Healthy Maxima?

Tetra84 · 08/17/2012, 03:02 PM

Hey Everyone,

I'm new to clams.. and I just got (yesterday morning) my first Maxima after doing a bunch of research. When it came in the mail, I drip/temp acclimated it(parameters were pretty close to my tank anyway) and added it to the bottom of the tank. I left the lights off for 6 hours and when the lights came on.. it looked about like it did in this picture. This morning I moved it up higher (upper 1/3 of tank). It's about 12" from the Radion LEDs I have set to 50% so I don't scorch new corals. It closed up last night after the lights went out and opened back up to where it is in the pic today.. about the same as yesterday.

Shouldn't it be more open than it is? or does it take more than 2 days to get settled? I did notice some mites or little things (haven't seen any pyramid snails) crawling around the lip of the mantle making the clam briefly retract parts the lip a little bit..

Based on the research i've done.. it doesn't seem like PM (don't see any mucus or curling upward).. but maybe someone with more experience can say otherwise?..

What should I do (if anything at this point)?

Parameters:
PH: 8.19
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
Salinity: 1.025
Mag: 1520 ppm
Calcium: 440 ppm
Alk: 7.3 dHk

Thanks,
Paul

kfisc · 08/17/2012, 05:32 PM

Great picture- give it about three to four days. Clams can take a lot of time to settle, and boy! They really hate being moved. If it responds quickly to hand movement over the light, that's a good sign.

Tetra84 · 08/19/2012, 05:28 PM

updated photo.. top down shot 2 days later.. does it look any better? I can tell that one part of the mantle looks a little scrunched on the bottom.. like something is irritating it.. not sure.. Do you think this is about as open as it'll get? Im pretty sure it wont open as much as a crocea.. but wondering if it will open any wider, or if it's still trying to get comfortable? Also, it's normal for them to close up when the lights go out right?

MBIETZ · 08/19/2012, 10:41 PM

It should definitely open up more and when i mean open up i mean it should extend its mantle much further also when my lights go out my clam shuts really fast then opens back up to reach for light then a few minutes later it will close a little with its mantle still out but not very much. The clam has been in the tank 4 days correct if so give it a few more days then if it remains like this i would look into clam illnesses also check for pests at night with a flashlight checking its underside for small snails is a good idea also.

Tetra84 · 08/20/2012, 07:05 AM

ok.. ill give it a few more days and report back..

Tetra84 · 09/06/2012, 07:58 PM

So it's been a few weeks since I last posted. The clam doesn't appear to be opening any more than it is in these pictures. It still reacts quickly to shadows, and several night checks don't reveal any snails. I have it under Radions with the new TIR lenses set to 55% intensity, so i'm not sure it's a light issue. Placement on the top or bottom of the tank doesn't seem to matter either. The other thing I notice is that it closes up a bit near the end of the light cycle (about an hour of good light left) but opens back up to the level in the pics the next light cycle. I burped it to see if it had any air.. nothing came out.

Parameters:

PH 8.13
Alk 9.2
Cal 440
Mag 1500
Nitrites, Nitrates, Phosphates: 0

Any Ideas? I wish there was a real life House for diagnosing clam ailments..

mandarin_goby · 09/06/2012, 09:40 PM

I'm a noob, but I've read that clams actually like some nitrates. Mine are at about 20ppm and I have a maxima (about 1.5 inches) in my nano that opens up really nicely every day. It's on the sand with a rock under it for it to attach to (tank is only 9 inches tall) under 4x36watts of t5HO light. I've had it for almost 2 mos.

They also don't like a lot of current on them - I moved mine from a high flow area to a calmer one and it's really thriving.

Good luck!

mtcoins123 · 09/06/2012, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tetra84

So it's been a few weeks since I last posted. The clam doesn't appear to be opening any more than it is in these pictures. It still reacts quickly to shadows, and several night checks don't reveal any snails. I have it under Radions with the new TIR lenses set to 55% intensity, so i'm not sure it's a light issue. Placement on the top or bottom of the tank doesn't seem to matter either. The other thing I notice is that it closes up a bit near the end of the light cycle (about an hour of good light left) but opens back up to the level in the pics the next light cycle. I burped it to see if it had any air.. nothing came out.

