whats the cheapest clam you can get and why is there such a range in pricing?

[lottie_pufferfish]

hello yall,
Its the newbie again,

Ive always wanted a clam, it doesnt have to be big, it could even be tiny, like an inch long. The idea of having a clam is exciting.

Im not sure I understand why theirs such a range in prices. well the onlything i think I get is that it has to do with color, and the adult size.

Is the easyest clam to keep, and the cheapest; the same speices of clam? or is there one type thats easyest and one type thats cheap.

I saw some at wet world that where brown, had bright white shells, and where just my size. TINY. hehe, an inch and a half id say. But they where out of my price range already, when I saw the price tag. I think it was 100, or mabye 80.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST if anybody has any for sale or knows someone that does id like to here.

[YiNYaNg]

Yeah I would love to have a clam but they are pricey :cry:

Any rich fella care to donate me one. PLEASE........ :biga:

[oyam123]

Calms = Lights.
what do you have for lighting now?
PS: I just got 4 nice clams at HyVee today for $3.00, My trigger loved them!
I even had to shuk one for the lionfish.

[mtfatwork]

the most hardiest clams and the cheapest are probably the derasas. They are more readily available, and are not as brightly colored as others. As a rule of thumb (but not always) the more bright the color, the more light it needs. Also, tiny clams need to be fed daily, I would strongly reccomend getting a clam that is at least 3.5 inches in length. Derasas, squamosas, and Gigas can be placed at the bottom of the tank as their lighting needs are not as much as maximas and croceas. However, they grow big. Maximas and Croceas do not get nearly as big, but are more widely known for their great colors. These are just generalizations of course :)


Lottie- your best bet would be a Derasa. Look for one about 4". Probably the best "starter clam".

[lottie_pufferfish]

I have an Coral Life Pro on a 38 gallon tank, it kind of is a little larger than the acual tank surface area. How often should i replace the halide? i bought it used and it has a coral life halide in it. and i heard they are kinda crappy cuz they give off a little less light then they say.

[wolmutt]

replace mh after 1 year of use. Mtfatwork is moving you in the right direction.

[REEFSTOCK]

I agree with Marry. :)

[loos15]

General rule for clams, the bigger the better. I recommend 3in+ for most available species of clams. High water quality, high calcium around 400ppm and maintain high alk lvls too. I also heard, clams like 6.5k-10k light better than other colorations. And what Mary said :). If you get a derasa, they grow fast if you have good water quality. I think they are the fastest grower of the clams available, and they grow big. Looking ahead, make room for it for in 5 year time.

Also in terms of price, they are the cheaper clams :) Do more research :)
Clamsdirect.com is a nice place to get clams...maybe you can get someone to share shipping with? ":D
and Good clam hunting :)

[lottie_pufferfish]

ive never orders saltwater things thuogh mail order. Our UPS and package people are really ruff around here. i once had a package of plants come to me and i watched the guy shake it intenshaly. i yelled at him after the fact. i dont mean ALL post people are like this, sorry if i afend.

I like the idea of it growing big. I think il look for a while. il check out clamarama too.... i mean Clamsdirect.com lol

[clownnut]

only maxima clams need to be 3"+. others this rule can be loose a little bit. start with derasa or gigas, gigas are much faster grower and it will get big(in wild they can grow to about 4')
stable, good water quality and high light are needed.
250W or 150W? if 150W stay away from maxima.

[mattb]

Croceas has the highest light requirements, followed by maxima, then everything else is less demanding. Stay away from Gigas as they can grow an inch/2months...

You get what you pay for generally. If you want healthy clams, pay a little more. If you find $10 maximas, you may end up with DOAs. The quality of maximas have been pretty poor (even captive bred via ORA, etc).