Durso's 180 gallon in wall tank. - Page 40

original-reefland · #**976** 06/15/2006, 11:00 AM

Reading through some of the documentation that came with it. They recommend:

1) Floating bags for 15 - 30 minutes for temperature adjustment.

2) Open bag, add 1/3 volume of water in the bag.

3) After 15 minutes do the same until amount of water in bag is doubled.

4) Wait for 20 to 30 minutes, place in tank on substrate.

5) Do not add contents of water to bag.

I've never acclimated a clam that quickly before. Thats about what I do for a hardy damsel. Clams and other inverts I typically drip acclimate over an hour or so depending on the salinity difference of the waters. Should I do my tried and true or keep to there suggestions? hmm.

They also suggest placing them down low in the tank if you have halides to adjust them to your lighting. Then place them in the final position after a week. That sounds about right, I was going to give them 4 to 5 days. I can wait a week if they want that.

They also provide recommended paramters for keeping them. All are typical numbers we keep in reef tank. Overall, A+ on instructions included. Sure looks like Barry @ Clam Direct is doing the right things.

They also included a sheet about the clams direct which includes some highlights:

1) All clams are selected by Barry for color and pattern and health.

2) All clams are quarantined for at least 7 days.

3) Most of the clams come from the Marshall Island farms.

4) Some clams are wild collected. Wild collected are housed seperated from farmed clams.

original-reefland · #**977** 06/15/2006, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by original-reefland
Some vendors have a set point that once reached shipping becomes free. They don't have that.

Correction - I found in their forums that if you get 12 or more clams (group buy for example) it is free shipping and free container costs.

Jeremy Blaze · #**978** 06/15/2006, 12:15 PM

I would drip acclimate as well.

original-reefland · #**979** 06/15/2006, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jeremy Blaze
Hope they come through.

Me too. Acclimation is complete. Just placed them down on the substrate. I'll take some pictures tonight when the tank lights are on.

original-reefland · #**980** 06/15/2006, 12:33 PM

This looks to me like a Pocillopora sp. growing. Problem is I never purchased one, nor do I have one. This little criter just showed up as a single polyp a few months back and has been growing ever since. At first I thought it was a soft coral growing due to the size and length of the polyps when it was smaller. I think the long tentacles I saw were some type of sweeper to clear space around it. Pictured below it is about 1 inch long and 3/4 inch high.

I have no idea where the planula came from. It must have came in with another coral.

The round polyp shape also points to a birds nest perhaps. But the bulb like growth shapes are not typical of that.

Jeremy Blaze · #**981** 06/15/2006, 02:28 PM

Looks like a poccilopora to me as well. Very cool!

original-reefland · #**982** 06/15/2006, 02:41 PM

I created a thread on the clams direct order in the vendor experience area.

HERE .

It's worth reading, has plenty of pictures. I'll post the important picture here:

That bucket is 8.5 inches across to give you an idea of size.

Toddrtrex · #**983** 06/15/2006, 02:46 PM

You may want to edit that post -- you said, "ice pack" instead of heat pack. Not a huge deal if someone is reading this thread too, but might confuse some people.

HTH.

Jeremy Blaze · #**984** 06/15/2006, 02:51 PM

I beleive he is correct that it was an ice pack. Being summertime, I doubt they would want to ship with heat packs.

original-reefland · #**985** 06/15/2006, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Toddrtrex
You may want to edit that post -- you said, "ice pack" instead of heat pack. Not a huge deal if someone is reading this thread too, but might confuse some people.

HTH.

It was an ice pack.

Toddrtrex · #**986** 06/15/2006, 02:54 PM

God, I could have sworn I read on the other page (of this thread) that you said there was a heat pack, sorry. I will just go back to reading and not posting

melev · #**987** 06/16/2006, 12:22 PM

Rich, looking forward to the images of the clams opened up.

Only 13 more posts until you reach your first split. Then you can finally play with the big boys.

original-reefland · #**988** 06/16/2006, 02:56 PM

I took the pictures last night from above using the acrylic camera box. Looked pretty good in the SLR's LCD. Hopefully I can get a picture posted tonight.

original-reefland · #**989** 06/17/2006, 12:30 AM

Here are the three Tridacna crocea clams acclimating to the light levels on the substrate:

This image is from above, through 2 feet of water.

original-reefland · #**990** 06/17/2006, 12:46 AM

While I was above the tank, figured I'd take an updated picture of my Gold Teardrop Maxima clam. I've had this one for about 7 months now. It has more than doubled in size. The upper 4ish rows of scutes are new.

Dudester · #**991** 06/17/2006, 06:06 PM

That torquoise crocea is incredible! Did they look as you expected, that is, was what you saw what you got?

fishdoc11 · #**992** 06/17/2006, 06:36 PM

Those clams look great Rich

I have heard lots of good things about Clams Direct. Still haven't gotten around to ordering anything from them

Chris

Pacific Reefs · #**993** 06/17/2006, 07:11 PM

All of you clams are stunning!

original-reefland · #**994** 06/17/2006, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dudester
That torquoise crocea is incredible! Did they look as you expected, that is, was what you saw what you got?

Keep in mind they only look like that from the top. From the front of the display they are kind of blah. I think they looked as expected. I didn't save the images of the clams I ordered from the shopping cart. I should have.

I'm happy with the clams. I would order again.

original-reefland · #**995** 06/17/2006, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by fishdoc11
Those clams look great Rich

I have heard lots of good things about Clams Direct. Still haven't gotten around to ordering anything from them

I understand! Clams tend to be one of the things you want to do in person. This was my first order, and if I didn't win the raffle I probably wouldn't have tried it. But Barry has a nice collection of patterns I just never see locally.

Just be careful of the tiny clams which tend to be the bulk of what they sell. They also has an on-line forum section which seemed helpful.

original-reefland · #**996** 06/17/2006, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Pacific Reefs
All of you clams are stunning!

Thanks!

original-reefland · #**997** 06/17/2006, 09:49 PM

Went to my first local reef club meeting today. Was a pretty good turn out... some 30+ people. I had no idea so many reefers were in my area. I took a bunch of pictures of the hosts tank which I'll post a link to when they are ready.

Raffle seemed pretty good as well. I went to the ATM this morning to get some money for the raffle. Seems my wife figured the money would be better spent on Dunkin Donuts coffee as my wallet was empty when I arrived to the meeting. grrr. So no raffle for me this time.

Lots of good food as well.

fishdoc11 · #**998** 06/17/2006, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Just be careful of the tiny clams which tend to be the bulk of what they sell. They also has an on-line forum section which seemed helpful.

Yes I won't buy a clam under 3" and I prefer them over 4"....to be honest I hadn't noticed they sold a lot of undersized clams.

Local reef meetings are the best! Where else can you find a bunch of fish nerds to talk hours about lighting spectrums and protien skimmers with

Chris

original-reefland · #**999** 06/17/2006, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by fishdoc11
Yes I won't buy a clam under 3" and I prefer them over 4"....to be honest I hadn't noticed they sold a lot of undersized clams.

I should refrase that. It seems the smaller clams are the bulk of what they offered, perhaps not the bulk of what they sold. Most of the clams offered were 2.5 inches when I was browsing. Small selection of 3.5 inch and larger -- like 5 or 6 that I could find.

JohnL · #**1000** 06/17/2006, 10:37 PM

This thread was automatically split due to performance issues. You can find the rest of the thread here: http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...hreadid=868135