Clam differences

I usually use the search before asking a question. I know this question has probably been asked and answered before, but I cant quite find what Im looking for with the search.

Please let me know the quick differences of these: include lighting, placement, ease of care, ect.

maxima

crocea

derasa

Also, what would an "average" price be for say a 2" clam of these different types. Basically which is the most expensive to least expensive considering all things equal.

Thanks.

 

Maxima is a higher lighting clam. likes to attach its foot to a rock. and is one of the more demanding prices, for a 2 inch one I see them range around 50-80$ usually. Depending on the color and grade.

Crocea, is a moderate lighting clam. as like the maxima it attaches to the rock and price wise they run normally 25-40$

Derasa is a moderate lighting clam, likes to attach to the sand bed, and runs usually 30-40$ for a 2-3" one. It is one of the easier clams to take care of.

a trick for light acclimating clams to move them up into their final spot so you dont damage them if they are a rock clam, place a rock underneath them on the sandbed, and slowly move them up over a few week period.

 

Thanks, I was thinking about a maxima. Are they the most expensive because of their color, they are rare, or because the grow larger, or do more beneficial things to your tank?

If I have a 55 gallon with a 48" 4x54 T5 lighting which one can I get? What if I upgraded to a 6x54 T5? I have two seperate lighting fixtures one 4x54 and one 2x54, but they both dont fit over the top of the tank right now, but i could rig something up if I have to.

 

Purchasing a larger clam and a captive bred clam will offer you the best chance of success in my opinion.
Hippopus, Derasa and Squamosa are the easiest
Gigas somewhere in the middle(remember these giats get over 3 feet in diameter and weigh hundreds of pounds)!
Crocea and Maxima being the hardest to care for, usually due to lighting and improper lighting provided by the aquarist.

You could try and get a Black Maxima for a few hundred dollars or $50-$100 depepnding on the grade.
Crocea's are also upper end price$60.00+

 

-High light demanding clams-
Maxima you will need more lighting then t5, I hear they will only be okay in MH Aquarium.
7-8 inch full grown rock dwellers

Croceas I don't know, some people say they demand even more light then maxima's some say they are little bit less light demanding then maxima. According to liveaquria.com they both demand the same amount of light, I wouldnt recommand Crocea's from my search experince, alot of people say they require more lighting then maxima, Im new to clam also so I am no expert.
7-8 inch full grown and rock dwellers

-Medium light demanding giant clam-
Derasa as sand dwellers you will be able to keep them in there although they dont look pretty as Maxima's but still looks decent. Derasa are giant clams they tend to go huge huge huge around 15 inches.
15 inch aroundish full grown sand dwellers

Squamosa clan are exactly same as Derasa except just differnt coloring.
Also sand dweller that tends to get huge in later years
15 inch aroundish full grown sand dwellers

Gigas clam also sand dwellers differnt coloring also giant clam
15 inch aroundish full grown sand dwellers

-Unknown-
Hippopus clam one of the rare giant clams, but they arent from the same family as Tridacna. Tridacna their mantle tends to extend out of the shell, but the Hippopus which is the own family name, only stays within the shell and does not extend out of the shell. I dont know how big they get and how much light they need.

Maxima are the only clam that tends to cost alot compared to others.
From my experince Croceas tend to be cheaper then Derasa and Squamosa. Not sure about Gigas because I never seen them for sale at LFS.

No idea how much hippopus clam would cost.

My price experince:
Maxima 1inch: $59.00
Crocea 3 inch: $39.99
Derasa 3 inch: $59.99
Squamosa 4-5 inch: $59.99-$69.99

Before buying a clam
See if he is fully opened before buying always check for pyramid snail, overall just make sure he is healthy.

Hope this helps

 

Croceas and Maximas need the most light. However, not as much as many people will lead you to believe. (However, don't take that to mean they don't need high light though.) I had my crocea in my 55 under 4x54w T5s. I kept it high and it grew and did relatively well. However, it was smaller, about 1.5-2" so it wasn't relying solely on light and it wasn't that vibrant. I upgraded to 6x54w T5s over my 55 and it has colored up much nicer. It has much more flourescence then before. As said, both croceas and maximas should be kept in the rocks. They are rock boring clams and secrete an acid to slowly dissolve the rock as they grow. Crocea and maximas are also the smallest of the giant clams. Croceas get to about 6", although they are rare to find that large. Maximas may get to about 8", but again, clams those size are harder to find.

People who say clams need MH are plain wrong. I've personally kept clams under T5s and know people who have kept them under PC lighting even. However, in your case, I would recommend that you wait until you get a 6x54w fixture or rig up both fixtures you have. Clams, and especially smaller ones, are very hard to care for, so try to buy one as big as possible if you do get one.

BTW, more vibrant and colorful clams generally need more light. (Blue/purple) Gold/yellow/green generally need less light). Also, clams are graded based upon appearances. So you may see a vendor selling an "Ultra grade" clam. All that means is that it looks nicer then others.

 

I always thought that clams that have purple and blue mantles, require the most intense light.
When you visualize Maxima and Crocea Clams, they hail from the shallow regions of reefs such as reef flats and lagoons, whereas Derasa, Gigas and Squamosa clams incorporate deeper regions of a reef and do not display the vibrant purple and blue hues of their cousins.
The same holds true for many symbiotic, hermatypic corals such as Acropora sp. that rely on these pigments(irridophores) for their UVA and B blocking capabilities.

 

Thanks for the info, I always wondered what "ultra grade" was. Now I know it just means fancy colors, which is pretty subjective anyway.

you said you kept maximas in a 55 under t5's. How far up did you place the clam? Halfway or even higher?

 

did you see the clam sticky?

http://www.3reef.com/forums/clams/must-reads-about-clams-75670.html