Got a clam question? We've got you covered right here.

[TVo]

I'd suggest a squamosa or a derasa around 4" or bigger. We kept clams for years on barebottom glass and never had issues. The smaller clams would even attach there abyssal threads directly to the glass. Here's a pic of our old squamosa on just glass.

So you don't think maxima clams would do the same thing?

 

[Dr. Reef Verified Sponsor]

After a successful run with a 5" derasa clam a d seeing it still alive and doing well i I am confident enough so I decided to buy a Maxima clam from LiveAquaria Diver's Den. It is black and white and green. Size on this thing is 2 in. It did come in with two small rocks that it was attached to but in shipping it got detached and I could see the detached threads floating around in the water I don't think it was the foot. I placed it high on the rock formation where under the Hydra HD running at acclimation mode of 50% for two weeks it is getting mortared flow and Par 200.
I'm pretty sure by the time acclimation is over in 2 weeks it will be getting a par rating off 350 to 400 range. Looks healthy for now even with their tore up threads.

 

[DSC reef]

So you don't think maxima clams would do the same thing?

If the light is strong enough. When we had maximas and croceas I always like to place them on a flat rock so that I could move them up to more light if needed. Even with metal halides and T5 lighting I kept them high in the tank.

 

[mta_morrow]

Question about dwarf angels and clams.....

I I understand the risk of nipping or even eating corals with dwarf angels.

They are all listed as “possibly “ nipping at clams and corals.

While there are plenty of coral eating stories, I have yet to personally see a clam killer story.

Can anyone provide some input?

I personally would like 1 or 2 dwarf angels, but not at the risk of losing my Deresa. And, I’m pretty sure a maxima is in my future as well.

Thanks!

 

[xRob]

Looking for some advice on a small (2") maxima I bought a week ago. It's my first clam. The problem I'm having is that it doesn't want to stay put! The first day I put it in what I hoped would be a good position - About the same height as an acro that's doing well but with lower flow. I woke up the next day to find the clam on the sandbed (upright). I assume that it let go of the base it came on of it's own accord but fell off the rocks at some point. I put it back on the base on the sand and my plan was to leave it there for a week or two before trying a higher light position when it had hopefully reattached. Unfortunately since then it's moved 2-3 times more during the night - Each time it's been next to the base when I check in the morning. I did my research prior to buying - inspected the shell for pyramid snails, checked responsiveness and checked that it was well attached to the rock base it came on. It seems healthy and opens fully each day it just won't stay put long enough for me to get it into a better spot. If I put it high up in the rocks now I worry that it will topple off and end up causing damage to itself so ideally want to wait until it's firmly attached to it's base again. I'm well aware however that it almost certainly won't be getting enough PAR where it is now and will need to be moved eventually. I'm growing SPS ~3" off the sand bed so I think the PAR is decent down there but I doubt it's enough to sustain a maxima...

My system:

• Reefer 250
• 2x AI Hydra 26HD 8" above water height - 80% blue 80% royal blue 55% violet 30% white 25% UV ~10% others @ 12 hours per day - 4 hours up, 4 hours peak and 4 hours down
• Alk - ~9
• Ca - 420
• Phos - Negligible reading but suspect masked by macro algae growth
• Nitrate - 2-4

Any suggestions are welcome!

Thanks!

 

[DSC reef]

Question about dwarf angels and clams.....

I I understand the risk of nipping or even eating corals with dwarf angels.

They are all listed as “possibly “ nipping at clams and corals.

While there are plenty of coral eating stories, I have yet to personally see a clam killer story.

Can anyone provide some input?

I personally would like 1 or 2 dwarf angels, but not at the risk of losing my Deresa. And, I’m pretty sure a maxima is in my future as well.

Thanks!

Its gonna be a risk for sure, our flame angel would occasionally take a nip but nothing serious enough to cause issues.

 

[DSC reef]

Looking for some advice on a small (2") maxima I bought a week ago. It's my first clam. The problem I'm having is that it doesn't want to stay put! The first day I put it in what I hoped would be a good position - About the same height as an acro that's doing well but with lower flow. I woke up the next day to find the clam on the sandbed (upright). I assume that it let go of the base it came on of it's own accord but fell off the rocks at some point. I put it back on the base on the sand and my plan was to leave it there for a week or two before trying a higher light position when it had hopefully reattached. Unfortunately since then it's moved 2-3 times more during the night - Each time it's been next to the base when I check in the morning. I did my research prior to buying - inspected the shell for pyramid snails, checked responsiveness and checked that it was well attached to the rock base it came on. It seems healthy and opens fully each day it just won't stay put long enough for me to get it into a better spot. If I put it high up in the rocks now I worry that it will topple off and end up causing damage to itself so ideally want to wait until it's firmly attached to it's base again. I'm well aware however that it almost certainly won't be getting enough PAR where it is now and will need to be moved eventually. I'm growing SPS ~3" off the sand bed so I think the PAR is decent down there but I doubt it's enough to sustain a maxima...

