It’s estimated that nearly one in eight households in the United States owns an aquarium. When most people think of aquariums they tend to picture fish. And while these should be a staple in any type of tank it’s important to remember that there are many different underwater creatures you can include in your tanks.
For example, clams (specifically Gigas clams) can not only bring a visual pop but also improve the overall water quality of your aquarium. However, before you purchase one of these bivalves, it’s important to know exactly what goes into caring for them.
To give you a better idea, this guide will go over some of the basics involved in owning a Gigas clam. That way, you can decide if they’re right for your aquarium.
What Are Gigas Clams?
Gigas clams are also known as giant clams. They’re a huge species of clams that are commonplace both on the dinner table and in aquariums. How huge can they get? On average, you can expect the Gigas Clam species to reach two feet in length.
The largest record one reached a staggering 4.5 feet in Gigas clam size. As such, they’re not designed for small aquariums. Aside from their large size, Gigas clams are also known for their remarkably colorful exterior and interior.
Sadly, these types of clams can be harder to find in nature due to overhunting. However, they’re still frequently bred in captivity. Gigas clams can live to be over one hundred years old. As such, they’re not something to be purchased lightly since they’ll likely outlive their owners.
How Difficult Is It to Care for a Gigas Clam?
If you have the proper set-up, Gigas clam care is relatively straightforward. They’re not as picky about their environmental conditions as other types of clams.
That being said, they do require environmental conditions that likely won’t be conducive to the average aquarium. Specifically, they need a lot of space. As we mentioned, they can easily reach two to four feet in length.
As such, your aquarium needs to be able to accommodate them with room to spare. While they aren’t that picky, they do require some light and current conditions to thrive.
Also, it’s important to remember that it’s only mature Gigas clams that are hardy. When they’re young, they do need to be taken care of and fed before they develop into their massive size.
Gigas Clam Feeding
Traditionally, clams will filter feed organic components in the water. In some cases, they can even use a compound known as zooxanthellae to feed themselves. Unfortunately, if you have a young Gigas claim that’s under four inches, then they don’t have enough space to produce this component.
What’s more, Gigas clams grow at a rapid rate throughout their lifespan. As such, if you have a young clam you should be feeding it. Specifically, they need to be eating phytoplankton.
If your Gigas clam is between two to four inches long, you should be doing daily feedings. Once they grow in size a little, you can feed them a few times a week instead. Alternatively, instead of phytoplankton, you can also try different types of microfoods to see if they have a more beneficial effect.
There’s debate in the community about whether or not you should feed a mature Gigas clam. By this age, they should be able to feed themselves using zooxanthellae.
However, some owners still like to feed them. At the very least, you need to make sure that your water has the appropriate nutrients for their survival which we will cover in the next section.
Gigas Clam Aquarium Set Up and Care
Once your aquarium is set up, Gigas clams are fairly easy to take care of. That being said, the Gigas clam environmental requirements will be fairly intensive. Gigas clams require three nutrients in their water to survive.
These include calcium, iodine, and strontium. What’s more, they also require a small amount of nitrate, around 2 ppm. To mimic their ocean environment, you will need to frequently change the water. The frequency will depend on how crowded your aquarium is.
In some cases, you will also need to add element supplementation to ensure that they’re getting everything they need. Lighting is also vital. To produce zooxanthellae to self-feed, these clams need access to light. This will allow their cells to photosynthesize.
To achieve these moderate light conditions we recommend either investing in metal halide lights or LED lights. You can also fluorescent but you will need to move the clam closer to the light source. Lastly, there are the water movements to consider.
Gigas clams hate strong currents more than anything. So if these are present in your aquarium, they’re not going to thrive. Instead, make sure the current never exceeds moderate speeds. And always place the Gigas clams in an indirect path away from these currents.
Best Place to Purchase a Gigas Clam
If you go down to your local pet store or Petco, you likely aren’t going to find a lot of Gigas clams in stock. That’s because these are specialty clams. As such, you will likely either need to special order them or purchase them online.
The good news is that there are a variety of sellers that allow you to shop for Gigas clam. What’s more, since they’re hardy, these clams travel quite well. We do recommend purchasing multiple Gigas clams if you’re able to.
The clams are more happy when they’re together so investing in two or three can create a more harmonious environment in your aquarium.
Appreciate Learning About Gigas Clams? Keep Exploring
We hope this guide helped you learn more about taking care of a Gigas clam. As you can see, Gigas clams are quite hardy which makes them great additions to more casual aquariums.
They also add all of the beauty of a living decoration. That being said, they can be quite expensive and you aren’t likely to find them in the average pet store.
So make sure you shop around to find the perfect buyer. Want more animal care advice? We have plenty of similar pet topics so keep exploring to find them all.
