Unbelievable clam!!!

[dawgface]

<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">After a long day of meetings here in Dallas, I stopped at Starbucks to recharge. As I'm walking out I notice across the street there is a fish store, so of course I need to go in. The place has obviously been around for a decade... The building has apparent structural damage from year after year of tremendous water evaporation. The tanks have more aiptasia than livestock. As I'm walking around the store, low and behold, the biggest clam I have literally ever seen! This thing is at least 2 1/2' long and has to weight close to 50lbs! The best thing about this is the clown fish in the tank host the clam..... not the mantle, but inside the durn thing! Unbelievable! The owner claims to have had the thing for 14 years!</span></span>
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[dawgface]

For size reference, that clown tang is atleast 5 inches.

 

[thanh386]

is that a giga?

 

[jennm]

Holy cow, Batman!

When you said they host inside the clam - you meant INSIDE the clam! That's amazing.

I've got a pretty big Squamosa in my shop but it's puny compared to that...

WOW...

Jenn

 

[dawgface]

Thanh386;711405 wrote: is that a giga?

Yes

 

[seth the wine guy]

I bet they buy their Ca supplements by the barrel. Can you imagine how much Ca that thing would eat in a month! But, I bet they don't need a refugium with the NO3 that thing sucks up.

 

[falos]

Got to love clownfish
That's a huge clam

 

[mvm]

Seth The Wine Guy;711415 wrote: I bet they buy their Ca supplements by the barrel. Can you imagine how much Ca that thing would eat in a month! But, I bet they don't need a refugium with the NO3 that thing sucks up.

They eat nitrates?

 

[dawgface]

Seth The Wine Guy;711415 wrote: I bet they buy their Ca supplements by the barrel. Can you imagine how much Ca that thing would eat in a month! But, I bet they don't need a refugium with the NO3 that thing sucks up.

Believe it or not, he claims he doesn't dose anything. Water changes 15% every 6 weeks.

 

[the-bubonic-one]

Gee..........................................................................................Zuss!!

 

[gakayaker12234]

WOW! not only is that an incredible clam, but the whole tank is beautiful!!!

 

[tbrennan]

Where was this at? I live in Dallas and would like to go see it for my self.

 

[dawgface]

Aquatic Trading in Mesquite, Texas. Suburb of Dallas, Texas.

 

[lifestudent]

Wow! That's a whopper!

 

[dawgface]

Oh yea I forgot to add... I asked him if the thing every closed and if it closed when the clowns were inside. He says yea almost weekly it closes for a few hours to a day to digest. Occasionally one or two of them will get caught in there, as soon as it opens they come right out looking for food lol

 

[acroholic]

Awesome clam....thanks for posting the pics Jesse.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

Doesnt add calcium or alkalinity?! Closes to digest?! Sadly, the owner doesnt reeally know what he's talking about, and has a little bit of mild neglect going on with that clam if thats what he does. Its probably a very sturdy and stable clam that hasnt grown much recently. Did you see any new white shell growth? As stated, a clam that size would literally suck the calcium and alkalinity out of the water so quickly, it would required daily dosing or a calcium reactor flying to allow for growth .

 

[thanh386]

If he's neglecting that thing.... maybe I should start neglecting my tanks. I only wish I had color and growth like that

 

[jmaneyapanda]

Thanh386;711485 wrote: If he's neglecting that thing.... maybe I should start neglecting my tanks. I only wish I had color and growth like that

Dont be decieved. Those corals could be 1 week old. But, I am only speaking of the clam, really. Its just well known, proven, scientific fact that they NEED lots of calcium and alkalinity. And I cant even begin to understand what someone would mean by saying they close to "digest". Sounds "lucky".

Edit:

MvM;711433 wrote: They eat nitrates?

Yeah. Clams will consume nitrates as they grow. Clam hatcheries and culturuers actually heavily dose the waters of their grow out raceways with commercial fertilizers to aid in growth. However, it is typically a negilible amount for most typically sized clams and tanks (although a clam like that might pull a lot out).

 

[dawgface]

jmaneyapanda;711486 wrote: Dont be decieved. Those corals could be 1 week old. But, I am only speaking of the clam, really. Its just well known, proven, scientific fact that they NEED lots of calcium and alkalinity. And I cant even begin to understand what someone would mean by saying they close to "digest". Sounds "lucky".

Haha, I was a little dumbfounded about that as well. But then again, my knowledge on clams is limited at best. As for the growth, I couldn't see it, the mantle is so massive it hangs not only over the shell but many of the nearby rockwork.