View Full Version : Biggest tridacnid ive ever seen!
huricaneredbone
11/18/2012, 10:30 PM
I randomly went into a restaurant on key largo to buy some breakfast and noticed a 240 gallon against the far wall. I went to check it out and sw this monster! I had to share. The guy said they took it out n weighed n measured it, it was 46 lbs! Check it out.
Te restaurant is called philly keys restaurant. Its right next to the west marine, bay side, approximately mile marker 103
r-balljunkie
11/19/2012, 02:54 AM
get much bigger in the wild, nevertheless, thats a biggun.
elegance coral
11/19/2012, 08:28 AM
I wish it was easier to get T. gigas clams.:sad2:
mr.scoots
11/19/2012, 08:31 AM
Cool pic....thanks for sharing
huricaneredbone
11/19/2012, 11:52 AM
I feel like most lfses can get t. Gigas but they dnt bother because most ppl dont have a big enough tank... Im sure if you ask for it specifically they can order one for you though...
Andrew
11/19/2012, 11:52 AM
I wish it was easier to get T. gigas clams.:sad2:
Back when I had my first tank you would see them at about every lfs around here. Now to get one you have to find someone who already has one or get into the black market of coral trading.
elegance coral
11/22/2012, 07:04 AM
Back when I had my first tank you would see them at about every lfs around here. Now to get one you have to find someone who already has one or get into the black market of coral trading.
Do you know what happened?
I've heard two different stories. One was that they're protected and no longer being imported. The other was that Asia is paying top dollar for them, as a food item, so they're all going over there. I don't know what's true.
Back in the day, they were pretty common around here too. I saw a 6" gigas online about six months ago, and they were asking $500 for it.:crazy1:
Fretfreak13
11/22/2012, 10:16 AM
Have you seen this guy's (http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=309871) clams?
wakesetter
11/28/2012, 07:52 PM
Gigas haven't been available for about 5 years in any sort of real numbers like they were before. I recently spoke with the owner of Pacific Aqua Farms (the old Walt Smith wholesaler) about this and he said they stopped breeding them because of the hassle of moving the big adults around. They are concentrating on smaller species. It is also a money loser for them, a government subsidized thing that is there just to put the locals to work and to try to restock wild numbers. Funny part was that he said the guys that work the farms will go plant decent sized grown adult clams on the reef, then go get them the next week for dinner because they know exactly where they are. Seems pretty counter productive. I hope they start breeding them again, they are one of my favorite things in a reef tank.
r-balljunkie
11/28/2012, 10:18 PM
We had the same problem over here. the guys at the power plant were breeding clams to repopulate the lagoon. they'd put them out....be gone the next week..locals would grab them :) clam chowder, mmmmm
wakesetter
11/28/2012, 10:49 PM
seems ridiculous, until you put yourself in their shoes. They have been eating these clams for many generations, they probably think we are weird to put them in a glass box and just look at them.
triggerman71
11/29/2012, 05:59 AM
Bought a blue spotted gigas back in the day at around 5in, it grew to 16in. In a few years sold it to a guy with a huge tank. One of the nicest clams.
r-balljunkie
11/30/2012, 01:52 PM
Here's a few pics from the "Land of Giants" every bit of 5' in length. the spot we dove in has probably never been dove before, restricted waters.....you could easily fit your fist thru the hole. the gold coloring inside was mesmerizing.
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r158/cchavis/marshall%20islands/P7252445.jpg
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r158/cchavis/marshall%20islands/P7252444.jpg
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r158/cchavis/marshall%20islands/P7252443.jpg
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r158/cchavis/marshall%20islands/P7252440.jpg
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r158/cchavis/marshall%20islands/P7252438.jpg
MikeyUU
11/30/2012, 02:11 PM
Where is the "land of the giants"? and how deep was this one?
r-balljunkie
11/30/2012, 02:52 PM
lower left in this picture.
Marshall Islands...Kwajalein Atoll, midpoint. I always take helicopter rides to the outer islands and see these small uprisings in the lagoon. I used to think, man that would be cool to dive. Confirmed. AWESOME to dive. They are actually quite shallow. At low tide, some parts exposed. These clams were found in around 10' of water.
I’m positive this photo is not the exact spot…kinda like a representation…….. there's dozens of these mounds in the lagoon. They have much more diversity to them when it comes to wildlife (Pulsing xenia, hammer corals, enormous clams, etc.....which are near impossible to find where im at.), verses diving in the south.
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r158/cchavis/marshall%20islands/IMG_3591.jpg
zachfishman
12/10/2012, 12:26 PM
Here's our gigas. Not the best pic but it is quite purple! http://twitter.com/PierAquarium/status/273800071152275457/photo/1
Seanthefish
12/25/2012, 12:07 PM
Very cool, would love to see more shots of a reefer diving the marshal islands
ange062
12/27/2012, 02:56 AM
Awesome pics and thanks for sharing the rarely seen gigas!! I've been diving on gigas patches in the Philippines with clams well over 36", it was an amazing sight but they are very hard to find in the trade (and in the wild) nowadays...
droth335
12/29/2012, 06:51 AM
I saw that clam when we were in the keys last year...very cool. thanks for sharing as we didn't get any pics!
caribfan
12/29/2012, 02:40 PM
Not sure if there are any CORAL Subscribers in this thread, but they just had a really nice write up on the giant clams and could probably shed some light as to why the Gigas isn't offered/available as much as the other Tridacnids.
coralreefdoc
12/29/2012, 07:35 PM
Ah, PKs ...
Wonderful, quaint little restaurant on Key Largo. Used to stop in there a few times over the years on the way down to John Pennekamp State Park/Key West. I specifically remember the last time I was in there, a few years back, and their T. gigas mustve been half the size of the picture above. I believe it was located on a different section of their reef as well. Perhaps, the sandbed as I recall ...
Itd be interesting to find out, if you feel like giving them a quick call someday, Redbone.
Thanks for sharing, it was nice to see the ol' clam again :)
DC650
12/31/2012, 05:50 AM
Great pics. Thanks for sharing.
cichlidsrcool
01/07/2013, 08:41 PM
wow nice pic
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