New clam look healthy?

[PghReef]

1st time ordering or owning a clam. Came from biota, is a derasa. I know corals often take time to acclimate and show colors, puff up, look good etc. Not sure what to expect with clams. It closed up when I took it out of the bag to place in the tank and then opens a little like this. I see new growth on the shell as well.

Do they take awhile to puff up and show their true mantle size and colors?

 

[Eric Cohen]

1st time ordering or owning a clam. Came from biota, is a derasa. I know corals often take time to acclimate and show colors, puff up, look good etc. Not sure what to expect with clams. It closed up when I took it out of the bag to place in the tank and then opens a little like this. I see new growth on the shell as well.

Do they take awhile to puff up and show their true mantle size and colors?

Derasa clams are one of my personal favorites and are typically very hardy. Yours looks ok, but will extend the mantle more as it acclimates to your lighting. I see you have it on a sand bed....is the foot of the clam attached to anything to protect it from predators? You can also gauge the health of a clam by the tightness of the foot when you press on it lightly with your finger. Since you got the clam from Biota, I think your clam should acclimate fine....just protect it from being exposed....you can glue it down to a flat disc that you would normally attach a coral too, or I am sure there are other surfaces you can attach it to.....see what's out there and available, but you should have it placed off the sand and onto some smooth surface that will allow it to attach and protect it from having issues later. By the way...Derasa have a great history in the clam market and were one of the first clams to be aquacultured.....beginning back to the Palau MMDC (if memory is correct) days with Gerald Heslinga......you have a piece of aquarium clam history right there!!!!

 

[PghReef]

Derasa clams are one of my personal favorites and are typically very hardy. Yours looks ok, but will extend the mantle more as it acclimates to your lighting. I see you have it on a sand bed....is the foot of the clam attached to anything to protect it from predators? You can also gauge the health of a clam by the tightness of the foot when you press on it lightly with your finger. Since you got the clam from Biota, I think your clam should acclimate fine....just protect it from being exposed....you can glue it down to a flat disc that you would normally attach a coral too, or I am sure there are other surfaces you can attach it to.....see what's out there and available, but you should have it placed off the sand and onto some smooth surface that will allow it to attach and protect it from having issues later. By the way...Derasa have a great history in the clam market and were one of the first clams to be aquacultured.....beginning back to the Palau MMDC (if memory is correct) days with Gerald Heslinga......you have a piece of aquarium clam history right there!!!!

Thanks for the insight. The clam had already fallen over by the time I came home a few hours later, so I know that would lead to a slow demise.

I took a flat coral disk and glued some rubble to make a crevice/cannon . I then used some putty to raise the bottom enough to allow the shell to open. Placed in the sandbed, clam in the middle, and some sand around to help stabilize. Im assuming this should allow the foot something to attach to over the next week or so. Then I will be able to have it secure while also move it later if need be. Clam closed up during this process from being disturbed.

 

[Eric Cohen]

Why do I get the sense that an invention for a "Clam-Bed" should be developed.....Clams attach fairly quickly and need that protection if not already attached to a rock or disc. I remember a supplier I used to buy from in Maui had maxima clams he used to pre-attach to a base before shipping....going back a decade ago. Most clams bury themselves into rock for protection.....it's a slow process but if we provided them a soft base that they could attach to and actually dig into, that would be cool.

 

[PghReef]

Why do I get the sense that an invention for a "Clam-Bed" should be developed.....Clams attach fairly quickly and need that protection if not already attached to a rock or disc. I remember a supplier I used to buy from in Maui had maxima clams he used to pre-attach to a base before shipping....going back a decade ago. Most clams bury themselves into rock for protection.....it's a slow process but if we provided them a soft base that they could attach to and actually dig into, that would be cool.

They do attach fast, my clam didn't like the home I made for it and worked his way overnight onto the peak of the rock instead of in the crevice. Already attached some filaments, amazing how strong they are!

Also turns out they sent me a gigas instead of a derasa! Now I need to buy another clam lol. On a positive note my Potters Angel seems to be leaving it alone so I'm tempted to try a maxima up on the rocks.

 

[Eric Cohen]

Is this clam a gigas? Shell looks like a derasa to me, but the coloration now that you say it, could be the typical gigas look. Gigas and Derasa both get very big, but gigas is the biggest of all I believe.

 

[PghReef]

Is this clam a gigas? Shell looks like a derasa to me, but the coloration now that you say it, could be the typical gigas look. Gigas and Derasa both get very big, but gigas is the biggest of all I believe.

The mantle is filled eith the small blue eyes and the siphon is smooth with no tentacles. To me that has to be a gigas, compared to pictures on biotas site and it looks identical as well.

So they sent me a $500 behemoth of a clam instead of the $90 derasa. I guess I'll do my best to keep it alive as long as possible and then contact my local zoo and aquarium to see if they'd accept for their reefs

 

[i cant think]

The mantle is filled eith the small blue eyes and the siphon is smooth with no tentacles. To me that has to be a gigas, compared to pictures on biotas site and it looks identical as well.

So they sent me a $500 behemoth of a clam instead of the $90 derasa. I guess I'll do my best to keep it alive as long as possible and then contact my local zoo and aquarium to see if they'd accept for their reefs

This is in fact a Gigas clam and not a deresa. The Gigas can get scutes however they’re extremely delicate and easy to break off. The greyer beige colour is also signifying a Gigas as Deresa have a golden colour as the base colour on their mantle. This is my deresa, I do also have a Maxima and the Deresa is the easier of the two as the Deresa only really needs PAR levels in the 200s. The Gigas can go a bit lower IME however I would stay in the 200+ range for PAR.

 

[homer1475]

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[Eric Cohen]

This is in fact a Gigas clam and not a deresa. The Gigas can get scutes however they’re extremely delicate and easy to break off. The greyer beige colour is also signifying a Gigas as Deresa have a golden colour as the base colour on their mantle. This is my deresa, I do also have a Maxima and the Deresa is the easier of the two as the Deresa only really needs PAR levels in the 200s. The Gigas can go a bit lower IME however I would stay in the 200+ range for PAR.

Derasa clam in this photo.