Our Clam Just Spawned!!!

Tasiamay

New member
I think the pictures say it all ...

Releasing Sperm
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Releasing Eggs
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Full Tank Shot While Releasing Eggs
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spawning ( unless your using lunar cycles ) is caused by stress and is a survival instinct. what have you changed or done in the last little while ?

clam spawn can really pollute the water, so make sure your skimmer is running @ 100% and prepare a water change. you should also replace / run lots of carbon if you are not already. one clam spawning can trigger your other clams to spawn as well so keep a close eye on the situation.
 
We just added four moonlights across the tank, so that's probably what triggered it.

After the clam was finished a water change was done, carbon was added & we are skimming wet.

The only other clam in the tank is a "baby".
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10055864#post10055864 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tasiamay
We just added four moonlights across the tank, so that's probably what triggered it.

probably not, you would have to be following the lunar cycle ( full moon / high tide etc.. )

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10055864#post10055864 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tasiamay
After the clam was finished a water change was done, carbon was added & we are skimming wet.

The only other clam in the tank is a "baby".

good news, hope everything works out and keep an eye on your skimmer :)
 
I have two 14+ inch clams (deresa and a squamosa) that spawn all the time in my tank. I have no moon lights and I have never seen any correlation between them being stressed out and a spawning even being triggered.

I have noticed that once one of the clams spawns, they other begins within minutes to do the same. Now if only my 60+ year old Blue Tear Drop Maxima would spawn... LOL But I have yet to see that one spawn in my tank.

The first time that my two clams spawned in my tank for 45+ minutes I was really afraid for the boiload they were releasing. However, despite the amount released there has been no ill effects seen in my tank. I do run a nice size Euroreef skimmer and the tank is 180G plus a 60 gal sump.

Anyhow, just thought I'd share my experiences.

Good luck and thanks for the pics!
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10066325#post10066325 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SPSFiend
I have two 14+ inch clams (deresa and a squamosa) that spawn all the time in my tank. I have no moon lights and I have never seen any correlation between them being stressed out and a spawning even being triggered.

I have noticed that once one of the clams spawns, they other begins within minutes to do the same. Now if only my 60+ year old Blue Tear Drop Maxima would spawn... LOL But I have yet to see that one spawn in my tank.

The first time that my two clams spawned in my tank for 45+ minutes I was really afraid for the boiload they were releasing. However, despite the amount released there has been no ill effects seen in my tank. I do run a nice size Euroreef skimmer and the tank is 180G plus a 60 gal sump.

Anyhow, just thought I'd share my experiences.

Good luck and thanks for the pics!

A4twenty is spot on. Clams will spawn for good and bad reasons. If you are capable of accurately and reliably simulating the lunar cycle, you can "trick" you clams into spawning. However, in the aquarium, I would say the vast majority spawn due to stress. By stress, we mean change is light, temp, salinity, alk, calcium, you name it. It is anecdotally dteremined to be a survival reaction. Kind of a "quick, reproduce before the water gets so bad we die!" type of thing. In clam farms in the indo, they will actaully remove the clams from the water for extended period to stimulate a spawn. And a pheromone is also released, so the other clam will usually join in the act. This all has been quite scientifically determined.

Just out of curiosity, how do you know you have a 60+ year old clam?
 
The exporter said it was like a 59 year old Maxima. It came with a shipment of 50 plus clams and was the "Prize" item. I have had it now for about 2 years.

So, I or he could very likely be wrong. I am not exactly sure how to estimate age. Does someone know what the estimate is based on the shell growth or something?
 
I dont believe there is any way you can age a clam like that. I hope I dont sound too skeptical, but I think you fell for a sales pitch.

Growth is quite varaibale depending on conditions. How big is it? Please post a pic, I looked in your gallery, and there was some photos from March of 2007, but I only saw a gigas and a couple derasas, no teardrop maxima.
 
Well, there was no sales pitch given or needed. I saw the biggest Maxima that I had ever seen available for sale AND it happened to be a BLUE Tear Drop ;) AND... it was sold to me for $99.99 plus tax LOL

I bought it while I was visiting my Dad down in Dana Point. I paid for it and picked it up the following day on my way home. At the time when I went to pick it up is when they told me about the age and what their supplier had told them. They were bummed I think for having sold it but I had already paid.

Anyways, I was lucky to have found it and I am happy that I get to see it it my tank everyday :D It is about 11-12 inches in shell length.

I took some pictures just now (at night, no tank lights) with flash to give you a good look at the shell and of my derasa and squamosa. I also had a few fairly recent pics of the clams during the day with the lights on. I run 3 250W 14K Hamilton DEs.

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SQUAMOSA:

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DERASA:


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Since we are sharing and all ;)

Few more shots I had handy...

My Beach ball sized Branching Euphylia (Hammer Coral):

At night, has 180 plus heads last time I counted...

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Day:

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Another shot of my Squamosa:

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Tank Shot:

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Happy Reefing!
 
that is the largest maxima i've seen, do you mind if i come by and take a look at it sometime? i'm in LA too :)
 
I second the ID correction of your Squamressa

Maxima clams grow to be about 18 inches long,and when they reach maturity they become calcium sponges that suck up about 15 lbs of calcium carbonate over the next few years.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10157618#post10157618 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Opcn
I second the ID correction of your Squamressa

Maxima clams grow to be about 18 inches long,and when they reach maturity they become calcium sponges that suck up about 15 lbs of calcium carbonate over the next few years.

Why do they suck up so much if they are done growing?
 
Recently I had a 5" Crocea spawn, most likely triggered by a Sebae anemone that also started spawning a few hours before. I've had both for over 3 years, no changes in water params, etc. recently.
 
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