Par rating?

[Jguido1987]

is there a particular par rating/range for a maxima clam?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Seems to be 200 min at 8-10 hours

 

[jda]

I keep mine more like at 500. If you want them to grow and live, they need more light than most people can give them.

You might be able to keep one alive for a while with less light, but it will slowly die over a year... but this is not success, it was dying the whole time. The only sure/true success is putting on inches of new shell growth.

 

[DSC reef]

I've never kept that kinda par on a clam. It might depend on the species but my squamosa never got that kinda par on the bottom of the tank for over 5 years. I don't think there's enough info on clams to determine exact par requirements so it's all an estimate. 200 and above is the norm. Clams can bleach from to much light as well so I don't think a clam requires 500 par to survive.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I've never kept that kinda par on a clam. It might depend on the species but my squamosa never got that kinda par on the bottom of the tank for over 5 years. I don't think there's enough info on clams to determine exact par requirements so it's all an estimate. 200 and above is the norm. Clams can bleach from to much light as well so I don't think a clam requires 500 par to survive.

Very true.

Many species , like corals acclimate to light. Last I had read , many actually don't have a photosaturauin point like corals. Instead they shunt the energy to other metabolic processes. Esp the ones in very shallow seas reciveing full daylight in a few feet of water.

 

[jda]

He asked about a Maxima. You all are suggesting that a maxima be under 200 PAR? How can you equate the light demands of a squamosa to a maxima? You are signing a death sentence to a maxima under that little of light.

Have you not seen any of Fatheree's work or book? There are light suggestions and requirements in it.

 

[DSC reef]

200 and above, place high in the tank slowly over time. I've kept plenty and there's more to a clam than light. You can be argumentative all you want but no one here is signing a death sentence to the clam. That's a ridiculous statement to make. Look up others tanks with large healthy maxima Clams on the bottom of tanks, you think there getting 500 par? I also read the color of a clam can require different levels of light, there's blue squamosa too just like there's gold crocea. There's a lot we don't know.

 

[DSC reef]

Very true.

Many species , like corals acclimate to light. Last I had read , many actually don't have a photosaturauin point like corals. Instead they shunt the energy to other metabolic processes. Esp the ones in very shallow seas reciveing full daylight in a few feet of water.

I read something like that, it's an amazing animal. One of my favorites for sure.

 

[3mm3]

Maxima clam. Give as much par as you can. They like to get blasted with light unlike other clams.

 

[Jguido1987]

Ok wow, I’m hoping I didn’t just order a clam and his ups ride is his “green mile”.
I am able to keep most corals I put in my Tank. I have sps/lps/softies and an Anemone that are growing and seem to be ok. So I was hoping to take the next step and try a clam. I prob should have done more research prior Bc I honestly didn’t realize there were so many different species of “aquarium clams”. Im gonna place him prob two inches off the bottom which would be about 12” off the top line. I have have two hammers, a frogspawn, a torch, Duncan’s and a birds nest all that level and they are growing well.
Is there anything I should watch for or are there signs the coral is happy or unhappy?

 

[3mm3]

He asked about a Maxima. You all are suggesting that a maxima be under 200 PAR? How can you equate the light demands of a squamosa to a maxima? You are signing a death sentence to a maxima under that little of light.

Have you not seen any of Fatheree's work or book? There are light suggestions and requirements in it.

I have to agree. One can live on cheetos but your not going to be tip top condition.

 

[jda]

All the evidence is to the contrary that there is more to a clam than light - that is all that they need and feeding them in a home aquarium is very much fruitless. Color does not seem to matter - the kind does... blue Squammy needs no more or less light than a green/gold one. This is dangerous advice. I did not just read this, but have some of those large clams in my tanks for decades.

Maximas are rockwork clams, like crocea, not sand dwellers. Keeping them for years and years requires as much light as they can get and they need to attach to something. 200 on the bottom is not going to work. Put them in the rocks up as high as you can get under the light, or get a different kind of clam.

This is a great book for a collection.
https://www.amazon.com/Giant-Clams-Aquarium-James-Fatherree/dp/0978619404

He has some other articles online about feeding clams.

 

[jda]

What kind of light do you have? Squamosa and deresa are lower light and like to be in the sandbed. They can do quite well at the 200-300 PAR level in clean water. There are blue squammies that are just as nice as any maxima, but they are not available all that often and rather expensive, but the survival rate is better than a maxima.

Here are two of my blue squammies in the sandbed at about 6.5 and 9 inches:

 

[Jguido1987]

I have the SBreef lights. 16”. The setting is only at like 40% but I believe my par rating is around 180 on the sandbed. That is just an estimate based on some reviews I have seen on YouTube.

 

[jda]

Try out a squamosa or deresa. ORA has AQ versions that are pretty hardy. These should do well down there.

 

[DSC reef]

Acclimate the clam slowly. That light will provide plenty of par

 

[DSC reef]

What kind of light do you have? Squamosa and deresa are lower light and like to be in the sandbed. They can do quite well at the 200-300 PAR level in clean water. There are blue squammies that are just as nice as any maxima, but they are not available all that often and rather expensive, but the survival rate is better than a maxima.

Here are two of my blue squammies in the sandbed at about 6.5 and 9 inches:

Halide and T5. I'll have to dig up what I read about different colors requiring different par on maxima. Not saying it can't survive at 500 par but suggesting to take a small maxima and throw it into 500 par is dangerous as well.

 

[jda]

Clams self acclimate by opening and closing.

I never said that BTW - I said that is what I kept them at. I said that Maxima cannot survive at 200 long term, which I stand by whole heartedly.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Acclimation. From low to high. Your increasing the metabolism.

Most sps keepers keep around 200 on the sand. And clams. All kinds.

 

[DSC reef]

IMO I think it's better to acclimate a clam
Slowly and I don't think a baby clam will do well acclimating himself to substantially high par by opening in closing. That statement alone suggests throwing a new clam in high light and since it openes and closes means it will acclimate itself and I disagree. I stand by what I said earlier, 200 and above, acclimate slowly to higher light.