Clams from Algae Barn?

PicassoClown04 · Oct 20, 2020

flampton said:
They're ORA clams so I'm guessing the grading is done by them. You can buy ORA clams from a number of different sites, and I think some sites have ORA wysiwyg. I believe the pricing is supposed to be set by ORA but still might be more expensive wysiwyg.

Wysiwyg seems to always be more expensive than stock, but if the wysiwyg clam is ‘ultra grade’ and I love it, then theoretically I should be able to buy the stock ‘ultra grade’ and get a similar clam. I just want to make sure that that’s what’s actually happening since the price difference is pretty significant

flampton · Oct 20, 2020

Yes I wonder about how this works because of ORA grading them and pricing them. The largest livestock supplier has them for the same price. And theirs ship directly from ORA. However their wysiwyg in the den is shipped from Wisconsin and priced higher. This leads me to believe that ORA sells their better clams to suppliers, and the suppliers then mark them up. I mean the two first grade blue maximas on the den site are on sale at 99.99 but list at 129.99.
Yet a first grade blue maxima directly from ORA is 84.99...

Strange....

PicassoClown04 · Oct 20, 2020

flampton said:
Yes I wonder about how this works because of ORA grading them and pricing them. The largest livestock supplier has them for the same price. And theirs ship directly from ORA. However their wysiwyg in the den is shipped from Wisconsin and priced higher. This leads me to believe that ORA sells their better clams to suppliers, and the suppliers then mark them up. I mean the two first grade blue maximas on the den site are on sale at 99.99 but list at 129.99.
Yet a first grade blue maxima directly from ORA is 84.99...

Strange....

Exactly how I was thinking! If I can get some good feedback on the stock clams I may buy one, but I don’t wanna save $30 and end up with a brown ‘ultra maxima’. That’s really my biggest fear, since I can’t prove that they sent me the wrong clan since I never actually got a pic of it.

Chris Spaulding · Oct 20, 2020

Crocea from Algae Barn. Was not WYSIWUG.

DHill6 · Oct 20, 2020

Nice color!

PicassoClown04 · Oct 20, 2020

Chris Spaulding said:
Crocea from Algae Barn. Was not WYSIWUG.

What grade did you get?? Beautiful clam!

hart24601 · Oct 20, 2020

I bought quite a few clams from ORA directly via LA without seeing them and they were just as nice or nicer than the ones sold as WWSIWYG. Granted I think most clams are quite pretty, but there were no duds in the group. If you wait for sales you can sometimes get LA promo AND ora clams for sale. IMO don't get any from divers den, a sick clam came from there and I lost 40 clams last year. I should have known better as a sick DD clam in 2014 also wiped out my existing clams but I had hoped it got better.

If you are really set on a particular color or style, then paying more to see it is worth it.

Chris Spaulding · Oct 20, 2020

It was an Ultra but I got an email when I did for 25% of so it was a score IMO

Zoajohn · Oct 20, 2020

ReQuackulous said:
I just received a first grade color and its completely brown, how long did the color take for you? Its been about a week for me and I've noticed only the edge on one side of the mantle coloring up.

Maybe a month or so

Highgrade · Oct 21, 2020

So here’s a couple pics. I ordered the Ultra colored Maxima. Although not wysiwyg I’d say overall I’m pleased. I ordered one for $90 and applied a 15% coupon. AlgaeBarb ended up sending me two clams. I called to see if this was a mistake On their part and they were not sure. Maybe not the best looking clams I’ve seen but I’m very appreciative for what they sent and what I paid.

PicassoClown04 · Oct 21, 2020

Highgrade said:
So here’s a couple pics. I ordered the Ultra colored Maxima. Although not wysiwyg I’d say overall I’m pleased. I ordered one for $90 and applied a 15% coupon. AlgaeBarb ended up sending me two clams. I called to see if this was a mistake On their part and they were not sure. Maybe not the best looking clams I’ve seen but I’m very appreciative for what they sent and what I paid.

Second one looks like what I’m looking for! Very pretty clam, I’d say that’s an ultra. Is it really blue or are your lights just blue?

Highgrade · Oct 21, 2020

footgal said:
Second one looks like what I’m looking for! Very pretty clam, I’d say that’s an ultra. Is it really blue or are your lights just blue?

My lights are really blue. Pics are from first thing when the lights came on this morning. The one is definitely blue. The other one not so much. Under brighter light the other one is teal/blue. Both are about 2.75-3”

PicassoClown04 · Oct 21, 2020

Highgrade said:
My lights are really blue. Pics are from first thing when the lights came on this morning. The one is definitely blue. The other one not so much. Under brighter light the other one is teal/blue. Both are about 2.75-3”

Can you post pics tomorrow under regular lights and just whites? I feel like truly blue/green clams really shine under whites

Highgrade · Oct 21, 2020

footgal said:
Can you post pics tomorrow under regular lights and just whites? I feel like truly blue/green clams really shine under whites

I’ll try, I run my lights pretty blue. Radions with Reefbrite XHO

PicassoClown04 · Oct 21, 2020

Highgrade said:
I’ll try, I run my lights pretty blue. Radions with Reefbrite XHO

Thank you!!!

OpCode · Oct 21, 2020

I received mi Ultra Maxima from AB yesterday and I love it! It looks almost exactly like the picture Zoajohn posted. Its mantle is already extending nicely under the lights.
The only problem is that I wanna order another.

PicassoClown04 · Oct 21, 2020

OpCode said:
I received mi Ultra Maxima from AB yesterday and I love it! It looks almost exactly like the picture Zoajohn posted. Its mantle is already extending nicely under the lights.
The only problem is that I wanna order another.

Sounds like its something I’ll be happy with then! Thank you!