# Jumped into the wild world of



## Raptor

My new babie maxima without flash.







he is about 4-5 inches. Not only are the cool, and colorful, They filter out nitrates.


----------



## thePACK

very nice raptor GREAT pickup..a reef tank is not the same without a clam..congrads


----------



## Raptor

Funny how so many of the same species of maxima's look different in color. The only way i could tell apart the maxima's frm the crochea's is the pattern, and shell ridges. Thanks pack. Too bad they don't live in freshwater. I'd keep so many i woulden't have to change my water in my p tank.


----------



## Atlanta Braves Baby!

Sweet coloration on that clam


----------



## Andrew

Very Nice Clam!

What type of lighting do you have?


----------



## thePACK

Raptor said:


> Funny how so many of the same species of maxima's look different in color. The only way i could tell apart the maxima's frm the crochea's is the pattern, and shell ridges.










large maxima have awesome shells forms i have some put away..


----------



## Raptor

Thanks, 260 watts of pc (two blueI think 4700k and two 6700k) on a 72 gallonI have my halide coming in this week, And i am making my hood also this week hope to have it by this weekend. I'll have to slowly acclimate my tank over when i switch. He only 5 inches from the lights right now, So i think he can handle it for a short time. I am gonna use a iswaki 10 k bulb with the halide fixture. I know they are demanding of light,, And will definately get the halide up by fri.

I had to jump on this guy because he was a steal. 40 bux.


----------



## -=BOB=-

Congrats with your new pet, great looking clam..









I'm still grieving mine blue one ( one that was eaten week ago..







) 
Dunno, decided to risk it and I'm getting one Derasa this weekend.

>They filter out nitrates..

ever heard of tridacna refugium? I came across article about it, some folks have "tridacna clam" refugiums to filter out water... ( personally, I thing they belong to display tank..)

I'd like to have 2-3 clams in display for filter purposes.. (1x big derasa, and 2 Maxima's or squamosa)..

some pics of friend's aquarium..



















bigger derasa in his tank is size of basketball, fascinating animal,from time to time we tease it, 
(if you make shadow above it it is going to close quickly, impressive, very powerful beast, it would spit 1-2 liter of water in the process and spook all fish around) I wonder how does it look like when 4' tridacna gigas do the same..


----------



## Raptor

Very nice collection! I know maxima's will get 14 inches, But i dunno how long that could take? It could take a couple of years.
I'm with you on keepint the clams in the display tank. Mine looks happy for now because he hasn't tried to move any, Or change color. But he will be hooked up this weekend, And maybe i can put him in the substrate.
I coulden't imagine getting my fingers clamped on to by one of those monsters.







But they would close up before you could even get near it.
They are so sensitive to any light movement, And vibrasion.That it is impossable tp sneak up on it. Get a pic of your new clam when ya get him. They are like snowflakes, No tw are the same.


----------



## -=BOB=-

>, But i dunno how long that could take? It could take a couple of years..

According to my literature they are quite long lived, over 10 years with reaching 14" max. Its written that when young they can pull +/- 2" per year, dependably on environment.. (additions of calcium recommended to achieve good growth..)

Thats why I pointing to one derasa clam (they grow big quick, with right parameters it can double even triple its size within one year..grow your own filter but I find maximas colors much nicer..)

some clams pics from net saved in my comp..










>But they would close up before you could even get near it.

Well, this poor angel got near enough,,


----------



## Raptor

Ouch! Was that head first? Very nice! I'd like to get a couple of dersa's soon.


----------



## Andrew

Man, you guys are making me want a clam.

Raptor: you got an amazing deal on that clam.

Bet you guys can't figure out what kind of clam this is


----------



## Raptor

It's cool andrew, Huh A dersa shell, With a gsp colony?


----------



## thePACK

wow sweet shot andrew..i say a maxima shell with a ???? inside..damn stumped


----------



## Andrew

It is a Squamosa shell with green star polyps in it. I glued the GSP in the shell. After a while I ended up giving this away to someone.

I raised this Squamosa from 2.25" to 4", then one morning I looked in the tank, and the shell was empty. Totally cleaned out. Just the night before I had fed him and he ate good, and was free of parasites. I always removed him from the tank and fed in a bowl.

This guy was growing so fast, he was geting major new shell growth before his recent growth even had time to discolor.

Real bummer when this happened. Haven't had a clam since.


----------



## Raptor

They are definately cool to have in your tank. They have some beautifiul colors. 
Jump back on that bike andrew!


----------



## -=BOB=-

any theories what ate your clam?


----------



## Andrew

No idea. If i had to guess, I would say bristle worms. I had a ton of them in my tank at the time, but they were the species that were not supposed to bother clams unless they were sick. This clam was definitely not sick.
Maybe lack of food for the worms turned them into clam killers. I was feeding the tank very sparingly at that time.


----------



## Raptor

I am glad my coral banded shrimp ate every bristol worm i had. I havent seen one in over 3 mos. I hate those damn worms. I peeled about 10 off when i first got my liverock. Freshwater dip made them pop right out like a jack in the box.


----------



## -=BOB=-

>This clam was definitely not sick...

