Gigas or Deresa?

[i cant think]

i would try a pair of harlequin shrimp to eat the asterina starfish. The starfish on the clam can irritate it and cause it to not open as much

Yeah, my issue is then I have the struggle of keeping the shrimp alive after, is there any other solution to an asterina outbreak? I have literally 1000s of them.

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

i would try a pair of harlequin shrimp to eat the asterina starfish. The starfish on the clam can irritate it and cause it to not open as much

Sry mate forgot U r in the UK. I have them and no issues w clam. lol bugger on back glass at night they are abundant remove them from time to time havenother stars in tank hence no harlequin

 

[DeniseAndy]

This guys doing okay? I think we were going to look in the light tomorrow from another thread. The stars should not bother it much if healthy. They are so overwhelming at times. Finally got a harlequin for mine.

 

[dedragon]

Yeah, my issue is then I have the struggle of keeping the shrimp alive after, is there any other solution to an asterina outbreak? I have literally 1000s of them.

i dont really know of any other ways to get rid of em, I would just donate the shrimp to another reefer with asterina issues after and spread the goodwill.

 

[minus9]

Fun fact. The stars pictured are not asterina (as true asterina stars are much bigger), these are aquilonastra and consumers of all things algae and detritus. You can certainly use a harlequin to eat them or simply give them away to other reefers. These guys get a bad rap, because people think they eat certain corals and zoanthus. In my nearly 40 years of doing this, I've never witnessed one actually eating a coral or zoanthus (but that's not to say there aren't species out there that do), they typically eat algae (and coralline) and simply reproduce when they have an abundance of food. We need to start sharing this info and passing it on to others.

 

[i cant think]

Fun fact. The stars pictured are not asterina (as true asterina stars are much bigger), these are aquilonastra and consumers of all things algae and detritus. You can certainly use a harlequin to eat them or simply give them away to other reefers. These guys get a bad rap, because people think they eat certain corals and zoanthus. In my nearly 40 years of doing this, I've never witnessed one actually eating a coral or zoanthus (but that's not to say there aren't species out there that do), they typically eat algae (and coralline) and simply reproduce when they have an abundance of food. We need to start sharing this info and passing it on to others.

That’s great information to know! Ever thought of a thread or article about it?

 

[dedragon]

Fun fact. The stars pictured are not asterina (as true asterina stars are much bigger), these are aquilonastra and consumers of all things algae and detritus. You can certainly use a harlequin to eat them or simply give them away to other reefers. These guys get a bad rap, because people think they eat certain corals and zoanthus. In my nearly 40 years of doing this, I've never witnessed one actually eating a coral or zoanthus (but that's not to say there aren't species out there that do), they typically eat algae (and coralline) and simply reproduce when they have an abundance of food. We need to start sharing this info and passing it on to others.

Yes but when they overpopulate they end up irritating invertebrates, not usually causing death but a little recession from corals and more closed anemones and clams

 

[minus9]

That’s great information to know! Ever thought of a thread or article about it?

I would like to write a few articles, but work usually gets in the way. I have specific thoughts on how people view aquilonastras and bristle worms (especially bristle worms).

 

[minus9]

Yes but when they overpopulate they end up irritating invertebrates, not usually causing death but a little recession from corals and more closed anemones and clams

You can definitely have too many, which can cause other issues (just like having too many fish) and I bet the recession isn't actually caused by them, but something else and they are there simply doing their job. I keep clams and I have plenty of nastras running around on the shells, never an issue, as they usually move along after cleaning up.

 

[minus9]

But just like anything else, too much of a good thing can be bad. You wouldn't want a tank full of blue leg hermits cruising around, so keeping them in check isn't a bad thing. Just not as bad as people think. Just like people think that bristle worms are a pest. But I've gotten off topic too much here, so I'll save that for another day.
Happy reefing and get that clam to a calmer area with plenty of full spectrum daylight and enjoy!

 

[i cant think]

But just like anything else, too much of a good thing can be bad. You wouldn't want a tank full of blue leg hermits cruising around, so keeping them in check isn't a bad thing. Just not as bad as people think. Just like people think that bristle worms are a pest. But I've gotten off topic too much here, so I'll save that for another day.
Happy reefing and get that clam to a calmer area with plenty of full spectrum daylight and enjoy!

Hopefully I’ve managed that.
By any chance, can an irregular shell cause issues?

the side that’s tucked in is the part where the shell becomes imperfect

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

This guys doing okay? I think we were going to look in the light tomorrow from another thread. The stars should not bother it much if healthy. They are so overwhelming at times. Finally got a harlequin for mine.

Will rehome the serpent and not worry about the alien brittle

 

[dedragon]

the shell looks maybe chipped a bit (which shouldnt hurt it as it is at the top), but i dont see a pinched mantle if that is what you are worrying about. Maybe im wrong though so i do want to see what others think as well

 

[minus9]

Hopefully I’ve managed that.
By any chance, can an irregular shell cause issues?

the side that’s tucked in is the part where the shell becomes imperfect

The shape of the shell doesn’t worry or bother me. It will even out in time, especially as they grow. T. derasa will eventually lose its byssal threads and no longer use them as they get bigger, but will use the weight of their shells to keep them upright, so you’ll need to place it in an area that allows for it to grow. Intermittent strong flow isn’t an issue with clams, but if it’s constant, then the mantle will retract, as seen in your pics. Despite popular belief, T. derasa are not low light clams, but can be found in deeper water. They are also found in shallow water and will take high light without issue. They are a fast growing species, so you should see new growth constantly until they get to a much larger size. These are the second largest species that we keep, so plan on having ample room. It should double in size within a year. Again, I wouldn’t worry about the shell, the mantle will tell you all you need to know about it’s health.

 

[i cant think]

The shape of the shell doesn’t worry or bother me. It will even out in time, especially as they grow. T. derasa will eventually lose its byssal threads and no longer use them as they get bigger, but will use the weight of their shells to keep them upright, so you’ll need to place it in an area that allows for it to grow. Intermittent strong flow isn’t an issue with clams, but if it’s constant, then the mantle will retract, as seen in your pics. Despite popular belief, T. derasa are not low light clams, but can be found in deeper water. They are also found in shallow water and will take high light without issue. They are a fast growing species, so you should see new growth constantly until they get to a much larger size. These are the second largest species that we keep, so plan on having ample room. It should double in size within a year. Again, I wouldn’t worry about the shell, the mantle will tell you all you need to know about it’s health.

Thankyou, and I have a 4’ tank that I will move him down to when he’s bigger. I didn’t put him straight into that tank as with his size I feared the CBB would have him but when he grows larger I don’t think I will have to worry about the threat of a CBB.
Here’s a photo from this morning before lights on.

 

[DeniseAndy]

Looks pretty good.

 

[i cant think]

Well… lights came on about an hour ago. I don’t have high hopes for him…

And 20 minutes later:

 

[i cant think]

Left it some more time, seems to be doing what it first did when it went into my tank and is acclimating to the lighting in that corner.

 

[minus9]

How much light is it getting in that corner? Have you measured the ppfd (par)? I’m also not seeing new shell growth in the other “natural” light pic.

 

[DeniseAndy]

I see the nice white of the shell, but it is retracted back in more than it should be. Can you try to put it up a little on stable surface to get more light? Will not hurt at this point.