My temperature is at 76
Alkalinity is 7.5 at low and seems to be 7.7-8 high times. I use the salifert test kit and sometimes seems to be hard to read. Everything else is smooth though. How come PH shouldn’t exceed 7.3?
My bad- ph not to exceed 8.3
78 deg is happy medium temperature
I was at work. To add, maximas are the second smallest of the four groupings, only reaching sizes of up to 12". Their shells are less symmetrical than the other three groups, and grow small, close together scutes on the outside of their shell. Maximas are slightly pickier than Squamosa and derasa family of clams in which they require a hard, rocky surface to attach to and will move around until they find a spot they approve of. They are the most widespread of all tridacnid clams. And, because they often live in shallower waters, they can be pickier about water flow. maxima clams typically will not do well with simple linear water flow. Gyre effect is best.
Additionally, clams require nitrates of at least 2 ppm, or they will starve. Clams under 4 " still require supplemental feeding of zooplankton, phytoplankton and bacterio plankton about twice a week. At smaller size, they require feedings daily for healthy growth and survival. While getting a baby clam can be much cheaper, and you get to watch it grow, remember you will need to dedicate time every day to feed it. Over 4", you can relax on feeding. Many reefers don’t feed their clams at all as the tanks waste and the clams zooxanthellae are plenty to keep it happy. But, because they do require some nitrates and dissolved wastes in the water column to consume, fish keepers with low bio-load tanks should expect to still feed once or twice a week to make up for having fewer fish. This is one area where having a heavily stocked tank is actually extremely beneficial and directly benefits your inhabitants. Clams filter tons and tons of water daily, so they will act as a nutrient sink in even the most overcrowded tank.
As for lighting, this is a place where most owners fail. Clams need intense lights, and typically high quality, powerful LEDs or halides are recommended. But, young clams under 2 inches are easily damaged by light. All sized clams need to be properly acclimated to intense lighting. Starting your Tridacnid low in the tank and lowering the intensity of your lights is a good way to start. You can ramp your lights up and move the clam higher little by little every week until it is fully acclimated.
