Crocea clam (Tridacna crocea) care guide

Group
Other invertebrates
Other names
Boring clam, Crocus clam, Saffron-coloured clam, Tridacna cumingii, Tridacna ferruginea
Family
Cardiidae (Tridacninae)
Origin
Indo-Pacific from Malaysia, Vietnam and Japan through Indonesia and the Philippines to Australia, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu
Water
saltwater
Maximum size
15 cm
Temperature
24–28°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Hardness
SG 1.024–1.026, dKH 8–12
Minimum tank
150 litres
Care level
expert
Temperament
peaceful
Reef safe
yes

Care

The crocea clam is the smallest giant clam, with a shell up to about 15 cm. Its fleshy mantle, which spreads out over the shell edge, is brightly coloured in blue, green, purple, gold, orange or brown, often patterned with spots, stripes or squiggles, with a row of tiny simple eyes along the edge. The greyish-white shell has six to ten folds. Tridacna cumingii and T. ferruginea are former names. In the wild it bores into massive corals and rock, so its shell is often worn smooth. Light: like other giant clams it gets most of its food from symbiotic algae living in its mantle, so it needs very strong lighting, among the highest of any clam. Place it high in the tank, near the top of the rockwork, where it can be firmly seated on rock. Increase light gradually after purchase to avoid bleaching. Set-up: a mature, stable reef tank of 150 litres or more with high, steady calcium, alkalinity and magnesium. Place it so it can attach with its byssal threads; do not move it once it has settled. Acclimatise slowly. Health: watch for pyramidellid snails (tiny white parasitic snails on the shell, active at night) and inspect the shell regularly. A clam that gapes, shrinks its mantle or shows the inner mantle is in trouble. Selling: giant clams are listed on CITES Appendix II. Captive-bred clams can be sold freely in the UK; imported clams must have been legally imported with CITES paperwork. Copper: copper-based medicines and some plant fertilisers are toxic to shrimp, snails and most invertebrates. Never dose copper in a tank holding this animal, and check fertiliser and medicine labels before use. Sources: Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tridacnacrocea). Checked October 2026.

Diet

Mostly fed by its symbiotic algae under strong light. Small clams (under about 5 cm) benefit from added phytoplankton or fine particulate foods; larger ones generally need no feeding in a fed reef tank.

Breeding

Giant clams are hermaphrodites that release sperm first and eggs later, which reduces self-fertilisation. The larvae are planktonic and must take up symbiotic algae; breeding is done on clam farms, not in home aquariums. Choose captive-bred (farmed) clams where possible.

Compatibility and tank mates

Peaceful and reef safe. At risk from angelfish and some butterflyfish, puffers and triggers that nip the mantle, and from pyramidellid snails, bristleworms and some crabs that attack weak clams. Do not place corals where they can sting or shade it.

Last updated 8 October 2026. Community-edited care guide on Aquatic-Auctions.

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