Parameters:

PH 8.13
Alk 9.2
Cal 440
Mag 1500
Nitrites, Nitrates, Phosphates: 0

Any Ideas? I wish there was a real life House for diagnosing clam ailments..

IME the clams I have that are in higher flow areas open less and the ones in slower flow area open more I cant say what the proper flow would be but I would guess that if they aren't opening the flow might be too high. again this is just my opinion I am no clam expert but my derasa moves itself back to the same spot (a lower flow area in my tank) on its own when I move it. Good luck and keep up the patient attitude and research

milhous3er · 09/07/2012, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtcoins123

IME the clams I have that are in higher flow areas open less and the ones in slower flow area open more I cant say what the proper flow would be but I would guess that if they aren't opening the flow might be too high. again this is just my opinion I am no clam expert but my derasa moves itself back to the same spot (a lower flow area in my tank) on its own when I move it. Good luck and keep up the patient attitude and research

I agree with this as well. The clam will move if it doesn't like the flow. Once you change the flow, it'll move again.

But I've had my Crocea for 1 1/2 years and a Maxima for 6 months and I run GFO in my tank.

DiscusHeckel · 09/07/2012, 03:47 PM

I am going to ask a standard question. What is your fish stock? Any angelfishes? Bi-colour blennies? File fishes? Copperbads?, etc.

Tetra84 · 09/07/2012, 08:09 PM

just 2 ocellaris clowns and a skunk cleaner shrimp atm

moliken · 09/07/2012, 08:39 PM

is it attached?

rc4kinu · 09/07/2012, 10:42 PM

I agree it should open up more during the day and look like your last pic at night. Try some live phyto. This should help getting it to open up. You may also try ramping up 1-2 % on radion and see what it does.

Tetra84 · 09/08/2012, 02:57 PM

it is attached to a piece of rock (bought it that way).. and I will try to ramp up the light some more.. just don't want to fry my coral frags by putting the light to full too fast just for the clam..

x3thelast · 09/08/2012, 03:35 PM

my clams actually open up less when theres TOO much light and start pooping out extra zooxanthellae (brown stringy thing). i raised it up a tad bit and now its opened up all the way.

mine had PM after a week in my tank, did 3 FW dips for 30mins each 2 days appart and now its 100% better.

also dont be afraid to give its shell a light cleaning with a tooth brush. sometimes if theres algae on the shells edges, the mantle wont extend out past it.

good luck and keep us updated.

Tetra84 · 09/08/2012, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by x3thelast

my clams actually open up less when theres TOO much light and start pooping out extra zooxanthellae (brown stringy thing). i raised it up a tad bit and now its opened up all the way.

mine had PM after a week in my tank, did 3 FW dips for 30mins each 2 days appart and now its 100% better.

also dont be afraid to give its shell a light cleaning with a tooth brush. sometimes if theres algae on the shells edges, the mantle wont extend out past it.

good luck and keep us updated.

I have been noticing it ejecting that brown stringy stuff.. and once and a while it seems to cough.. but not all the time. When you said you raised it up a tad and now its opened up all the way.. did you mean you gave it more light? even if you thought it was getting too much? I also did 1 FW dip a few weeks ago, and noticed some parasites in the bucket, but I didn't know if I should have done any more.. since I wasn't positive it had PM..

Tetra84 · 09/13/2012, 10:35 AM

still looking the same.. i'm going to try and cut off my gfo/carbon reactor for a few days and see what happens.. chime in if you recommend this or not and why?

moliken · 09/13/2012, 04:08 PM

good luck. i would not hesitate to turn off gfo fr a while. what kind of as u call em "parasites" were in the bucket?

Tetra84 · 09/15/2012, 04:07 PM

not sure.. they were little semi transparent things.. not snails.. I know that much.

mandarin_goby · 09/15/2012, 05:54 PM

Maybe they were pods? Bug-like critters? Some came off a zoa I FW dipped once.

