Gigas Grow Out Thread

[DogsRule]

lol...the wau island clam farm in the marshall islands discovered fwd in the 90s...I am friends with someone who worked there at the time...your name never came up
sorry to burst your bubble...

So you have a lot of experience & knowledge & have great contacts, but would rather bash someone for posting great info, than contribute ?
How does your post in anyway help our hobby or encourage hobbyists to post info on future issues? Drop the negative & share the positive- just sayin

 

[OrionN]

lol...the wau island clam farm in the marshall islands discovered fwd in the 90s...I am friends with someone who worked there at the time...your name never came up
sorry to burst your bubble...

So you said.
At least I have evidence that I posted in 2002 helping other Reefers about PMD.
Anybody can said anything. Does not mean a whole lot. Sorry if I don’t take your word for it.
If you come up with someway to prove what you wrote the. I certainly own you an apology. I certainly won’t hold my breath. Sorry.

 

[DSC reef]

I doubt this very much. I have been in the hobby since 1980. There are no internet and no exchange of information until the internet came about. In the early internet there are only mailing list with no pictures. Reef central and reefs.org was two of the first boards. I was there when they first started. There was no mention of PMD until I mentioned it in 2002. As far as I know, Dick Perrin FWD his clams but nobody else did it. Dick FWD his clams but not as treatment for PMD. Daniel Knop book on Giant Clams have a section on disease and treatment. It was the Bible on Clams at the time. It did not mention PMD or FWD.

There was a book written about pinched mantle by David Bastian, Deborah Bouchard and Barry Neigut though in the early nineties? I could be mistaken. I agree the other poster is harsh but I don't agree with everyone else being harsh to that member simply because he or she is challenging what you claim. In all due respect, I don't see you mentioned or given credit for inventing this disease or coming up with the specific treatment for PMD in a book and freshwater dipping was happening before then. Your knowledge and help has been wonderful and I for one enjoy reading your posts. I also like seeing members get help from someone with so much experience but it seems like everyone goes on the attack when another member questions another's claims. Again, I agree that member can put his knowledge to good use instead of just being brash but it could also be due to where he or she is from. Don't take this as I'm discrediting your claims Orion, just trying show both sides here.

 

[OrionN]

There was a book written about pinched mantle by David Bastian, Deborah Bouchard and Barry Neigut though in the early nineties? I could be mistaken. I agree the other poster is harsh but I don't agree with everyone else being harsh to that member simply because he or she is challenging what you claim. In all due respect, I don't see you mentioned or given credit for inventing this disease or coming up with the specific treatment for PMD in a book and freshwater dipping was happening before then. Your knowledge and help has been wonderful and I for one enjoy reading your posts. I also like seeing members get help from someone with so much experience but it seems like everyone goes on the attack when another member questions another's claims. Again, I agree that member can put his knowledge to good use instead of just being brash but it could also be due to where he or she is from. Don't take this as I'm discrediting your claims Orion, just trying show both sides here.

There is a article by them in 2009. I contributed to the finance of that research by donating to Barry at Clamdirect.com when he tried to raise money to this project. I mentioned this article in my write up. Why I think it is wrong in it’s conclusion.
I do believe in given credit where it is due. Not that I make any money from it.
I have been in the hobby for a long time. I always help when I can. My life have been wonderful, I got a lot of joy from the hobby. Got a lot of good advices from the pioneers when I was in need and wanted to donate my time back.
My life was really busy the last 20 years, now that my children are grown, I do have more time. Like everybody else, I just don’t like people mocked at me and called me a lier.
Regarding weather I started the FWD protocol or not, the evidence is there for all to see. Look at the posts in 2002. Look at the write up about my tank in Advance Aquarist initial issue in 1/2002, look at my posts in 2002 at ReefCentral advising clam keepers there.
You can do search on PMD prior to 2002 and there will be none. I know because I search high and low, all the hobby writing and all the scientific literature when I was eyeball deep fighting this disease in my tank. I did it all on my own. Nobody know anything about it to help.

 

[wjgeese]

So you said.
At least I have evidence that I posted in 2002 helping other Reefers about PMD.
Anybody can said anything. Does not mean a whole lot. Sorry if I don’t take your word for it.
If you come up with someway to prove what you wrote the. I certainly own you an apology. I certainly won’t hold my breath. Sorry.

Im not saying I invented the terms...all Im saying is that you didnt invemt it either. It was common knowledge among clam farms long before your 'evidence'. And really, why do u care so much. Fame, fortune? Lol. Good luck, man. Im done being 'harsh', by challenging you. Feel free to have the last word. Hope u have a great holiday!

