[zhenya]

Hey Barry,

I know I don't have to make a report on a condition of the clams that I've got from you,but I thought that I should
I'm not sure if you remember that incident when my wrasse ripped excurrent syphon off a gigas clam you send me,but I just like to report that it almost completely grew back and the clam started to grow like a madman The excurrent syphon was gone completely and it was just a hole the size of a dime anstead.Now I see a almost normal looking syphon,just a little bluish color of a new grown tissue thogh.Check out the growth rate for a couple of month since I got the clam from you

[Ninong]

Gene,

Glad to hear it's doing OK. So when do you start planning your new BIG tank?

I'm setting up my little bitty 120-gal right now but I hope to move up to a "larger" tank sometime in the next three years or so after we move. Now that I have seen the two gorgeous T. gigas at the Waikiki Aquarium, I am dying to have one of my own but I wonder what happens after 10 years or so?

Does anyone know someone who has kept a gigas in a home aquarium for more than 10 years? What do you do once it gets too big for your house?

This is not meant as criticism of anybody who has a gigas right now, I'm just wondering what you guys who have them have concluded about this question. I know that if I ever get into the larger than 375-gallons club, I will almost certainly get one. I think.

This reminds me of what I did with my last house in California: I planted six "little" redwood trees in the back yard, three in each corner, on a lot that was only 70'x100'. I drove past that house last September and those trees are now about 35' tall and fill most of the back yard. With fertilization and frequent watering, they grew twice as fast as I anticipated when I planted them only 10 years ago.

P.S. -- Pics of Waikiki Aquarium's gigantic gigas here: Waikiki Aquarium - 12 pics

[zhenya]

Hi Ninong ,

To answer your question about my BIG tank,yes, I'm planning to have one in a couple of years or,as soon as my daughter stands on her feet and moves out By doing so she'll make her room available for atleast 300+ tank and big enough closet to house all the gadgets to run it successfuly,I hope. Untill such time,I have to house my daughter and her daughter and I'm glad to have this opportunity and means to do it,believe me.
I think Minh might be the one to have his Gigas for something close to the time frame you're asking,not sure though(my memory stinks lately). BTW,thanks for the link,I haven't visited that website in ages(shame on me )
Another thing Ninong,I hope I never have to move because it would spell disaster to my tanks I think. There is no way I think to move tanks without loosing good part of the life in it and I'm not prepared for this

[Captain Clam]

Cool story Gene. I keep getting the urge to buy a gigas but even my new tank is only 135G (big to me) which I'm already worrying about my little derasa growing out of. I figure I'll just try to grow the biggest TR maxima ever. More realistic with my space constraints. Glad your gigas healed up so well.

[Barry N.]

Gene,

Glad that he has healed so well.

Ninong,

There is a person that has had a T. Gigas for 8 years and it has really grown. I know that he has kept a growth chart and I will get that and post it. It is in a 425 gallon tank.

Here is a picture of a Gigas that I have had in my tank since Nov and you can see the growth.

[Ninong]

Minh Nguyen's T. gigas was purchased December 26, 1998 and it was only a 1.5" baby at the time. In January 2002, when his 400-gal tank was the featured aquarium on Reefs.org, it was 17" long. So that's 1.5" to 17" in only three years.

The two large gigas at the Waikiki Aquarium are 20 and 25 years old. The larger one weighed 167-lbs. last year. A fully grown gigas can weigh as much as 600-lbs.

[zhenya]

I new I was wrong on that Sorry Minh!

Geez, Ninong I think I better hurry up with that BIG tank project or face the possibility of giving those clams up to someone with means to provide a proper size home.
Barry, great shot! I'm happy as well on his recovery and happy to be rid of that fish(devastated my sandbed to boot).I might buy a few detrivore kits again in the spring.

[zhenya]

Hi Barry,

Sorry to resurect such old thread,but I did manage to take a shot of the excurent syphon,now fully grown

[almostdiva]

Gene,

THAT is a cool pic (you're getting GOOD with that digital camera!).

What a cool clam. Shows they are pretty resilient, too, despite what some people say about being "delicate".

PS Sorry about the "aptaisia killer" ....

rebecca

[zhenya]

Hi Rebecca,
Thanks for the compliment.

You're right about clams being tough,I couldn't believe how quick it regrew its syphon back
Believe me,no one is more upset about this fish than I am.I loved that fish I was so surprized that it died that I did not take any pics of its body.I do remember seen red marks around his tail fin and near pectoral fins as well,sort of like a red splotches.Kind of looked like an internal hemorrhaging,what caused it I have no idea however. I did have this fish since november of last year...

[Barry N.]

WOW Gene, he healed up very well. Thanks for sharing.

Barry

[zhenya]

Yes Barry,

He did real well on that syphon. I was cleaning this clams last night and foung whole mess of pyramid snails around the byssal on the smaller gigas Now I have to keep taking them out and inspecting every other night,sheesh
The larger gigas had nothing on him and I wonder why. Here's couple of pics of the growth of the larger gigas and his regrown syphon. Funny thing is, Barry, that I never seen those pyramids on any of my snails?

[zhenya]

and his 3/4" new shell.Please exuse the mess on glass,the clam is up against it and scraping it became a PITA

[Minh Nguyen]

Originally posted by zhenya
and his 3/4" new shell.Please exuse the mess on glass,the clam is up against it and scraping it became a PITA

By now you realize how fast T. gigas grew. Mine grew >.5 inches per month especially when he was very young.
Minh Nguyen

[zhenya]

Originally posted by Minh Nguyen
By now you realize how fast T. gigas grew. Mine grew >.5 inches per month especially when it is young.
Minh Nguyen

You bet, Minh

I'm working frantically on a larger tank(working on my wife that is ).I hope we can reach an agreement this spring. It is growing very fast indeed and if I can't set up larger tank,it is going to some one who has it.

[Barry N.]

You might try a romantic vacation, a good place to talk tanks.

Barry

[zhenya]

Originally posted by Barry N.
You might try a romantic vacation, a good place to talk tanks.

Barry

Well, my wife is leaving for Bahamas in a month with my daughter, my mother-in-law and the baby(I baled out ). This should give me enough time to set one up(atleast maybe drag it inside).