Maxima Clam help!

[MrKris]

Hi,

I bought 2 maxima clams a while back and it's been roughly a few weeks maybe 2 or 3 - a month at most. Their color and the overall look of the clams seem to have degraded. This is the first time I've taken care of clams and with a tank that has been established for more than 2 years I assumed that there would be enough nutrients for them - that and I feed phyto (yes, phyto.) and zoo twice a week; reefroids every other week.

I have recently been dosing vit c and I understand that it removes a lot of excess nutrients but my dosage has only been 1 tablespoon a day which is around 5ml or less.

I'm quite certain these clams are not supposed to look like this and I'm hoping someone could enlighten me as to what may be wrong. My guess is that they're starving or light deprived... (for the light deprived issue I don't think I could move them higher since they have an annoying tendency to move and fall if I were to place em up higher)

Here are some pics:
http://i41.*******.com/k981vm.jpg
http://i42.*******.com/w7d66b.jpg
http://i41.*******.com/14dhou9.jpg

Hope the algae doesn't cloud up the picture, I've been meaning to scrape it off for some time now :P

The middle pic is sideways

[barry_keith]

Hard to tell from the pics.

Maxima are rock boring clams, and need to be on rock, or at least a shell off the sand. They love lots of light too, I keep mine up in the top third of the tank

[MrKris]

I'll see if I can stick them in any crannies but... I have a feeling they'll fall through...

The 3rd pic on the left hand side that is the second pic maxima. It's mouth is gaping open as you can see the white on the right hand side of the maxima - that's the foot and light is shining through. I'll try to take better pics.

[moliken]

they can do fine in sand, 1st of all.
don't feed. just don't.
how old are bulbs and what kinda lighting?

[OrionN]

I agree that they do fine on sand. It look like you have a crocea and a maxima. They require very high light. What kind of light do you have?

[OrionN]

They need to face up toward the light. Your clams all seem to face forward to the front. Need to face them up

[MrKris]

I have them facing upwards initially then they start moving about and then they end up sideways... I have relocated them to the middle portion of my tank. My lights are the radions gen 1, I have 3 of em. I'll see if they will do better. I always feed, all corals deserve food especially my gonioporas and gorgonians

Also how can you tell one is a crocea and the other is a maxima? I googled their images and they look surprisingly similar...


Ahh okay so the biggest one is the crocea cause of the large opening at the back and the smoother looking shell.