Clam and flow

Hnguyen · Aug 29, 2018

Hi all, I'm taking another crack at a clam after many years of not owning one. I just picked up this 5-6" maxima clam and dripped acclimated it to my DT. I have him how 9" below my radions XR30 pro and about a foot to the right 3" down of an MP40 . I'm wondering how much flow they can handle? Any input is valuable. Any other advice to successfully keep it alive will also be much appreciated.

The clam is already off to a bad start because the bag it came in didn't have much water in it when I received it due to leaking. There's no telling how long it's been in the bag without water but it is responding after being in my tank.

Crabs McJones · Aug 29, 2018

@DSC reef

Reeferdood · Aug 29, 2018

Don't blast it and I would put it lower unless it has already grabbed onto the rock. The clam would likely do better on the sandbed IMHO..
Nice and clean looking setup!

Hnguyen · Aug 29, 2018

Reeferdood said:
Don't blast it and I would put it lower unless it has already grabbed onto the rock. The clam would likely do better on the sandbed IMHO..
Nice and clean looking setup!

Thanks, I haven't had a tank in 2 years so I'm extremely happy to be back in the hobby. It's been a great and trying 6 months.

From everything I've read, maxima clams like a lot of light. In the neighborhood of 200+ par. I'm only getting about 100+- par on the sand bed so I'm afraid it isn't enough light to keep this guy happy. Is this not true?

Reeferdood · Aug 29, 2018

Hnguyen said:
Thanks, I haven't had a tank in 2 years so I'm extremely happy to be back in the hobby. It's been a great and trying 6 months.

From everything I've read, maxima clams like a lot of light. In the neighborhood of 200+ par. I'm only getting about 100+- par on the sand bed so I'm afraid it isn't enough light to keep this guy happy. Is this not true?

What percentage are you running the radion at? I have a customer that has a maxima on his sand bed and it has been there for 3 years under gen 1's, it is bigger than a grapefruit and happy as a clam too.
The reason I suggested moving it is because they have been known to topple over when on rockwork..

Hnguyen · Aug 29, 2018

0-45% 1.5 hr sunrise and sunset. 40-55% ramp up and down through 6 hr timeline.

I had to drop the percentage because my corals started to bleach badly at 70% which is where I was getting 320 par at the top of my rocks and 150 par on my sand bed. I'm hoping to slowly ramp it back up to 70% within the next few months depending on how corals react.

Reeferdood · Aug 30, 2018

What corals were bleaching, LPS or the Acros? It is possible to cook the frogspawns and hammers with these lights but my Acros love all the PAR the radions can put out.
I do understand running a mixed reef can be a challenge due to the different lighting requirements but IFWM I would put the clam in the sand and ramp the lighting up a little more.

DSC reef · Aug 30, 2018

I'd keep the clam up as high as possible or try to get it as much par as possible if you put it on the sand bed. Try moving the powerhead, you do not want to much flow on the clam as the mantlel can stay retracted. Poor shipping and little water is not good for the clam, hopefully it does well for you. Try to give it a lot of light for now.

reef lover · Aug 30, 2018

I like to let my max and croceas attatch to a sutable rock or cradle on the sand and then i slowly move them up the rockwork. Flow shouldnt be too strong that the mantle flaps and should be oriented to hit the incurrent siphon first and then exhalent siphon. Hth

siggy · Aug 30, 2018

Nice tank, the black background really makes everything stand out..... What rock is that you are using?..... following along,

DeniseAndy · Aug 30, 2018

FME, clams do not like a ton of flow. They do not want their mantles bothered. However, they do need flow to keep clean and get particulates from the water column. Your guy looks like he is a bit unhappy. Bummer for the poor shipping, clams have a hard time anyway and poor shipping does not help!

I would also put him on the sand maybe on a small rock to attach to and then move him up once attached. I kept a crocea on the sandbed for over 9 years and the PAR was only 90- 120. MH and T5s

Hnguyen · Aug 30, 2018

The clam actually came attached to a small piece of rock and it still is. It's not looking so hot right now because it spent 18 hours in a bag with barely any water, just enough to keep it wet really. Also, the picture was taken about 3 hours after I had put him in the tank.

I'm kind of in a bad position because I can't put him in the sand bed and give him the par he needs. That rock is the best place I can find because it's relatively flat and gets 200+ par since it's directly below my radions.

Reeferdood, all my corals were bleaching when I cranked my radions up to 70%. LPS and SPS, even my RBTA bleached out and turned white on me. After having the lights lowered now for about 2 months, LPS color is starting to return but SPS is still dragging. Those SPS pieces next to the clam in the picture use to be much brighter! Because of that, I can't just turn up my LEDs and have the clam on the sand bed.

I'm trying to slowly ramp my LED's back up but this time extremely slow, maybe over the course of a few months. Do you guys think the clam will be okay in low par for a few months until I can ramp LED's up to where I can get 200 par on my sand bed?

Or I can could try moving the MP40's a bit so it isn't directly over the clam but the flow pattern is pretty wide so the clam is going to get blasted either way. Maybe just not as much as where it is now.

DSC reef · Aug 30, 2018

I would move the MP40 versus risking the clam at 200 par, just my opinion.

Hnguyen · Aug 30, 2018

DSC reef said:
I would move the MP40 versus risking the clam at 200 par, just my opinion.

I moved the MP40 about an hour ago. Clam looks to have opened a tad bit more tonight than last.

DSC reef · Aug 30, 2018

That's a nice looking maxima!

Hnguyen · Aug 30, 2018

DSC reef said:
That's a nice looking maxima!

Thanks, I'm hoping it makes it, it's been through hell and back with shipping.

This is how it looked like before they shipped it and under more white light.

Hnguyen · Sep 1, 2018

It's been about 3 days now since this clam has been in my tank. How does it look like it's doing to you guys? Is that as wide as it'll open up or should it be wider?

It hasn't moved a bit and seen yo like where it's at.

Moved my MP40 so its not being blasted but even flow to gently move its mantle every now and again.

reef lover · Sep 1, 2018

Hes looking awesome!!

DSC reef · Sep 1, 2018

Hnguyen said:
It's been about 3 days now since this clam has been in my tank. How does it look like it's doing to you guys? Is that as wide as it'll open up or should it be wider?

It hasn't moved a bit and seen yo like where it's at.

Moved my MP40 so its not being blasted but even flow to gently move its mantle every now and again.

Clam is looking great.