Derasa or Squamosa

[Surfzone]

Thinking about getting one or both of these clams for my 30 gallon. I inderstand that they are the easier ones to keep.
Lighting is a Kessil A360. Set to 10 hours a day with 4 hours of 100% intensity
Alk stays at 8.5 to 8.6
Cal 425
Mag 1400
NO3 16
PO4 0.06
I do have a flame angel, but he doesn't touch any coral LPS or SPS.

 

[pecan2phat]

IME, they are both much easier to keep than Maxima or Crocea.
The Flame angel can prove to be an obstacle though, they like to nip the mucus off the mantles.

 

[DSC reef]

Both clams will do well but I'd also have a plan to rehome as they will eventually out grow that tank.

 

[Surfzone]

Any places I should avoid buying from? I see them on Live Aquaria, and on Algae Barn.

 

[DSC reef]

I'd go with algae barn

 

[Huff747]

If you go Algae Barn post pictures. Been debating adding a squamosa from them but their pictures are just stock ORA pictures so not real sure what the squamosas they have look like.

 

[OrionN]

The different between Squamosa and Derasa vs. Crocea, Maxima or Noae is that the later group require more light. Of these clams, if you have adequate light for the species, they are not difficult to keep. In general Derasa is not as beautiful as the other 4 species, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Squamosa and Derasa will get too large for a 30 gal tank and will eventually need to be re-home or tank upgrade.

 

[Surfzone]

The different between Squamosa and Derasa vs. Crocea, Maxima or Noae is that the later group require more light. Of these clams, if you have adequate light for the species, they are not difficult to keep. In general Derasa is not as beautiful as the other 4 species, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Squamosa and Derasa will get too large for a 30 gal tank and will eventually need to be re-home or tank upgrade.

The 30 gal is just for the time being until they out grow it. I'm in the process of planning a 180. I'v always like to look of a large clam in a reef, so the 30 is really for grow out until the 180 is up and running in a few months. I haven't pulled the trigger yet on anything, not in a rush to get a clam, but want to know as much as I can before I do anything. I though i would go with a squamosa or a derasa just because I like large clams, and I like their look. Not to say that I don't like maxima or crocea clams. I'm more on the fence as to where to order them or just let my LFS order them in and have a choice of what clam I want. I remember years ago that Clams Direct was the place to go for clams.

 

[Surfzone]

So after thinking about it. One of the sponsors here on Reef 2 Reef that I have had many transactions with when I lived in Sacramento, California. I have made made a decision on where I'm buying my clam. It will be coming from @YourReef. They have always taken care of me when I needed it and knowing the owner John I know I will not be disappointed. I've seen the clams that he gets in personally and have great faith that I will get a healthy animal. To be honest I'm not sure why I didn't think of Your Reef before. I will be keeping this thread posted on the quality of the clam that I get and how the packing, shipping, and true to pic the clam is. Your Reef does WYSIWYG stuff and after seeing this T. squamosa I had to buy it. It was also in the size range I was looking for which was a big determining factor for me; I didn't want to get one too small.

Pic stolen from Your Reef website

 

[Surfzone]

Well the clam came in this morning and opened up right away. It was a bit larger than I was expecting but I'm good with that. I put it on a frag tile just in case It attaches. It was well packed triple bagged and also wrapped in plastic in the bag. Here are some pics of the packing and it in the tank. I can't get the blue in it to show as well as in the vendor's pic

 

[OrionN]

If you take the picture top down under whiter light in a few days when the clam is recovered from stress you will really see the blue rim

 

[Surfzone]

If you take the picture top down under whiter light in a few days when the clam is recovered from stress you will really see the blue rim

I just ordered a top down photo box from avast

 

[S2G]

The different between Squamosa and Derasa vs. Crocea, Maxima or Noae is that the later group require more light. Of these clams, if you have adequate light for the species, they are not difficult to keep. In general Derasa is not as beautiful as the other 4 species, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Squamosa and Derasa will get too large for a 30 gal tank and will eventually need to be re-home or tank upgrade.

I'm not an expert by any means and asking out of curiosity. If any clam is blue or colorful it requires higher light right? That's just something ive always heard.

I was always told as a beginner to clams. Stay away from blue and anything small.

 

[OrionN]

I'm not an expert by any means and asking out of curiosity. If any clam is blue or colorful it requires higher light right? That's just something ive always heard.

I was always told as a beginner to clams. Stay away from blue and anything small.

I think how much light depends on the species. Color of the clam is not what determine the amount of light the clam need but the species of clam and the strain of the zooxanthellae the clam carry determine how much light the clam need to do well.The population of zooxanthellae in a specific coral or clam is a heterogeneous population. Each coral or clam host a numbers of zooxanthellae strains which may differ in the optimal amount of light and wavelength they need to do well. That is how the host animal adapt and continue to do well at various Kelvin and light intensity.
The pigments of the host are protein in the tissue that are likley use for light protection. Low light condition tend to cause decrease these protein result the host loose the coloration and turn golden brown which is the color of the zooxanthellae. When the host bleached, meaning loosing much of the zooxanthellae, they loos that golden brown color result in pastel color of the pigment. Also as the host bleach, it start to loose energy, which intern will cause it to loose color pigments also. So early in the bleaching process, the pigment protein still there and the host look like pastel florescent color, later in the bleaching process, the animal become essentially lucent white (or white white due to the white skeleton)

 

[S2G]

I think how much light depends on the species. Color of the clam is not what determine the amount of light the clam need but the species of clam and the strain of the zooxanthellae the clam carry determine how much light the clam need to do well.The population of zooxanthellae in a specific coral or clam is a heterogeneous population. Each coral or clam host a numbers of zooxanthellae strains which may differ in the optimal amount of light and wavelength they need to do well. That is how the host animal adapt and continue to do well at various Kelvin and light intensity.
The pigments of the host are protein in the tissue that are likley use for light protection. Low light condition tend to cause decrease these protein result the host loose the coloration and turn golden brown which is the color of the zooxanthellae. When the host bleached, meaning loosing much of the zooxanthellae, they loos that golden brown color result in pastel color of the pigment. Also as the host bleach, it start to loose energy, which intern will cause it to loose color pigments also. So early in the bleaching process, the pigment protein still there and the host look like pastel florescent color, later in the bleaching process, the animal become essentially lucent white (or white white due to the white skeleton)

Thanks for taking the time to write that. Very informative

 

[OrionN]

@S2G
Do you have any update picture of your Squamosa?

 

[Surfzone]

@S2G
Do you have any update picture of your Squamosa?

I will have to take some when lights come on

 

[Surfzone]

It's almost been a year since I got this clam and it has put on at least an inch in growth. It does have a white spot on its mantle not sure what caused it, but it is growing and fully opens. Pics to come!

 

[Surfzone]

It's almost been a year since I got this clam and it has put on at least an inch in growth. It does have a white spot on its mantle not sure what caused it, but it is growing and fully opens. Pics to come!

 

[OrionN]

That is a Squamosa. Very healthy