 

[alton]

My harry clam at 4+ months. Nitrate 0 and Phosphates O by test kits (not actually 0) due to the clam and hair algae. Before I added the clam our office people tripped my power supply and crashed the tank. Been trying to get it turned around since. Slowly but sure making progress

 

[OrionN]

Im not saying I invented the terms...all Im saying is that you didnt invemt it either. It was common knowledge among clam farms long before your 'evidence'. And really, why do u care so much. Fame, fortune? Lol. Good luck, man. Im done being 'harsh', by challenging you. Feel free to have the last word. Hope u have a great holiday!

@wjgeese,
I give you the benefit of the doubt that maybe there are some people who farm clams, and know about PMD and treat them with FWD. They certainly did not write about or disseminated their information.

I struggle with the disease, use reasons to deduce as to what this infectious source likely is, trial treat it with FWD. Once I was successful, I disseminated this information and advice other clam keepers. In this way, I discovered the treatment. I certainly did not learn this from your clam keeper's friend or you.

You on the other hand, in another thread have this claim:

yep, been there. Actually Invented the technique for covering clams to protect halides back in the 90s. lol

I think it is funny that you ridicule me while claim that you invented the technique to keep clams from spraying and break light and equipment. This is just commonsense. Every clam keeper know how to block water spray from damaging our equipment. this is just common sense.
I wonder if you also claim to invent the internet in the 1990's also.

 

[hart24601]

Ok, I think we have heard everyone say their part. Now lets get back to seeing these gigas grow!

I have not had mine out for a photo in a long time, it's less fun when the algae covers some of the growth! Still trucking along though.

Does anyone have some ideas of how to handle the spawning in a couple of years? I had a vortex diatom filter, but those junk things only last a year or two it seems unless you have paul B skills to repair. What else would be able to capture the spawn?

 

[Troy V]

At first I was worried about it crashing my system and I would do massive water changes to remove the excess nutrients. Now after 8 or 9 years of continuous annual spawning and in the most recent years it will spawn over 100 times in a week. I don't worry at all. Infact my system is completely skimmerless and the coral love the abundance of food the clam provides. Of course this is my experience, but then every system has its own unique equilibrium.

 

[hart24601]

At first I was worried about it crashing my system and I would do massive water changes to remove the excess nutrients. Now after 8 or 9 years of continuous annual spawning and in the most recent years it will spawn over 100 times in a week. I don't worry at all. Infact my system is completely skimmerless and the coral love the abundance of food the clam provides. Of course this is my experience, but then every system has its own unique equilibrium.

Good to know. How large is your total system again?

 

[Troy V]

Good to know. How large is your total system again?

Approx. 550 gallons

 

[Aframereef]

Still going strong. 1 3/4 inches of shell growth. My second Gigas is not growing quite as fast.

 

[B0brobert]

Still going strong. 1 3/4 inches of shell growth. My second Gigas is not growing quite as fast.

See the new book of James W. Fatherree. It is the new bible on clams

 

[outerbank]

I bought the E book this week. Haven't got to reading it yet but look forward to it.

 

[hart24601]

If one is curious in James own words below. I’m going to pick up a copy, I have the old book but want to see the new pictures.


If you've already got a copy of the other one (hardback), about 3/4 of this one is the same info. Lots of new pics, though, and some coverage of new species, hybrids, and more on lighting.

 

[alton]

When James came and spoke at our local club he said metal halide was number one on growing clams. Curious what he thinks of led versus MH?

 

[hart24601]

When James came and spoke at our local club he said metal halide was number one on growing clams. Curious what he thinks of led versus MH?

I am also curious what he says . He had a thread here (I think it was) asking what species people are keeping and how long and led was popular and many had been keeping clams under them for a good deal of years now.

 

[OrionN]

At first I was worried about it crashing my system and I would do massive water changes to remove the excess nutrients. Now after 8 or 9 years of continuous annual spawning and in the most recent years it will spawn over 100 times in a week. I don't worry at all. Infact my system is completely skimmerless and the coral love the abundance of food the clam provides. Of course this is my experience, but then every system has its own unique equilibrium.

There is one person reported of a really rare occurrent. Some one actually got one Derasa baby from a in tank spawn. His name is Simon from England.
Almost 100% of the time in our aquarium there will be too many sperm and the clam eggs will get fertilized by multiple sperm and will not develop due to polyspermia.
If I have a spawn event in my aquarium I would leave the eggs and suction almost all the sperm out as the clam release the sperm. This way some of the eggs will not develop but some will have just one sperm and will grow.

 

[Aframereef]

Just a couple days over 6 months. Two inches of growth

 

[Huff747]

Well after months of worrying that my gigas wasn’t growing I think I’ve finally been able to make him happy. Only took 2 tanks and 3 light fixtures for him to start showing growth. Literally had no white on the shell for months. Tough to guage the scale in the picture but that white band is about 3/8-1/2 inch wide. He’s got a ways to go to catch up to some of the others but I’m just happy that he seems happy now