Tridacna Maxima ?

[bug0926]

I've had a tridacna maxima for around 6 months and it has been doing great. Always open, beautiful coloring, quick reaction to stimulus. As of late something seems to have happened and I am stumped.

It is still firmly attached to the rock.
It still reacts well to stimulus.
Color is still good.
However thought it is open, it doesn't seem to open as much, especially on one side....

any ideas? Is this normal? What should I do?

 

[nice1bruva]

I've had a tridacna maxima for around 6 months and it has been doing great. Always open, beautiful coloring, quick reaction to stimulus. As of late something seems to have happened and I am stumped.

It is still firmly attached to the rock.
It still reacts well to stimulus.
Color is still good.
However thought it is open, it doesn't seem to open as much, especially on one side....

any ideas? Is this normal? What should I do?

can you see any small snails on the shell...look close to the 'lips'
:roll:

 

[bug0926]

I didn't notice any, but how small are we talking about? visible with the naked eye? I did notice what may have been a small barnacle type animal attached to the shell, that hid when I went in for a closer look as well aas some hard s shaped projections coming from the shell.

 

[Fatal Morgana]

The parasitic snail nice1bruva is refering to is commonly called rice snail. They are white, and about the size of a uncooked rice when they are adult. They are definitely visible even as a juvenile.

 

[bug0926]

Nope, no snails...I'll try to post a picture later.

 

[Fatal Morgana]

Take a look at Minh's clams. He descripted issue with pinched mantle.

As long as the clam shows good growth, I won't worry too much.

 

[Ben1]

What type of fish do you have in the display with the clam? Is your lighting strong?

 

[bug0926]

it's a 46 bow
10k Metal Halide
2 VHO Actinics

Enhabitants
Cleaner Shrimp
Hermits
Snails
Percula Clown
Small Hippo Tang

Torch coral (actually 1/2), one half succumbed to some kind of disease. The rest recovered.
Leather coral
LT Plate Coral
One other coral I forget the type offhand

 

[Ben1]

How close is the maxxima to your LPS corals? Most LPS have long sweeper tentacles they can send out at night and sting other corals/clams. This could be the cuase of the irritation on one side of the clam.

 

[Anonymous]

This is just my experience, but I've never noticed any of my clams being bothered by anomenes, or stinging tentacles from Euphylia and such. Have you noticed a different pattern Ben?

Jim

 

[Ben1]

IME, I have not had a problem with anemones, and as you see from the bad picture I keep my derasa close to my anemone. As far as LPS I did have my maxima not expand properly on one side do to it being stung from my hammer.

 

[Tackett]

dang dude, that is one big beautiful derasa. My maxxima is a teeny guy, like only 1" long teeny. Cant wait until he gets that size. sweetness.

 

[Ben1]

dang dude, that is one big beautiful derasa. My maxxima is a teeny guy, like only 1" long teeny. Cant wait until he gets that size. sweetness

Thanks, I got it from Dr. Mac and sons some years back at just over 2". Now it's just over a 9" shell length.

I have a maxima also that grows much slower.

 

[HClH2OFish]

Wow! Nice looking critter...what kinda lights he under?

Oh, to keep this post on thread...

Any sand or anything blown around during recent cleanings? My LFS had some tridacnas and one of em got small piece of aragonite stuck under shell when they were moving some corals around..was sorta under the mantle irritating it...dunno if that would cause what you're seeing though

 

[Ben1]

My derasa is under 250 wt MH 10k and 96 wt PC actinics. I have kept it in a few different tanks over the years, under MH from 175-400. I had it on the bottom of a 40 tall under a single 175 halide and a 55 watt PC actinic and it's color dimmed up a bunch. Derasa are a lower light clam then most of the others we keep.

Here's a picture of my maxima:

Any update bug?

 

[reefann]

Are you feeding your maxima? At such a small length he may have trouble getting enough nutrients from such a small mantle. Small mantle= Less surface area for zooxanthellae. Light may not cut it for his only source of food.

 

[Ben1]

teeny guy, like only 1" long teeny

Yeah Reefann is correct, such a small clam should be fed with phyto.

 

[Anonymous]

I do not think you need to feed them directly if you feed the tank regularly, especially if you feed fish.

Phosphate will be enough food for your clam, as well as some nitrate. This is added with each feeding.

 

[Ben1]

Heres a good thread on clam feeding:
http://clamsdirect.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=568

 

[Anonymous]

Good link, Ben. Barry Neigut does grow some gorgeous clamolas.