Maxima Clam advice????????

[David Ramirez]

So I recently purchased a maxima clam from a lfs. It's about 3 inches maybe a little smaller by just a tiny bit. I have a 30 gallon bow front tank with a radion g4 and at the moment the clam seems to be doing really well with really great mantle extension just sitting on the substrate, but its only been a little over 48 hours. I mass fed a bit of phyto(idk if that's how its spelled) this morning, and it seems to be happy but is there anything else I can do to ensure the longevity of it? I would really hate to kill it.

 

[Boltline]

So I recently purchased a maxima clam from a lfs. It's about 3 inches maybe a little smaller by just a tiny bit. I have a 30 gallon bow front tank with a radion g4 and at the moment the clam seems to be doing really well with really great mantle extension just sitting on the substrate, but its only been a little over 48 hours. I mass fed a bit of phyto(idk if that's how its spelled) this morning, and it seems to be happy but is there anything else I can do to ensure the longevity of it? I would really hate to kill it.

take it easy w/ the phyto. You don't want to do over do it. Also I would look into reef roids and do a little spot feeding from time to time.

 

[Phil D.]

With him at that size, you need to feed once a week phyto or roids. About 1ml each time. They filter nitrates out of the water and after 5 years, hopefully yours will look like mine.

 

[David Ramirez]

So I have both reef roids and phyto, any one in particular better than the other? should I alternate or?

 

[Boltline]

With him at that size, you need to feed once a week phyto or roids. About 1ml each time. They filter nitrates out of the water and after 5 years, hopefully yours will look like mine.

Gorgeous!!!

 

[David Ramirez]

With him at that size, you need to feed once a week phyto or roids. About 1ml each time. They filter nitrates out of the water and after 5 years, hopefully yours will look like mine.

so you target feed? I just kinda broadcast fed the tank with my phyto

 

[reef lover]

I wouldnt spot feed or use reef roids...to much particulates for me. When i get small clams i like to use a speciman container to make green with phyto and feed the clam. I leave the container in the tank but above the water line and leave him in there for 45 minutes to an hour and do this a couple of times a week.

 

[BestMomEver]

For the longest time (years) I was unable to keep clams. They all died so finally I gave up. More recently, I decided to try again. I researched and asked around. Turns out Maximas are, for the most part, rock dwellers. They don’t live in the sand. So I bought a little baby just like yours and set it in a large empty shell. Once it attached, I glued the shell to a rock. Months later, he’s three times bigger and thriving. I never feed him. He lives on all the stuff swirling around in my tank. Just FYI.... good luck!

 

[DSC reef]

So I recently purchased a maxima clam from a lfs. It's about 3 inches maybe a little smaller by just a tiny bit. I have a 30 gallon bow front tank with a radion g4 and at the moment the clam seems to be doing really well with really great mantle extension just sitting on the substrate, but its only been a little over 48 hours. I mass fed a bit of phyto(idk if that's how its spelled) this morning, and it seems to be happy but is there anything else I can do to ensure the longevity of it? I would really hate to kill it.

I'd stop feeding as clams do not need to be fed. Plenty of light and consistent chemistry is important. Since the clam is small you can move it up on the rock work slowly to prevent light shock. If you want to broadcast feed phyto occasionally it won't hurt but don't spot feed with reef roids or phytoplankton. You can also place the clam on a rock in the sand bed to make relocating easier. Keep an eye out for new shell growth on the upper margin of the shell as that's a sure sign of a healthy growing clam.

 

[Dana Riddle]

Give the clam as much light as you can. Many Tridacna species (including T. maxima) are light hogs. Here's a chart showing the rate of photosynthesis (electron transport rate or ETR) in T. maxima's zooxanthellae. Note the rate is linear even at a PAR value of over 500 and does not slow down or drop as it does in many photosynthetic organisms.

 

[saltyhog]

It used to be considered an axiom that small clams (especially Maxima's) needed to be fed to survive. We now know that's not the case. Light, light and more light plus a mature tank with stable parameters is the key to success. I often wish Maxima's were sand dwellers but they aren't. Pick your spot carefully with the understanding that it will get a lot larger.