Right clam for my tank....

[Dave12678]

Hey guys I found this Giga at Justcoral here is the link http://justcoral.com/product_info.ph...oducts_id=4916

His color is freaking sweet. I have a maxima now my lighting is 150w MH with 2 65w antinics but my tank is a 54 corner. Do these grow really fast? I really like the way this guy looks what do you guys think?

Thanks,
Dave

[Dave12678]

Bump

[a4twenty]

gigas are the fastest growing of the tridacnids ( up to about 4" per year until sexual maturity ), probably not the best for a 54G tank.

[Dave12678]

Damn I need a bigger tank thanks for the help.

[scapes]

go w/ a squammie or derasa instead. they're not so fast growing.

[skinz78]

Originally posted by scapes
go w/ a squammie or derasa instead. they're not so fast growing.

squamosa and derasa run a very close #2 and #3 for growth rates.

[Dave12678]

I just really liked the color of this clam. If I see one I like I will post about it, you guys know your stuff

[marc price]

Originally posted by skinz78
squamosa and derasa run a very close #2 and #3 for growth rates.

interesting thread, i too really like gigas but now know not to get one for my 100g. if i want to have it around for a good number of years.
i recently sold my derasa instead of the squamosa based on a 18" vs. 24" max size (needed space for a growing anemone). i read somewhere that derasa are fast growers up to a point and then thicken the shell adding mass (girth) over length. i'm now thinking i should've sold the squmosa and kept the bright contrasting colored and interestingly dizzying patterned derasa.
so at around 8" - 9" would t. squamosa grow to +14" in two years vs. a similar sized derasa four in an exponential so on and so on?
additionally all things being equal how would the growth rate of t. maxima (which max. out about the same size as t. squmosa), compare? and not to go off on a tangent but about what size do they begin to spawn and at what frequency?

[a4twenty]

Originally posted by marc price
i read somewhere that derasa are fast growers up to a point and then thicken the shell adding mass (girth) over length.

that is true of all clams, once they reach sexual maturity their growth rate slows.

Originally posted by marc price
additionally all things being equal how would the growth rate of t. maxima (which max. out about the same size as t. squmosa), compare?

T. crocea's grow between 1/2" - 1" per year
T. maxima's grow between 1" - 2" per year
H. hippopus grow between 1 1/2" - 3" per year
T. derasa's grow between 2" - 3" per year
T squamosa's grow between 1 1/2" - 3 1/2" per year
T. gigas grow between 1 1/2" - 4 1/2" per year

to save any confusion, i just posted them all.

Originally posted by marc price
so at around 8" - 9" would t. squamosa grow to +14" in two years vs. a similar sized derasa four in an exponential so on and so on?

derasa's and squamosa's have very similar growth rates and the sizes you are talking about are close to maturity. it would be very hard to predict their sizes because there are so many variables. i would guess that it would take both closer to the 4 years to go from 9" - 14".

Originally posted by marc price
and not to go off on a tangent but about what size do they begin to spawn and at what frequency?

this is going to obviously vary by species as well as individual clam and tank conditions. hopefully they never spawn in our system, spawning in the wild is brought on by lunar cycles and whatever else mother nature uses. usually spawning in our systems is a survival instinct ( clam out of water for to long or changing parameters etc ... ), when something goes wrong the clam tries to reproduce to continue the species.

[marc price]

thanks a4twenty, that's just the information i was looking for, i emailed the page to myself to have for reference.