small cultured clams

[manderx]

anyone notice the rush of 1.5" cultured clams on the market? i think they are ORA (but i'm not sure).

i just can't help but feel it's slightly irresponsible of them to start selling them at that size since so many of them *will* die from people not giving them enough phyto. especially if any are sold through LFSs.

 

[Scuba Dog]

I have seen several of them, and they are a bit sinsitive, but I have had good luck with the baby max that came to live in my tank on 12/6/03 , would I buy some more in time, yes but with clams I like to see them in person before I spend the cash, But I also feed my tank fairly regularly DT's untill im set up to culture my own...I have had good luck Im sure others hadent, my question is are these raised in a tank or taken from the ocean?

 

[Julio]

i am sure they are aquacultured since clams are offered full protection.

 

[GTR]

I think most clams now are being cultured. From the lack of extra creatures on the shell mine were not in the open ocean.

I purchased a small one about 2 months ago and is was cultured, doubt it was ORA though.

I decided not to edit out all the flatworms so you could use them for scale. This one is in a 15g with 175 MH 10K and 1-T5 blue.

I'm sure the reason they come in so small is that we will buy them. They are also much cheaper to ship due to their size and need for little shipping water.

Also the company culturing these clams I would imagine makes more on these small ones than the large. The time to get them to market has to be consideraby less. I've also seen prices for transshipped clams and there is not much difference in the price of the clam from small to large, you just have to account for the added weight for the plane ride. This with all the fees can be 2-3 times the price of the livestock.

I believe those responsible for the culturing of these clams sees them as only a commodity, not as a being. They are raised for us to buy and put in our tanks, for our visual enjoyment.

At least when we do buy them they have some chance. After all many of these clams could just as well be food for them.

Steve U

 

[Barry N.]

anyone notice the rush of 1.5" cultured clams on the market? i think they are ORA (but i'm not sure).

There is only one farm at this time culturing Tridacnid maximas and that being the farm in the Marshall Islands which was bought out by ORA this past year. The farm has told me that it take 2 yrs + to raise a clam to 2" and the cost of shipping them in by the kilo has gone up so much since the price of crude has went up. There are some farms that have had to close down due to losing grants and some that are still around are receiving grants to return the clams back into the ocean, such as the farm on Palau.

There has been a large increase in supply and demand over the years and the Marshall Island farm shipped too many of the larger clams last year, lucky to get any thing larger than 2". That is one reason why you have seen more wild collected clams coming in.

With feeding, proper lighting, tank mates and good water chemistry, no one should have a problem keeping them alive.

 

[dvmsn]

With feeding, proper lighting, tank mates and good water chemistry, no one should have a problem keeping them alive.

I have to agree with manderx. The quote above could apply to any number of difficult species, ie. Sea Horses. Unfortunately, the large majority of hobbyist do not have the knowledge or time that is necessary to keep these animals. I am not knocking newbies, I was one and I made many of the mistakes that are commonly made. There are a whole lot of really ethical LFS that will not sell an animal to someone who canââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t care for it. There are many more LFS that will tell people these clams are easy. I think it is wrong to flood the market with an animal that the large majority of hobbyists canââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t properly keep.

 

[dvmsn]

Let me add ethical LFS like Barry, who go to extreme lengths to warn customers thats these are not for beginners and need special care.

 

[dvmsn]

With feeding, proper lighting, tank mates and good water chemistry, no one should have a problem keeping them alive.

I have to agree with manderx. The quote above could apply to any number of difficult species, ie. Sea Horses. Unfortunately, the large majority of hobbyist do not have the knowledge or time that is necessary to keep these animals. I am not knocking newbies, I was one and I made many of the mistakes that are commonly made. There are a whole lot of really ethical LFS that will not sell an animal to someone who canââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t care for it. There are many more LFS that will tell people these clams are easy. I think it is wrong to flood the market with an animal that the large majority of hobbyists canââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t properly keep.