Acro Al and Tridacna Clams or A Clam Is a Clam Is a Clam
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How about you? It sounds like you only need to work 24 hours per day and use your whole house? And whip up 500 gallons of saltwater per week and you'll need a microscope, a small laboratory, and an assistant or two or seven. Sounds like it's right up your alley!
@R2R Articles ty for posting this unbelievably well written interview. I’ve always been a fan of clams and have been in this hobby for a long time but haven’t tried one yet due to tank size. This might just push me to do a lagoon tank and go for it. I really enjoyed reading this just one of the reasons I’m enjoying being a member of this great site. Please keep these coming you can never learn to much.
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Thank you @Gonebad395 . It was great fun talking to Acro Al, and I think I'll be talking to him lots. He was amazingly warm and friendly. I'll be doing something really in depth on the latest research about Tridacna clams in a few weeks, after I read about 67 research papers. There will be lots of interesting interviews coming up--lots of fresh ideas on deck. 
Thank you @Gonebad395 . It was great fun talking to Acro Al, and I think I'll be talking to him lots. He was amazingly warm and friendly. I'll be doing something really in depth on the latest research about Tridacna clams in a few weeks, after I read about 67 research papers. There will be lots of interesting interviews coming up--lots of fresh ideas on deck.
I truly cannot wait keep them rolling his research is amazing and I will be reading more him on my break and lunch hours at work this following week again ty.
I’m curious about the nutrient levels and feeding he does in those tanks! When I talked to ORA about their clam facility they said there was hardly anything left at the end of the clam raceways because the clams were so good at scrubbing out the water. He said they live on sunlight, but all animals still need nutrients for survival and growth, so there must be some sort of nutritional input there.
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After reading that, I couldn't get it out of my head. If what you state is true and the idea that these clams are going extinct, why would someone withhold information if only to someday profit big from it?
My mind flips the other way and thinks, if you have a proven method to revive this species, you should be shouting it from the roof tops and encouraging others to set up their own systems in order to improve success on a larger scale. I personally would feel an obligation to share that information.
I don't live near an ocean but I'm sure there are many that do and are willing to put forth the resources and time to set up their own systems. And collectively (with many more minds) you can easily come up with more efficient ways to perfect the process.
I don't know, I just see a missed opportunity here.
I have been following acro Al on social media a long time. He posts lots of pictures and answers questions if anyone wants to follow him on FB (search acro al).
Almost every clam you can buy now is propagated on clam farms so it's not like him withholding some details is going to spell doom for the species when comes to the aquarium trade. It's pretty rare to find wild clams for sale anymore. Plenty of clam books and research articles discus clam aquaculture in detail and I have heard should one visit a location most are quite happy to give tours.
Couple of things always pop out with Al in my mind. He has only been successful breeding crocea and Maxima which is interesting considering we as a hobby tend to consider those the hardest clams - while crocea is considerably rarer from clam farms perhaps just due to slower growth.
As stated he only uses water from the sea, no doubt more economical, clam farms pump from the ocean too, but it makes me wonder if we have not quite nailed synthetic salt mix when it comes to juvenile clams.
Almost every clam you can buy now is propagated on clam farms so it's not like him withholding some details is going to spell doom for the species when comes to the aquarium trade. It's pretty rare to find wild clams for sale anymore. Plenty of clam books and research articles discus clam aquaculture in detail and I have heard should one visit a location most are quite happy to give tours.
Couple of things always pop out with Al in my mind. He has only been successful breeding crocea and Maxima which is interesting considering we as a hobby tend to consider those the hardest clams - while crocea is considerably rarer from clam farms perhaps just due to slower growth.
As stated he only uses water from the sea, no doubt more economical, clam farms pump from the ocean too, but it makes me wonder if we have not quite nailed synthetic salt mix when it comes to juvenile clams.
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Cool I can finally get a clam then. I've always been told that you needed to feed smaller clams a lot so I steered off the smaller clams. But since that isn't true, time to get a clam!
great article!
would be great & very nice to visit once...
i read it´s already renovated & open, 4x the size 500.000 clams... WOW https://www.palaugov.pw/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/MNRET-Monthly-Newsletter-September-2018.pdf
would be great & very nice to visit once...
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