Reef Discussion

[NiCd]

Just thought id share this pic from reefbuilders for all the clam nuts out there like myself.

I have kept about a dozen derasa over the years and have to be pretty diligent to get the ones I have, never ever seen anything close to this though!

 

[MTG]

That is stunning!

 

[MagicJ]

Any idea where this type of clam comes from?

 

[NiCd]

Ive been told by divers that they are one of the most common clams around. The issue is that most are located on the GBR and collection of clams from there attracts a $50,000 fine and possible loss of collection licence.

I have been told they extend outside this area into NT but they are located on the mid and outer shelfs which makes them uneconomical to target. so its usually only by request and paying a bit extra you seem to get them and then its very hit or miss on what you get.

 

[Kharn]

=O That is what big and colorful nudibranch!!! :p

hehe VERY VERY nice clam, I had thought about setting up for a clam with one of my large spearing mantis shrimps, in the wild large spearer burrows are found near clams which means neither bother each others presence =).

 

[NiCd]

it actually does look a bit like a nudi now you mention it!

 

[Kharn]

it actually does look a bit like a nudi now you mention it!

Just the way the shot was taken is all :P

 

[MTG]

i would like a nice black clam :eek

 

[Kharn]

i would like a nice black clam :eek

"Does it come in black?"

haha sounds like something Bruce Wayne would ask for ;)

 

[MTG]

:Dblack clam with some green highlights would be excellent!

 

[Kharn]

:Dblack clam with some green highlights would be excellent!

I can see where your comming from a lot of jet black creatures look nice, I use to have a freshwater Sooty Grunter and it was pure black looked really nice.

 

[NiCd]

Only blacks ive seen is in the maxima's

 

[Kharn]

Only blacks ive seen is in the maxima's

:D That clam would soo nice with Morgoth (my large black and white striped mantis shrimp) !!!

 

[Josh M]

That is looks kinda eerie..... Imagine a giant black clam "looking" back at you while diving :-)

 

[NiCd]

So no issues at all with mantis and clams? ive always been led to believe they are the boogie man for all that is pretty and precious?

 

[Kharn]

So no issues at all with mantis and clams? ive always been led to believe they are the boogie man for all that is pretty and precious?

I wouldn't put a clam or any mollusc / hard bodied animal with a SMASHING mantis, SPEARER however yeah your ok, as I said before, in the wild Large Spearing mantis shrimps burrows have been found near clams with no ill health to the clam or mantis.

I can certainly see a large smasher toying with a clam and eventually cracking it open =)

 

[NiCd]

Dont mean to hijack my own thread, but what is suitable with them?

 

[Gunnie]

i love that black max pic from the guy in the states, why i stole it as my avatar :)

 

[Kharn]

Dont mean to hijack my own thread, but what is suitable with them?

It's a gamble...

When you talk about mantis shrimps and state things that can and cannot live peacefully with them there can be a lot of bad feed back xD so everything I state is from my personal experiences with the mantis shrimps I have personally kept.

From my experiences mantis shrimps are extremely misunderstood... a happy mantis is a safe mantis and a happy mantis is a FAT mantis :p what I mean by this is you personally feed it! What this will do initially is start a bond between you and Mr./Mrs. Mantis once he/she understands you are the 'be all and end all' of easy food sources Mr./Mrs. Mantis will start to become more inter-active, by feeding your mantis directly and not making it hunt for food on its own you lower the risk of it killing things greatly.

A mantis shrimp will not kill for the sake of killing...animals like to save there stored energy for life threatening times albeit if he/she is STARVING or if he/she feels threatened (they have the energy ready) why waste it ?

Also I said when you start to feed your mantis directly they will become more inter-active because they learn fast...like REALLY fast, so Mr./Mrs. Mantis will assume that whenever your comming to the tank its feeding time and he/she will shoot out of the rocks wagging his/her tail as if she/he was a little poochy! :p

By doing all of this you keep your mantis happy and it learns that there is easy food so it won't actively hunt.

having said all the above....mantis shrimps won't just let another creature "walk over them".... my foolish boisterous blenny learnt the hard way :D the blenny dwarfed the mantis shrimp (Rocky the small male G.graphurus). Well somehow Sun (the blenny) got into Rocky's enclosure...at first I was concerned for Rocky cause Sun could of gobbled him up! I mean Sun's mouth is big enough too! Well within the container to make Rocky feel comfortable I have a piece of PVC pipe that he resides in.

Sun wanted in...she got half way in then I heard what I expected, WACK! WACK WACK! Sun retreated so fast that she got wedged inbetween the lid of the container and was stuck so I had to help her get "unstuck" I'm sure she learnt a hard lesson :D

I said it at the start and I say it again.

It's a gamble....

Hope this helps a bit ;)

 

[MagicJ]