Lets hear your Maxima clam advise(i need it)!

[clamcrazy]

looking good, nice mantle extension should be just fine. is there something on it's shell. (bottom right)

 

[scumonkey]

is there something on it's shell. (bottom right)

yes.....coral!

 

[clamcrazy]

what kind, sps or a softie ?

 

[scumonkey]

sps...prob dead

 

[techreef]

that is a great lookin' clam! I can't wait to get my last mantis and gorilla out of my tank and move ahead w/ a clam in my tank. but I also hear that clams shouldn't go into tanks that are less than 1 year old. is that true? i'm at 4 months now.

 

[Deanos]

I also hear that clams shouldn't go into tanks that are less than 1 year old. is that true?

Generally.

 

[techreef]

frick.:frown:

 

[clamcrazy]

i think you will be fine if you add a dersa clam to start.

 

[Deanos]

i think you will be fine if you add a dersa clam to start.

Why would you recommend a derasa clam over the other tridacnids for an unmature tank?

 

[clamcrazy]

because the dersa clam is the most hardy of all clams and as long as the water is in range i would be just fine.

 

[scumonkey]

To my suprise...the coral growing on the clam is alive!
There has been polyp extension all day......

 

[loismustdie]

Looks like a pocillopora. Mine did a polyp bail out, now I have little pocilloporas all over the place.:irked:

 

[clamcrazy]

list of clams to care for from most easy to hardest,
1.dersa
2. hippopus
3.gigas
4.crocea
5.squamosa
6.maxima

 

[Deanos]

list of clams to care for from most easy to hardest,
1.dersa
2. hippopus
3.gigas
4.crocea
5.squamosa
6.maxima

Can you explain the differences in the species in terms of care? What makes a maxima the hardest, for example. :splitspin

 

[clamcrazy]

the maxima just does not do as well as the others in the home tank. i guess the slight changes in water parms, in mixed reef tanks there are water warfares going on, they get stressed more then other clams. just a combo of things that go on that maximas do not like giving them a very high mortalty rate, much more then the other clams listed.

 

[scumonkey]

Figures.....Everytime I get something I find out it's supposed to be the hardest thing to take care of!
Good thing I'm a stickler for keeping my tank clean, testing alk, cal, & mag every day... And making sure everything as a whole remains stable!
Either that or just plain 'ole dumb luck ;^)

 

[techreef]

That's good to know the ranking of clam "toughness". Thanks. I was primarily looking at the crocea's due to their lack of size. I don't really want anything that grows past 6" end-to-end. My 90G tank has 180lbs of LR in it, so there's not a ton of sand bed available. This thread was the first time that I learned that clams can prefer rock ledges to the sand bed. I've got lots o' rock!

I haven't heard of the hippopus clam. Are their colorings as vivid as the other clams?

 

[prattreef]

CC I generally agree, but I would have flipped the crocea and squamosa in terms of hardiness. At least in my experience croceas are tougher to keep.

Randy

 

[clamcrazy]

Tech, the hippopus clam have no color they are very dull. but thet are great for eating nitrates in your tank. i keep 1 in my 30 gal. and 2 in my 90 ga. and never have a problem with nitrates.

 

[clamcrazy]

how's he doing, lets see a new pic of him.