My system:

• Reefer 250
• 2x AI Hydra 26HD 8" above water height - 80% blue 80% royal blue 55% violet 30% white 25% UV ~10% others @ 12 hours per day - 4 hours up, 4 hours peak and 4 hours down
• Alk - ~9
• Ca - 420
• Phos - Negligible reading but suspect masked by macro algae growth
• Nitrate - 2-4

Any suggestions are welcome!

Thanks!

For now maybe try putting it on a flat rock on the sand bed in low flow. Hopefully it will attach and you can move it up in the tank. Typically clams will move from there spot due to being unhappy due to flow, lighting, etc.

 

[mta_morrow]

Its gonna be a risk for sure, our flame angel would occasionally take a nip but nothing serious enough to cause issues.

Is it worth the risk to you if you really want that fish?

 

[DSC reef]

Is it worth the risk to you if you really want that fish?

I'd have to choose the clam over the fish. We were ready to catch the fish if necessary. We had a coral beauty that never bothered our clams.

 

[mta_morrow]

I'd have to choose the clam over the fish. We were ready to catch the fish if necessary. We had a coral beauty that never bothered our clams.

Thanks DSC reef

 

[DSC reef]

Thanks DSC reef

Anytime my friend!

 

[xRob]

For now maybe try putting it on a flat rock on the sand bed in low flow. Hopefully it will attach and you can move it up in the tank. Typically clams will move from there spot due to being unhappy due to flow, lighting, etc.

Yes this was my thinking. I might not have been clear in my original post - It came on a small specialised clam dish. The spot it's in is fairly low flow (mantle barely moves) so hopefully it'll stop wandering and attach properly so I can get it into a higher light spot. Unfortunately I'm away from home for the next 5 days so hopefully it doesn't move again in that time.

 

[Tmm87]

Anyone have experience with Maxspect Razor X and clams? I'm running a 100w model on a 60 gal cube (24 x 24 x 24). I had my maxima lower in the tank in a natural cradle on a rock. Overnight it detached and made it down to the sand and is now parked right next to the big derasa I have.

The light is on the standard mounts, maybe 4 inches above the rim of the tank. The maxima was at maybe...20" below the light.

I've had the maxima in my tank for almost a week. It opens up every day, reacts quickly to shadows and seems healthy. The derasa is doing great sitting in the sand, I just want to make sure I give the maxima everything it needs.

 

[KMench]

Anyone ever get stringy algae on their clam shell? Looks almost like Dino’s and has been a bit of a problem in my tank since I added a few fish last month. Would algae cause enough irritation to make the maxima stay closed?

 

[Joeype]

I just purchased a 4.5" Squamosa and i think i will have to upgrade my lights. I placed it on my sand bottom im my 40g breeder. Its opened up and looking great thus far, only 2 weeks. My lighting is a 36" Finnex Marine plus 24-7. My corals do great under this light. However, being only 36watts concerns me. I do have a 125g with much stronger lighting, however the fish in there will probably kill my clam. What would be a good lighting choice for a 40g breeder for this clam? Please and thank you!!

 

[KMench]

Depends how much you want to spend. You have plenty of option from Hydras to Radions to Kessils if you’re looking to spend money. You could also get black boxes for the economy route, or something like SB in the middle ground.

 

[Joeype]

Depends how much you want to spend. You have plenty of option from Hydras to Radions to Kessils if you’re looking to spend money. You could also get black boxes for the economy route, or something like SB in the middle ground.

Thank you!

 

[siggy]

Hello I have a question about placing a clam in my reef. I will be reading up before my purchase but am interested in what you folks can share, like what fish will eat or harass them and anything else I may need to consider. thx

Hi Siggy, I used this speacialty post to ask my clam questions. Lots of clam experts here and it may be a better resource as far as clam experiences go.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/got-a-clam-question-weve-got-you-covered-right-here.30005/

Thinking about getting a clam and after seeing a few posts here I see I will need to realy look into it before.

 

[CNDReef]

Potential problem with my squamosa, the siphon is almost non existing and transparent. It reacts really well to fish presence and growth is still not slowing down. Could it be too much light?

 

[CNDReef]