clam young
Posted by adam greenan on February 25, 2006
Q: Hi, I have a freshwater clam in my tropical tank, and it has spread it's young into the water. Most of my fish have several attached to them. Will this harm the fish and/or led to there death (I'm worried as alot of the fish are small. And if so, is there any way to remove the young without hurting the fish or the adult clam?
A: I've never known anyone who has had this happen - I think it's really neat! I can understand why you may be concerned about your fish but you'll do more damage trying to remove the glochidia (immature freshwater clams)from the fish than if you just leave them. I'd be sure that my fish were well fed - the glochidia will be absorbing nourishment from the fish - and I would hope that all will be well. Once the immature clams are large enough, they should fall off and begin growth in your tank. If you haven't already seen our unit on clam baby dispersal, take a look at this site - www.enaturalist.org Sorry, but I can't give you any more info than this.
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Good luck to you, your fish, and your clams. Thanks for writing.
John Wiessinger ( February 26, 2006)