them, they won't die. There are plenty of filter feeding fish and coral species that people have successfully kept in the home aquarium.

And I agree with Olympia, that was extremely rude of you, MSG. How would you feel if someone posted pictures of your favorite species of pet fish battered and deep fried???


----------



## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Wait. I didn't even know people could consider clams/mussels as pets!! lol 
What do they eat? And _how_ do they eat??


----------



## polukoff (Nov 23, 2011)

Good luck, I've heard of very few cases where they live. More trouble than it's worth.


----------



## Indigo Betta (Sep 27, 2012)

Skyewillow said:


> I had a big freshwater clam like that in my tank with my goldies, I made sure to crush spirulina and regular fish flakes till they were too small for the fish to bother with, and that sucker doubled in size till my fiance sold him behind my back. >_>


My whatever it is (Mussel Clam??) has grown quite a bit since I got it and I haven't really had to do anything special for it. 

I read up about clams when I first got it and the site said they were filter feeders. Fingers crossed it seems to be thriving at the moment.

Don't care what other people think, I think it makes a nice addition to the tank.


----------



## Skyewillow (Dec 28, 2012)

there's a difference between stating the extra care requirement, and posting pictures of deep fried clams.

And yes, they also require calcium in the water too, in addition to filter feeding. Like snails, they have a shell to maintain.

And just because you personally would eat your pets, doesn't mean the OP wants to see it, nor do the rest of us. The next time we process a rabbit for the dinner table, shall I photograph the entire process and email it to you?

Also, just because your dog runs 5 miles a day, doesn't mean anything, just that it exercises. My dogs got free rein of 5 acres for at least half the day, but my dogs still had broken backs or legs if they ran into traffic.


----------



## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

They can live, but they need green water.


----------



## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

Tropical Freshwater Invertebrates for Aquariums: Freshwater Clam


----------



## emeraldmaster (Sep 6, 2012)

I may be rather new to this site but I agree whole heartedly with the moderators. I was rude, MSG. Also, I, having kept muscles collected from my area for nearly a year before, can say that there was nothing that I did for them except add food. they just filter feed anyway. I had mine in a gravel based tank and they did great, under the gravel. However, back then I was a noobie to this fishy world. It makes perfect sense for the need of calcium in the water, and if you have rocks in your water, then you may not need to worry about it.


----------



## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

I just have to add that many people keep mussels and clams as pets, and would be very offended at what MSG said. I offended at it as well. This is a _fishkeeping_ site, where people come to get advice about their pet and to gain knowledge. I simply do not see the point of posting pictures of dead clams on a thread asking how to care for clams. And it is no different from your dog, or a chicken, or a fish, or a cow, of even a leech. They are all animals, and someone out there cares about them.


----------



## stangant (Dec 3, 2012)

I have had them before as pets and it was fun watching them"dance" around looking for a new place to dig and eat. But yea the tank needs to have a high flow rate and lots of sediment in the water for it to eat.


----------



## eatmice2010 (Jan 1, 2013)

Ok I think we have all strayed away from the main question of : 

What type of mussel or clam is it?

He did not ask for opinions on the clams/mussels living conditions, he stated that it has been living in his tank for about 8 months now, so the ones who keep telling him to better the clam/mussel conditions are late.


----------



## Skyewillow (Dec 28, 2012)

That was already solved earlier in the thread, I thought?


----------



## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

The question was answered here, and the care for the Clam was also answered here.



Reefing Madness said:


> Tropical Freshwater Invertebrates for Aquariums: Freshwater Clam


----------



## eatmice2010 (Jan 1, 2013)

shhhhhh, yall lol It was working XD


----------



## stangant (Dec 3, 2012)

it is always good to hear from others personal experiences.


----------



## NeptunesMom (May 4, 2012)

I know nothing about mussels or clams, but wanted to say that, you have a very neat little pet there. I have always thought they (mussels and clams) were unique and beautiful in their own way. I like to watch them stick their.. hand, foot, whatever it is, out.  Its so darn cute.


----------



## FishFriend9292 (Oct 14, 2012)

neptunes mom- i believe its a tounge..foot...i dont know. LOL


----------



## Indigo Betta (Sep 27, 2012)

NeptunesMom said:


> I know nothing about mussels or clams, but wanted to say that, you have a very neat little pet there. I have always thought they (mussels and clams) were unique and beautiful in their own way. I like to watch them stick their.. hand, foot, whatever it is, out.  Its so darn cute.


thanks it is a neat a pet:-D


----------



## Skyewillow (Dec 28, 2012)

FishFriend9292 said:


> neptunes mom- i believe its a tounge..foot...i dont know. LOL


The scientific name is a "mantle" (same as snails) but it's the equivalent of a foot


----------



## Indigo Betta (Sep 27, 2012)

MattsBettas said:


> I just have to add that many people keep mussels and clams as pets, and would be very offended at what MSG said. I offended at it as well. This is a _fishkeeping_ site, where people come to get advice about their pet and to gain knowledge. I simply do not see the point of posting pictures of dead clams on a thread asking how to care for clams. And it is no different from your dog, or a chicken, or a fish, or a cow, of even a leech. They are all animals, and someone out there cares about them.



i agreed i found MSG's post rude and unhelpful:redmad:


----------



## Indigo Betta (Sep 27, 2012)

i'm bored of this thread now


----------



## FishFriend9292 (Oct 14, 2012)

Thank you! I will never forget that random piece of information.


----------



## Indigo Betta (Sep 27, 2012)

this thread has gone on too long i think its time it ended


----------



## NeptunesMom (May 4, 2012)

Skyewillow said:


> The scientific name is a "mantle" (same as snails) but it's the equivalent of a foot


Good to know. I thought it was something like a foot or a hand.


----------



## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

I just want to say that if anyone has freshwater clams or mussels in their tanks, please be very careful not to allow them to escape into the waterways. One particular type of freshwater clam, the corbicula fluminea, is very invasive and breeds rapidly. There are other types that also breed rapidly as well.

Project attempts to smother invasive clams

In areas where it was accidentally introduced, it has literally choked waterways and displaced native species. Because this type of clam breeds rapidly, please be sure not to dispose of its offspring in any manner that could endanger your local ecological system. 

Indigo, your clam/mussel may not be the type that rapidly breeds but I wanted to toss that out there for anyone reading the thread to be aware of the ecological dangers.

That said, I once thought about getting a freshwater clam myself. They are very good at keeping the substrate stirred up but they do require a deeper bed than normal, as they like to burrow down. They are filter feeders and unless your tank is seriously overstocked and overfed, they most likely won't get enough food without you target feeding them crumbled spirulina flakes or powder. A good way to feed them without polluting your tank is to use a turkey baster to squirt the powder/flakes close to them.

Enjoy your new pet!


----------

