i have heard that freshwater clams will actually provide filtering qualities in home aquariums. first off, is this true? if it is i was thinking of using clams from the local baitshop and keeping them in my sump. are there risks as far as bacteria and pathogens being introduced into my tanks by using clams from a baitshop? if so how would i go about quarantiening(spelling?) and sterilizing them? sorry if these q's seem lame.

When I had my fantails I cought a couple of clams on a fishing trip and just dropped them in the tank. Of course that was before I knew about quarantining and stuff like that. It was cool, the clams would plow through the gravel and my tank stayed clean. :laugh: :laugh:

thanks dtroup. yeah i figured people did it but i'm not sure of the risks involved as far as parasites and crap you know? ahh i may give it a go, i have a 15 gallon tank i can use to quarantine them i may try it out.

Yeah a quarantine period might be wise, mine came out of clean, clear streams in MN. I literally cought one on a daredevil with a leach :laugh:

hahaha that's crazy. i don't think i've ever "caught" a clam before, at least not that i can remember.

It was nuts! I had already lost like 6 daredevils that day and I thought I was snagged again so our friend offered to unsnag me and got in the stream, followed the line and found a fairly large clam. It was about 4 inches across and would not give up the hook :laugh: so we dropped him in the bait bucket and took him home. It was the only thing we cought that day, did it again about a week later :laugh:

Thought I'd revive this thread to ask a couple of questions.

Do they have to go in a sump?? Seeing as I don't obviously have one, can they go into the tank with the fish.

Also what do they eat??? :lol:

Probably silly questions, but I won't know unless I ask :asskiss:

They are particle feeders.
He was putting them in his sump for their protection.