My first clam
 

I brought home a maxima clam from Dr. Mac's today. After acclimation, I put it in the tank, and it has opened and tried to grab on to the rock with its foot. Unfortunately, I have it placed where there is a gap in the rock, and it can't grab hold. I'm also a little concerned that it would have difficulty opening its shell to the full extent, since it is resting in a depression.

Will it "jump" if it can't anchor itself? Should I move it?

And the lights...

It's almost half the way up my 75g tank under a 6-bulb (geisemann) Tek T5 fixture. Do these clams require light acclimation? The salesperson told me they can bleach, but it's hard to make that happen.

Will I need to move it higher, or lower my fixture closer to the water? Should I supplement with a PAR 38 LED bulb, or wait to see how it fares?

Thanks for hearing so many questions!

Oh, here it is:

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/b...e64/clam01.jpg

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/b...e64/clam02.jpg

no acclimation needed for light coming from dr mac sun to your t/5. opening should be fine, plenty of room. might "jump" might not. might be a reason you mention, mighht not.

Thank you, moliken. While they did have some clams out in the greenhouse, the group of clams from which this came was in the main building under a Tek T5 fixture similar to mine. Temporarily, I presume, as I was advised my T5s could be inadequate long-term.

I hope it doesn't jump. Be like a rock falling! It's fun to have one in the tank, though. Like everyone, I wish I had access to a par meter.

dr mac is opposed to t5's. up where the clam is, though should be adequate, not great, as long as the bulbs are replaced when needed.'jumping' won;t hurt, unless it lands on siomething that stings it or you don't straighten it up to face the light real quick. they close up when falling, so they don't get hurt.

It seemed that he was anti-T5 for clams, at least. I'm pretty sure that my fixture puts out some good light - after all, a recent tank of the month (w/many large sps colonies) utilized my exact fixture, and I put the same bulbs in there. But maybe these maximas require an extreme amount of light, so I'm glad I have the LED spotlight to utilize, if necessary.

Do you think the clam would feel more secure amd be more apt to grow if it were able to anchor? I think I could arrange that, although I woldn't be quite as happy with the placement.

I've had 2 Dr Mac Maximus under an ati fixture for a year. They are doing fine for me.

I have mine on the sandbed of a 125g with a 6 bulb current nova fixture. Not as nice as your tek. But my clam would not open fully. I had an ai sol that I used as a spotlight right on the clam. It is fully open and appears much happier with the situation.

I believe moliken has in the past posted that clams need a boost in the blue light area. I can't recall what wavelength, though.

420nm, pure actinic that only a few leds produce

Glad they are doing well. How far, roughly, are the clams from the bulbs?

I think I may have to move the clam up on top of one of my arches, where it will look a little funny, but definitely get enough light.

I may also spotlight the clam with the PAR38 leds. From what I've read, my particular "bulb" will generate 500-600 par at 14", and 250-300 par at 20". I wonder how much par is ideal for maxima clams?

I have a couple Giesemann Pure Actinic bulbs, that peak at 421nm. Maybe they'll suffice, if I drop the fixture a bit.

you cannot overlight these clams, UNLESS you don't acclimate the m to heavy light properly!

Good to know this, thank you. The group of clams from which I selected were under T5s in the stores photography section - I assume they came in from the greenhouse. I think my fixture is giving a little more light, but I think I'm ok to start where I am.

Do you have any references, by chance, to minimum par requirements for maximas, or might this depend a bit on the individual clam?

Thanks for your time responding to the newbie!

no refs for min par, but they love light.

Ok, thanks. After another week or so, I might try to ease the beam from my LED spotlight over it.

I placed it differently so the foot can grab hold. No idea if that has happened yet. Maybe in a couple of days I'll try to nudge it, and see.

Never knew a clam could be so much fun! :)

personally i'd move the light in less than a week. get it on a timer! put the light on it now, an hour or two tomorrow, maybe an hour on then off for a while then back on for an hour, then gradually lengthen the time. get to your best full brightest longest in 2-3 weeks at most

This I will do then, starting tomorrow. Thank you for the advice! I'm guessing, based on what I've read, that the spotlight might only provide 200-300 par at the distance planned. My T5s seem pretty bright at the depth of the clam - they may even rival that.

The clam had its mantle extended a bit further than yesterday, which I took for good. The flow is about as low as I can get it without a downgrade from Koralia 4s to Koralia 3s. The mantle flutters very lightly in spots at times, and I think the clam retracts slightly sometimes in response. It's very touchy, though, as just the tang zipping by quickly was cause a brief retraction.

Here is where the clam lives now. It looks precariously perched, but the rock is actually cradling it slightly. I am hoping it grabs on before moving violently.

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/b...clam_moved.jpg

beautiful clam! keep us posted on how he does!

Thanks, Chrisv. I will!

Ok, the LED spotlight is on the clam. I started with two acclimation sessions today, each about 2 hours long. I'll ramp that up tomorrow, I guess. Here are a few pictures, and a short video.

A shot from the far end, showing the source of the LED light

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/b...nd_fts_LED.jpg

A shot that shows the contrast between the LED beam, and the T5 light. Makes the T5s look dim!

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/b.../LEDtank01.jpg

This shot shows the byssal thread area. No idea what to make of that...

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/b...yssal_foot.jpg

A video showing the clams reaction to the LED when first switched on

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/b..._TankVid03.jpg

threads are attaching seems to me.

Good, I hope so. I figure I can move the LED spotlight, if necessary, to be mounted almost directly over the clam. That would give it about 500-600 par, based on the charts I've seen. Sounds like a lot to me, but I would inch the fixture down the side of the tank gradually. Might make for one happy clam. A good use for these LED fixtures, finally!

You do not need the LEDs on your tank if you dont want them i and many other people keep clams under T5s. I have 3 clams 2 are crocea and one large maxima and use a 6 bulb tek elite. The clams are on the sand in a 24" deep tank.

I wonder how the par readings would compare between our two fixtures? How high over the water are your bulbs, if I may ask? Mine are about 36" from the bottom of the tank.

There was a very small expulsion of zooxanthellae (I assume) after lights on today. Just a very tiny strand. Is this normal, or a sign of a problem with the lighting?

MY bulbs are only 6" above the tank so 30" from bulbs to the bottom of the tank but air really dosent take away a lot of par also why do you have your lights so high off the tank?
The clam expelling zooxanthellae could be from the addition of the LEDs clams will bleach just like coral when to much light is added.