New Maxima clam.**need help**!

[Chad Eicher]

Thanks for the info!!! I didn't rotate it but it did have a large burp about 2 min after hitting the sand bed.... I won't be home for a couple days hopefully if it does need to be burped again I'll be ok till then

 

[Captain Quint]

As long as you rotated the clam under water I don't think you'll need to do it over. I would let the clam be for now.

Exactly and 100% in agreeance. As long as it was burped and at different angles/rotations it should have been purged of trapped air.

 

[Chad Eicher]

Thanks for the info!!! I didn't rotate it but it did have a large burp about 2 min after hitting the sand bed.... I won't be home for a couple days hopefully if it does need to be burped again I'll be ok till then

Looking a little better but still didndoe seem to have much mantel expansion...?

 

[Chad Eicher]

Sorry still trying to figure the whole forum thing out.......
It's Looking a little better but still doesntd seem to have much mantel expansion...?

Sorry picture is a little hard to see.....

 

[reef lover]

Not looking too good. Did you find a rock yet to cradle him? And help him stay upright.
And i still think that f you didnt rotate him under water and get the air out he still might need to be burped.

 

[WVfishguy]

If your pH is really 7.4, I don't know how ANYTHING is surviving. That's big deal - that's freshwater pH. The difference from pH 7 to pH 8 is not 1, it's 100. You need to get a lot more aeration in there - that's often the cause of low pH. More pumps and water movement, a protein skimmer, hell, air stones are better than nothing. Also, I assume you meant calcium at 400, not carbon. And there should be NO phosphates. Are you using RO/DI water? Phosphates interfere with calcium uptake, and clams need boatloads of calcium - 400 is good, but at that pH and KH, combined with phosphates, calcium may not be available for the animals to use. Your KH should be at least 8. You've got serious problems - you should not attempt to keep a clam unless you have better water parameters.

 

[DSC reef]

Clams actually need phosphate in the water, they absorb and filter phosphorus. Zero phosphate is not an ideal number when keeping clams. I'm also curious as to the test kit accuracy as well. Zero nitrates are not ideal for a clam either.

 

[Chad Eicher]

You need to get a lot more aeration in there - that's often the cause of low pH. More pumps and water movement, a protein skimmer, hell, air stones are better than nothing.

[QUOTE=" Are you using RO/DI water? Phosphates interfere with calcium.[/QUOTE]

I have Plenty of water movement. Ive always run a skimmer and air stones. I have 4 power heads with a calculated 60x flow rate. ( No it's not blowing the clam mantel)
I'm not a total rookie.... I have always used water with a starting point of less than 3 ppm before adding my own salt

Yes I did mean 400 calcium not carbon (good catch)

I'm dosing 2 part about 25 ml Cal and alk. per day and have been able keep my dkh between 7-8.5

 

[Chad Eicher]

Clams actually need phosphate in the water, the absorb and filter phosphorus. Zero phosphate is not an ideal number when keeping clams. I'm also curious as to the test kit accuracy as well. Zero nitrates are not ideal for a clam either.

Yeah I think I'm gonna order some new kits..... I've been suspect of their accuracy as well, and better safe than sorry lol

 

[hart24601]

Since it’s a 5-6” long maxima it’s probably a wild collected clam. Many wild clams don’t have much extension as a general rule, however their survival is pretty poor overall.

Ime if you are feeding the tank there should be plenty of nutrients for one clam even if nutrients register low as they can take up ammonia directly from the water.

I don’t think it looks great, but there isn’t much you can do but give as am much light as possible and leave it alone. Believe me I know the feeling of needed to do “something” with a clam not doing well but the unsatisfying conclusion I have come to just provide the best environment you can, don’t stress it more and just wait to see what will happen. Many time their fates are decided well before we get them.

 

[Chad Eicher]

Since it’s a 5-6” long maxima it’s probably a wild collected clam. Many wild clams don’t have much extension as a general rule, however their survival is pretty poor overall.

Ime if you are feeding the tank there should be plenty of nutrients for one clam even if nutrients register low as they can take up ammonia directly from the water.

I don’t think it looks great, but there isn’t much you can do but give as am much light as possible and leave it alone. Believe me I know the feeling of needed to do “something” with a clam not doing well but the unsatisfying conclusion I have come to just provide the best environment you can, don’t stress it more and just wait to see what will happen. Many time their fates are decided well before we get them.

I'm a little confused..... Some say the larger clams are more Hardy. Now the conclusion is because of it's size it prob wild caught thus less likely to survive??
I agree with providing it with her best possible water quality and hope for the best which is what I'm doing, and it does respond nicely to light and fish swimming by ( retracting quickly) I guess I'll just hope that's it either a hard wild caught clam or a large captive grown....

 

[hart24601]

I'm a little confused..... Some say the larger clams are more Hardy. Now the conclusion is because of it's size it prob wild caught thus less likely to survive??
I agree with providing it with her best possible water quality and hope for the best which is what I'm doing, and it does respond nicely to light and fish swimming by ( retracting quickly) I guess I'll just hope that's it either a hard wild caught clam or a large captive grown....

All else being equal a 4” clam is tougher than a 1” clam, but that is not comparing wild vs cultured. It would be more for something like a 3” ORA maxima vs a 1” ORA maxima the 3” is tougher!

I can’t remember if it was dr Mac from pacific east, but someone knowledgeable in the industry related that maximas 5-6” are almost always wild, but not always.

And it for sure doesn’t mean it won’t do great! Keep us updated!

 

[Retro Reefer]

People aquaculturing clams are not going to grow them out for potentially years to reach that size this is why the most of aquacultured clams you see on the market are only around 2”

 

[Chad Eicher]

People aquaculturing clams are not going to grow them out for potentially years to reach that size this is why the most of aquacultured clams you see on the market are only around 2”

Makes sense for sure I guess I just didn't think of it before I saw the "big shiny cool clam" I just had to have

 

[Chad Eicher]

All else being equal a 4” clam is tougher than a 1” clam, but that is not comparing wild vs cultured. It would be more for something like a 3” ORA maxima vs a 1” ORA maxima the 3” is tougher!

I can’t remember if it was dr Mac from pacific east, but someone knowledgeable in the industry related that maximas 5-6” are almost always wild, but not always.

And it for sure doesn’t mean it won’t do great! Keep us updated!

Thanks for all the info I do appreciate it!
Assuming it is wild caught is there any theories of "special" care that can be taken to increase their health??

 

[DSC reef]

Thanks for all the info I do appreciate it!
Assuming it is wild caught is there any theories of "special" care that can be taken to increase their health??

A lot of light and stable chemistry.

 

[Chad Eicher]

A lot of light and stable chemistry.

He's an update picture. No real improvement but better yet no decline!! I just opened him up a little higher to see if that helps. Still responding well to light, or if a fish swims over the top. I'm pretty sure it's not gaping.....? but if you zoom in you can see a pretty good shot of the mouth.

 

[DSC reef]

The mantle retracting into the shell is concerning, I would just let it be. Gaping is when the mantle is retracted severely into the shell while the shell is opening wide. Hope it pulls through.

 

[Chad Eicher]

So thought I'd give a little update. My Maxima is improving a little more that I've moved him up on the rock work a little. I use the word improve lightly as the mantel is only slightly extending further. Think a FW dip would do it some good??
I don't know if you can see in the picture, (the little white dots) I think possibly pyramid snails.??

 

[DSC reef]

I'm not sure I see pyramids but the clam unfortunately does not look good.