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

[hotashes]

Tuxedo urchins and clams? Problems?

A.

 

[DSC reef]

Tuxedo urchins and clams? Problems?

A.

Never kept urchins so I cant give you first hand experience my friend.

 

[hotashes]

Never kept urchins so I cant give you first hand experience my friend.

Maybe @jda can enlighten us.

As always, thanks my friend

A.

 

[DSC reef]

Maybe @jda can enlighten us.

As always, thanks my friend

A.

Anytime. From what I've read there generally safe but can irritate a clam by eating algae off the shell.

 

[Ellery]

Just wondering if my lighting may be too intense if my new jumbo maximas' mantels I just got last Saturday don't open all the way. They were open more during acclimation with low light in a bucket. Also is more blue lighting or white lighting preferred? I am running Maxspect Razor 15000K (peak 40%w and 80%B) mounted 8inches above the water on this Mr Aqua 12gallon that's plumbed into my 420g system. I have a H.hippoppus, 1 squamosa, 2 croceas, and 3 Maximas. The derasa on the right either had pm or gaped suddenly Sunday.

I will try yo measure the PAR later.

 

[CNDReef]

My understanding is that there’s never too much light for a clam. But my squamosa won’t open up good under heavy blue and prefers full spectrum

 

[GoPitt88]

My understanding is that there’s never too much light for a clam. But my squamosa won’t open up good under heavy blue and prefers full spectrum

It's funny you said that. I got a Squamosa from Diver's Den about 6 weeks ago, and have noticed the same thing. When the lights are blue at the beginning and end of each day, he isn't opened as much.

 

[DSC reef]

I would get a par meter but I don't think your over lighting the maximas, they can handle an exceptional amount of light. Full spectrum is definitely preferred.

 

[mipstien]

Where is everyone finding 3" or larger clams?
Also was the recent ban, now lifted, affecting clams? Seems like there are very few out there right now.

 

[mta_morrow]

Where is everyone finding 3" or larger clams?
Also was the recent ban, now lifted, affecting clams? Seems like there are very few out there right now.

There was a post of some awesome looking clams in the sponsors section 2 days ago.

I’ll see if I can find it

 

[Ellery]

I would get a par meter but I don't think your over lighting the maximas, they can handle an exceptional amount of light. Full spectrum is definitely preferred.

Thanks I figured that... I read through the 2 books from Featheree and Knopp and thought the same so maybe they are just acclimating still to the intensity. all my other small clams that have been in there longer was fine with the intensity even at close to 100% on both White and Blue. The light is full spectrum but what Kelvin color balance should I shoot for? More on the old Iwasaki MH 6500K or the max of 15,000K with both channels at 100%?

I have a PAR meter but it's an older Apogee made more for Metal Halides than for LEDs but I'll give it a shot in a few minutes.

As far as my 2 Jumbo Maximas I got them from Unique Corals. I had to order twice since the first shipment died overnight but at least it was within the 7 day warranty.

 

[DSC reef]

Clams will do fine in 15k.

 

[Fiveo124]

Clam people. I have had this clam for about 5 months and he’s been happy as can be but in the last 3 weeks he’s not opening all the way and I’ve noticed either tissue loss or just not extending part of his mantle. Any clue what’s going on?

 

[jda]

I might have some bad news... sorry. 5 months is in the timeframe that wild Tahitians will start to die. They look good right up until the end while slowly dying the whole time. New shell growth is the only way to be sure that they are healthy and I do not see any. I hope that it makes it, but do not take it personal if it does not since these are VERY hard clams.

About all that you can do is check it for pests like pyram snails - they look like little grains of rice.

 

[Fiveo124]

I haven’t seen any but I was fearing the worst.

 

[jda]

You could try a freshwater dip, but I do not think that it will do much. It might kill it, but if it does, it was not going to live long anyway.

Dr. Mac has some evidence that these clams come with the protozoan perkinsus, which eventually gets them in the end. Healthy clams can fight off the protozoan, but they are getting shipped out of water and are too weak to fight it off, but strong enough to survive long enough to be sold.

If I ever get the chance, I want to try some Praziquantel on some wild Tahitians... no idea if the drug will kill them, so it would be a risk. This "should" kill the protozoan if it can into the shell and stuff - no idea if it can penetrate to where it needs to be.

Good luck with it.

 

[pecan2phat]

Interesting.
I used to buy the 5" Maximas from Dr. Mac whenever he would be at a local frag swap or convention 8~10 years ago only to not have any of these wild Maximas survive for more then a few months. I even had lengthy conversations with him when I saw him at a following show about his Maximas.
I remember there was even a lengthy heated debate on his RC vendor forum about his clam's survival rate.
So all these 5" + Tahitian Maximas coming from Unique Corals are falling into this same demise.

 

[jda]

They all come from the same place.

About a decade, or more, ago, the Tahitians were very easy to adapt and did quite well. Then, they started to bring them from the remote islands out of the water and it all went downhill. I guess that most of them get sold to eat, so shipping out of water is OK for this. He stopped selling them eventually.

I do not know why they could not ship them in water again and just change a few francs more for each clam. I would pay $20 more for a healthy Tahitian.

His comments are here and worth a read - start with post #24:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/la-dd-clams-going-downhill.369539/page-2

 

[pecan2phat]

Thanks for the interesting read jda.

 

[mta_morrow]

So, I got my deresa July 7th, 4 months ago

How is this for growth? It’s a good 1/4”.