[Ninong]

That's looking down from above the surface and this next photo is from the front of the tank:

[almostdiva]

Ninong,

GREAT looking clam!

Rebecca

[SueT]

Ninong, WOW...That is a beautiful maxima clam.

Local or did it come from Barry???

That is a beauty!!!

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by SueT

Ninong, WOW...That is a beautiful maxima clam.

Local or did it come from Barry???

That is a beauty!!!

Sue,

Thanks!

It's an O.R.A. clam that I got from an LFS in Kenner (New Orleans suburb). I have been trying to get one 3" - 3.5" but aquacultured ultra maximas larger than 2.5" are hard to get right now. O.R.A. received only four 4" ultra maximas in their last shipment and none of them were the exact color that I am looking for -- a bright medium blue. I know because I have been calling them and telling them which clam in the picture on their website I want them to duplicate for me. They can't sell to me directly but they have an LFS in Kenner that buys from them so all I have to do is tell the LFS to call them right away and buy the clam we talked about. They all come from farms in the South Pacific. The guy at the LFS was surprised when I told him that; he thought they were actually grown in Florida.

The LFS refuses to purchase any ultra maximas larger than 2.5" (because of price) unless paid for in advance. O.R.A. has a 5" ultra max in stock but it's not the color I wanted and all they received in their last shipment was one 3.5" and four 4" ultras but none in the exact color that I am seeking, so the LFS guy decided to order two baby ultras and two baby first grades for stock and I went down there when he opened the boxes to see if I liked any of them. The other baby ultra was a nice light grayish-greenish but I liked the pattern on this one a little better and I was a little put out that the LFS guy did NOT acclimate them at all other than floating the bags for 20 minutes.

When I got there he was still opening the boxes, so I just browsed around waiting from him to finish. He called me earlier to tell me that the shipment had just arrived. Naturally they were all still closed up in the bags, so I was waiting for him to finish acclimating them so that I could see what they looked like. I didn't want to leave and then have some idiot come in and buy both of them before I got a chance to see if I liked them or not. I was busy admiring his Aiptasia collection and the next thing I knew he was plopping them right into the tank straight out of the bags. He claims it's not necessary to do anything other than a water temperature equalization on incoming clams from O.R.A. Oh, well... I don't exactly agree with that but that's why I bought just one instead of two. I wanted to see if it survived first. I acclimated it for about an hour after I got home even though my salinity is close to his (mine is 35 ppt and his is 34 ppt). I have a habit of bringing my trusty refractometer with me when I go on shopping trips to any LFS. Drives 'em crazy!

[Poseidon]

Awesome CLAM!!!!


and I think it is a GREAT IDEA to take the refractometer with you!!!

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by Poseidon

Awesome CLAM!!!!


and I think it is a GREAT IDEA to take the refractometer with you!!!

Thanks!

Of the three LFS that I frequent down here, only one even uses a refractometer. One of the other two even told me that refractometers aren't as accurate as hydrometers. Of course, they sell hydrometers only. The store that uses a refractometer sells refractometers; in fact, that's where I bought my last one when I gave up on trying to "fix" the first one I bought.

[Papa Doug]

That is a beaut.

[miareefer]

Very nice Ninong thats a clam to die for

[Minh Nguyen]

Very nice clams Ninong. I am getting some clams (maxima) in over the next two weeks, them I am back in the business of clam keeping.
Minh