How to Raise Giant Clams in an Aquarium

Giant clams not only provide a vivid splash of electric blue, green or yellow in a home aquarium, they also help filter the water. For practical reasons, the biggest of the giant clams -- Tridacna gigas -- is not a suitable creature to introduce to a small home tank. It can grow to four feet long. However its smaller relatives, such as Tridacna crocea and Tridacna maxima, come in at a relatively dainty 8 to 16 inches and are not exceptionally difficult to keep. Successfully raising a clam to full size doesn't require special equipment -- just an established and healthy reef tank.

Things You'll Need

  • Large, established reef tank
  • Calcium, iodine and strontium reef supplements
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Instructions

    • 1

      Determine which species of giant clam are available from suppliers in your area and which might suit the conditions of your tank best. At least seven species of giant clam appear in the aquarium trade and they all have slightly different needs. All clams do best in a well-stocked tank rather than a bare one.

    • 2

      Position the juvenile clam on a flat surface in the tank away from the filter. Some species prefer a sandy surface, others a rocky one. Clams cannot move far and eventually are unlikely to move at all, so positioning is crucial to the animal's well-being. If the lighting system in your tank is relatively weak, position the clam near the surface. With more intense light, situate the clam further down.

    • 3

      Switch the tank light on for at least 12 hours a day to support algae photosynthesis. Giant clams coexist with symbiotic algae, which provide some of the energy the clams need. Clams also filter out some of the free-floating phytoplankton in the water.

    • 4

      Use a calcium reef supplement. Clams need this for shell growth. Maintain calcium levels of about 400 milligrams per liter. Supplements of iodine and strontium are also necessary for healthy growth (use as per instructions). Other nutrients should naturally occur in the tank and adding extra, notably nitrates, causes problems for other reef animals.