Tridacna Clam - Tridacna sp.

These aren’t the Cherry Stone clams you might find in a bar at happy hour. These are South Pacific native clams with unusually colored mantels. Most Tridacna clams are relatively easy to keep. In fact, the bigger they get the easier they are to take care of. They do best if fed at least once a week with a powdered or liquid filter feeding food, targeted directly at the clam. Don’t underestimate the calcium requirements of clams- there shells are heavy and need lots of calcium in the water to grow. While corals might gain a few grams of weight in a month, a clam can gain .25 to 1 ounce in shell weight, which is pure calcium. Don’t attempt these guys unless you have a big calcium reactor or you are religious about 2-part additives.