In my case the same.. I'm bit worried about putting new one in but still.. what to do? I've been reading all these debates about them eating or not but I'd like to play it safe..so I trying to clean them out, but can it be done..?!? Trapped around 10 already, got one huge Stenopus too, but unlike you dunno if its doing any good service..
Hmm.. I'd like to get one Arrow Crab to deal with them, but is not easy to score one around here.. and I'm insure if crab is going to behave good..? I read it can kill small fish too.., ( have 3 small ocellaris hosting in Euphyllia







)


----------



## Raptor

What about a coral banded shrimp? Mine ate all of my worms. I have yet to see one since i added one. I seen eat a few as soon as i added him. I dunno how, But he sniffed them out quick. Plus he didn't mess with the fish. I woulden't trust him with a ananome though.


----------



## -=BOB=-

maybe he is catching them, I can not tell for sure.. He is active at night.. (during the day he is hidden in the caves) From time to time I flashlight at night in tank to check on him and worms but I haven't seen anything real. He is wandering around but haven't seen him in action jet.


----------



## -=BOB=-

here it goes... mine..








is not much of the pic.. but its ok healthy clam.. size of the fist..


----------



## Raptor

Very very nice bob! Congrats man! Always love getting new stuff.








Crochea?


----------



## -=BOB=-

No, Maxy. 
Sving money for another one, I'd like to get that derasa as soonas I got a chance.


----------



## Raptor

Well i better start getting my clams straight :laugh: Very nice though! I feed mine photo each day, And i have heard that they are more reliant on feedings than light at this stage. Id like to get a blue rim dersa whne i get some extra cash.


----------



## Andrew

Nice clam !


----------



## -=BOB=-

thx.. I was just admiring those clam pics.. wanna share them with you guys..

klick me!


----------



## Raptor

Those are sweet! Thanks for the link!


----------



## -=BOB=-

What do you guys feed your clams with? phytoplankton or something else?
I'm bit worried cause I'm running nutrients poor system and don't wanna my tridacnas to starve..

There is some controversy about it.. Article above is written by Ronald L. Shimek, famous DSB inventor and advocate. (I do not believe much to his words..)
I got another cool clam article written by Daniel Knop 
http://www.reefs.org/library/article/d_knop2.html

but again you can't believe everything you read on the internet, right?


----------



## Andrew

I always fed my squamosa and maxima DT's Phytoplankton.
I always removed my clams from the tank to feed them. Even when my maxima was about 4".  I kept my maxima on the sand bed, but I put a small disc of acrylic under them to simulate a rock. It attached to it and that allowed me to remove it.

When my squamosa was about 2.5" it could consume a capful of phyto in about 15 minutes.

I was really cool watching green water turn clear.


----------



## -=BOB=-

How often shall i feed (daily? weekly?)
I like idea to feed it in the pot. I have only photosynthetic/carnivorous corals (no non photosynthetic gorgonians and so) and throwing phyto into the tank doesn't make much sense.. but if I'm going to move it all the time isn't there a risk to stress it to much?


----------



## Andrew

How big is your clam?
They definitely need to be fed when 3" and under. 
I only fed three times a week.
If I would have fed the whole tank, I would have fed everday, but watched my water quality closely. Skimmer should be turned off while feeding too.

I should have mentioned earlier, Koral vit F, is a great companion or option to using D.T.'s. I intended on purchasing some, but then "no more clams". It is a German product, and not too easy to find in the U.S.

Any clam that is over 4", I would probably tank feed. A 4" clam needs a descent size bowl, or it will squirt the water right out of it.

You have fish in your tank too right? If you feed your fish heavy, that will also help the clam.

My tank only had one fish, and I practically fed him flake, by flake, to aviod any uneaten food.


----------



## -=BOB=-

Yes I have plenty of fish in my tank, and I do feed heavy (one of the reasons I chose not to put any sediment/sand over the bottom.. While doing water change I just syphon the junk.. simple and easy)

Clam is 4-5" .. another nice trick I heard about is algae which grows on the glass,, to leave it there gor the week or so and than just scrab it into the tank...

Thanx for the "Koral vit F" tip I'll look for it .. if I find it I can also buy some for you and send it to you by post.. interested?


----------



## Raptor

I know what your talking about with the green glass from the dt's







It does serve as a food when i scrape it, But i havto do so with a razor by hand








I thought the stupid snails would take care of it, But they are more problems than what they are worth for me. I am thinking on going all hermits with my sand sifting stars. The damn snails are knocking everything over and fall upside down all the time.


----------



## -=BOB=-

Excuse me if this question sounds lame but what is D.T.?

Front glass I clean with aquarium cleaning brush, In my case are turbo snails doing good job cleaning and polishing the bottom.. although warned about hawk fish, he doesn't bothering them.. good..









>The damn snails are knocking everything over and fall upside down all the time..

Mine urchin does the same.. he is passing trough rocks and corals like tank or something..


----------



## Raptor

DT'S is a brand name photoplankton here in the states. It has a 4 or 5 different photos in it.


----------



## -=BOB=-

I got my derasa









At the end I chose not to take the big one, it would take to much space in the tank, I took 17 cm big one instead

some pics:

My hawk checkin out on new guy










He's checkin' new starfish too


















derasa in place










starfish


----------



## Andrew

Very Nice. 7" is still a big clam.


----------



## Raptor

That is a nice pickup! Congrads bob!


----------



## Raptor

Well seems that i had my clams mixed up. I was misinformed when i bought my clam. They told me that the maxi's were the one with smooth shells and the crochea's were rough edged and bumpy which is the opposite now that i am looking for a new clams did some more research to decide what i want. That the last time i listen to a lfs employee and don't check on it.







No wonder the good price







Oh well a learning experience. Very nice dersa bob. I have been checking out a gold maxima that i may get soon.


----------

