Giant Clam Species Identification - 02/24/06
I think I sent to wrong email address yesterday....
Nice website!
I am trying to identity a couple giant clam specimens so I can read about their individual needs.  Attached are photos of these specimens.  Any help you can provide in identifying them would be very helpful.  You will also notice that the brown clam's mantle is a bit washed out (white) in the middle.  At night the incurrent siphon is more round than oval which is also concerning.  I have been feeding it a combination of DT's marine live phytoplankton and marine snow typically daily.  Lighting is 280 Watts T5 bulbs for 46G tank, both clams are within the top 10" of the tank.
Thanks
Greg
<<Greg, the pictures won't open/are corrupted...do try sending again.  Regards, EricR>>
 

Clam I.D. and care.   1/31/06 hey guys how is everything going. <Great, thanks for asking.>   Well i recently purchased a small clam at my LFS and I know its super healthy it reacts to the slightest shadow or movement. I have had it for a week now. The problem is I don't know what type of clam it is.  the guy at the store told me he thought it was either a maxima or Crocea. <Looks to be T. Crocea.> I have provided some pics so you can help me out.  He is currently sitting about 14" under a custom sea life 130 watt fixture 65 of 10,000k and 65 of actinic. <Move him as close to the top of the tank as possible with this lighting. And remember to change your bulbs at least every 9 months.> I also have moon lights and am feeding him DT's Phytoplanton 3 days a week. any suggestion. <Keep calcium high and water quality stable.> please let me know thanks again. Ohh i almost forgot its a 30 gallon tank. <Adam J.>

Tridacnid ID - 01/28/06 Hello Wet Web Media Friends, <<Hello Darryl>> Like many before I love (like very much) your website... Thank you. <<Good to hear.>> I have the opportunity to purchase a clam, I've been wanting one for a couple years but have felt my tank wasn't ready, it is now a thriving two years old. <<Cool!>> The clam in question is the one in the attached pictures.  I am told it is a Tridacna Squamosa but from the research I have done I believe it is a Tridacna Crocea clam, can you confirm my suspicion for me as this will obviously have an effect as to the placement of the clam in my tank (among other things). <<Hmm...the pics are a bit fuzzy, but the absence of 'prominent' scutes (the scalloped projections on the shell), and the color/pattern, lead me to think you are correct.>> I am also concerned about the opening as it seems quite large.  It has great coloring and it responds well to the fish swimming by, very responsive opening and closing. <<It does look to be "gaping" a bit...but this may simply be dir to handling/shipping stress.  The responsiveness is a good sign.>> I have a 180 gallon tank with 2x250watt 10,000k metal halides, 2 96 watt 10,000k power compact fluorescents and a 96 watt actinic. The clam would be about 8" from the top of the water and directly under a halide that is another 6-8" from the top of the water.  It would be sitting on the center of a rock 'plate' that is about 12" in diameter.  Would this be a good place for him/her? <<Should be fine, though this is really more light than it "requires" to survive.  I have two T. crocea sitting on the bottom of a 30" tank (6" DSB/24" water column) under 250w 10K MH lighting.  They have been thriving and growing for more than 18 months now.>> I have already used Wet Web Media and other sources to answer the rest of my questions (assuming I'm correct in the identification:) <<Excellent!>> Thank you for your time, Darryl K. Edmonton, Alberta <<Welcome, EricR...Columbia, SC>>

Coral question and clam identification? Water quality in 55 gallon tank. PH 8.4 Ammonia 0 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 0 Calcium 340ppm Alkalinity 9.8 dKH Salinity 1.025 Temp 78 - 80 Lighting 1-Actinic 95w VHO 1- Aquasun 95w VHO 1-Actinic 30w Coralife 1- 10,000k 30w Coralife <Okey-dokey> This piece of coral is about 6 inches from the top of the tank and has looked like this for a few days now.  <lighting is somewhat weak for this Neptheid (AKA "Kenyan Tree Coral"), but unlikely to elicit this response> It was about 12 inches from the top a few weeks ago and looked good when I moved it but now it looks like this.  <perhaps a just acclimating> Is this normal or is it to close to the top of the tank?  <definitely not too close... in fact, this beautiful coral will turn turquoise under a bank of VHO blues (2-4 lights)> Also can you please identify this type of clam for me. It has a brownish look to it although it looks a little different in the picture. Thank You. <I would need a better picture to be sure but you may have a very interesting clam here! Tridacnids are rather easy to identify but yours looks like it could be a hybrid of two species known to hybridize. The mantle is conspicuously like a T. squamosa... but the shell does not have the characteristic worn scutes of a T. squamosa, and instead looks worn and ribbed like a T. derasa. Still the picture is not clear enough. A close up of the shell and mantle separately would help if clear. Best regards, Anthony>

Tridacnid clam Hi Bob,  <Anthony Calfo in your service> I have a really good relationship with my LFS.  <excellent! a blessing that not all aquarists enjoy> Due to this I am able to order some unusual items, and can pick them up on delivery from the suppliers, before they even enter their tanks. For this reason I sometimes have to rely on them for quality, and it works out to be beneficial 99% of the time. However about 3 1/2 months ago I asked for them to get some Tridacnid clams, and gave my list of preference. When I arrived they had hand picked a blue Maxima or derasa (my guess I was too excited to ask) for me still in it's bag and difficult to visualize.  <T. maxima it is> When I got home it unfortunately had some brown areas along both sides of the mantle (see picture enclosed).  <not unfortunate... perfectly natural and rather common pigmentation> I thought it was just due to being under poor lights and it would recover.  <will not change my friend> I have had it for over thee months in my 125g reef. It is within 2 feet of the lights which are 2-140 actinic VHO for 8 hrs/day and directly under one of three 175 cheapie 55K Venture MH for 4 hrs/day. I replaced the MH. about 6 weeks ago as it was slightly yellow, the new one is much whiter. Is this just some normal marking or am I in for trouble.  <relax and enjoy this beauty... a nice specimen> The clam is always extended and closes very fast when a fish swims too close.  <very good responses...healthy> Any ideas would be appreciated.  <tridacnids are graded by color on export and few of the "cover girl" blue seen in books and magazines make it to the USA. Some Germans and many more Japanese aquarists are willing to pay a much higher dollar for select ultra blue clams than American aquarists. So... we do get some very nice clams... but most/many have variable pigmentation. Your specimen is very nice overall and likely a better deal at under $100 compared to the $300-600 USD needed to get a hand picked (ultra grade) pure blue specimen> Thanks Larry <best regards, Anthony>