MAXIMA KEEPERS

[REEF-ER]

I JUST GOT MY 4-INCH MAXIMA HE IS PURPLE WITH A BLUE BORDER, HE CAM FROM A 400W 20,000K BULB THE LOOK WAS REALLY ACTINTIC, ALSO, THE TANK THE CLAM CAME FROM WAS ALOT DEEPER THAN MY TANK, I HAVE A 29-GALLON WITH 175W 10,000K (GERMAN) BULB, I DONT WANT TO BURN HIM AS HE HAS A LITTLE BIT OF BLEACHING N THE CENTER, HAS ANYBODY HAD LUCK FEEDING D.T.'S PHYTO??? POST YOUR CLAM PICS PLEASE!!!!!!!! I WANT TO SEE HOW THEY LOOK IN YOUR TANK AND HOW YOU KEEP THEM PLACED

 

[THillson]

Do a search for clam pics in this forum. There was a huge thread with lots of clam pics within the last year.

In general, maxima clams like being on the sand. A 175W over a 29 gallon tank should provide plenty of light for one. Clams have the ability to regulate the amount of light they get by simply closing up a bit or a whole lot. You'll know if he's happy if he doesn't try and move and opens fully.

 

[REEF-ER]

thanks anybody else care to reply? pics of your clams would be nice,

 

[reeflobo]

I hope these guys work, i'm attempting to upload them different way than normal so they'll be bigger than the usaully 3X2's. The first pic is of my larger maxima, and he sits about 6 inches below the surface, almost directly under a 400 wt 6500k halide. The second clam sits about a foot down, and has changed his colors tremendously since I got him about 6 months ago. Lets hope these work

 

[REEF-ER]

lobo can you post pics again???? please i went to dallas aquarium north today and picked up a 3 inch crocea, it has a awsome pattern. POST THOSE PICS AGAIN PLEASE! were do you shop for clams in DFW area?

 

[reeflobo]

did the picks not come up, or do you just want me to post them again? I got these clams directly from a wholesaler, but they have prettied up in my tank over the last few months.
drew

 

[THillson]

Since you don't want to do a search.

A large (8") derasa spawning in my tank.

A large (12") giga in my tank.

Two maxima , one blue patterned and one green from my tank.

Another nice maxi, LFS tank, and blue spotted gobie.

 

[Anonymous]

THillson,
If you don't mind me asking, where did you get your T. gigas?

 

[THillson]

LFS, was only about 3" long when I bought it. I understand they are getting harder to get recently. I find it interesting since I was under the impression that they were a species now being raised via aquaculture.

 

[Anonymous]

Todd, they are aquacultured heavily; but most won't make it out of the country. They are either contributed to the massive restocking efforts or turned over to the locals as a food.

 

[Green Lantern]

THillson: <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote

In general, maxima clams like being on the sand.

Everything I've ever read states that they are found attached to rock. This was the case with the one I've kept. Yours clams look amazing.

 

[davelin315]

From having snorkeled in the Tahitian Islands, all the tridacnid clams I saw were lodged in coral heads or rock formations. Generally, the only part of them you could see was the mantle. It was my impression from this that that is where they live, in crevices. Obviously, I didn't cover the whole ocean, and it's possible that any "loose" tridacnids that were in the sand were picked up by others, my thoughts are that they live exclusively in rock, although I confess I don't know as much about clams as many others out there.

 

[THillson]

My understanding is that they settle on a rock or coral head (dead portion). Once settled they produce a secretion that dissolves the rock around them as they grow. Great evolutionary trait, they settle into the rock protecting their vulnerable bottom side. This also allows them to hold in place on reef crest where they can get good light. The only ones I know that don't do this are the large clams which rely on their weight to keep them in place. I have seen wild clams still attached to rock in LFS. It's tricky, I've had some who are not happy unless they are a rock and others who are OK with being on the sand. Seems they have individual preferences.

I sure hope that more giga clams are available for importing in the future. I had to give mine up when he became to large for my tank. I'll have a bigger tank in the future and I'll be wanting another.

 

[reeflobo]

somebody please let me know if my pics worked in my previous post
thanks drew

 

[jamesw]

reeflobo, those pix that you are trying to post are on your C drive. In order for them to appear on the board, they need to be on the internet somewhere. The pix are not actually IN the post, they are just links to pictures somewhere else.

HTH
James

 

[KenH]

I also keep all my Tridacnid clams on the sand as well. I also observed that in Tahiti, like Davelin315 mentioned, the Maximas/Croceas were all embedded into coral heads with only their mantles exposed. In the reef tank, they seem to do fine either up on the rock or on the sand. Mine have had a tendancy to jump when put up on the rock, so they now live on the sand and have for many years.

A 175W over a 29 gallon tank is fine. I kept a maxima in a 29 under a 175W. In that tank he was up on the rock about mid level because he was a very small 1" specimen. I don't think you need to worry about burning the clam as they can modify how much light they get by their mantle extension.

I do not worry about feeding the clams. DT's won't hurt, but if you give them sufficient light and calcium to build their shells out of, that's all they really need.

--- Ken

 

[REEF-ER]

thanks guys, i have moved him to a flat rock 15 inches below the light, he is slightly cocked to the right but opened up fully, like i said his center mantle is kind of transparrent white, i assume a slight bleaching, hopefully he will color up more in the center over time, i drip kalk at night everyday for top-off with sparkletts water from my 5gal jug i get delivered in home, i am currently trying to figure out the dose of vinegar need to keep the ph even, i use the smallest Kents aquadose and 1 capfull of vinegar and am testing this week to see if my ph fluctuates alot, i might use a cap and a half next week but i will wait till Friday for resluts.