08/17/2012, 03:02 PM	#1
Tetra84 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Charleston, SC Posts: 241	Healthy Maxima? Hey Everyone, I'm new to clams.. and I just got (yesterday morning) my first Maxima after doing a bunch of research. When it came in the mail, I drip/temp acclimated it(parameters were pretty close to my tank anyway) and added it to the bottom of the tank. I left the lights off for 6 hours and when the lights came on.. it looked about like it did in this picture. This morning I moved it up higher (upper 1/3 of tank). It's about 12" from the Radion LEDs I have set to 50% so I don't scorch new corals. It closed up last night after the lights went out and opened back up to where it is in the pic today.. about the same as yesterday. Shouldn't it be more open than it is? or does it take more than 2 days to get settled? I did notice some mites or little things (haven't seen any pyramid snails) crawling around the lip of the mantle making the clam briefly retract parts the lip a little bit.. Based on the research i've done.. it doesn't seem like PM (don't see any mucus or curling upward).. but maybe someone with more experience can say otherwise?.. What should I do (if anything at this point)? Parameters: PH: 8.19 Ammonia: 0 Nitrite: 0 Nitrate: 0 Salinity: 1.025 Mag: 1520 ppm Calcium: 440 ppm Alk: 7.3 dHk Thanks, Paul __________________ Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant filled with odd waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don't always like. Current Tank Info: 57 Gal Rimless Reef

08/17/2012, 05:32 PM	#2
kfisc Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: NW CT Posts: 1,655	Great picture- give it about three to four days. Clams can take a lot of time to settle, and boy! They really hate being moved. If it responds quickly to hand movement over the light, that's a good sign. __________________ Owner of the Hubble Telescope. Current Tank Info: 90g AGA; ER135, Rubbermaid 40g stocktank sump; Maristar 250wx2/ 54w actinic x2; eheim 1260 return

08/19/2012, 05:28 PM	#3
Tetra84 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Charleston, SC Posts: 241	updated photo.. top down shot 2 days later.. does it look any better? I can tell that one part of the mantle looks a little scrunched on the bottom.. like something is irritating it.. not sure.. Do you think this is about as open as it'll get? Im pretty sure it wont open as much as a crocea.. but wondering if it will open any wider, or if it's still trying to get comfortable? Also, it's normal for them to close up when the lights go out right? __________________ Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant filled with odd waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don't always like. Current Tank Info: 57 Gal Rimless Reef

08/20/2012, 07:05 AM	#5
Tetra84 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Charleston, SC Posts: 241	ok.. ill give it a few more days and report back.. __________________ Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant filled with odd waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don't always like. Current Tank Info: 57 Gal Rimless Reef

09/06/2012, 07:58 PM	#6
Tetra84 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Charleston, SC Posts: 241	So it's been a few weeks since I last posted. The clam doesn't appear to be opening any more than it is in these pictures. It still reacts quickly to shadows, and several night checks don't reveal any snails. I have it under Radions with the new TIR lenses set to 55% intensity, so i'm not sure it's a light issue. Placement on the top or bottom of the tank doesn't seem to matter either. The other thing I notice is that it closes up a bit near the end of the light cycle (about an hour of good light left) but opens back up to the level in the pics the next light cycle. I burped it to see if it had any air.. nothing came out. Parameters: PH 8.13 Alk 9.2 Cal 440 Mag 1500 Nitrites, Nitrates, Phosphates: 0 Any Ideas? I wish there was a real life House for diagnosing clam ailments.. __________________ Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant filled with odd waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don't always like. Current Tank Info: 57 Gal Rimless Reef

08/19/2012, 10:41 PM	#4
MBIETZ Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Chico CA Posts: 395	It should definitely open up more and when i mean open up i mean it should extend its mantle much further also when my lights go out my clam shuts really fast then opens back up to reach for light then a few minutes later it will close a little with its mantle still out but not very much. The clam has been in the tank 4 days correct if so give it a few more days then if it remains like this i would look into clam illnesses also check for pests at night with a flashlight checking its underside for small snails is a good idea also.

09/06/2012, 09:40 PM	#7
mandarin_goby Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 231	I'm a noob, but I've read that clams actually like some nitrates. Mine are at about 20ppm and I have a maxima (about 1.5 inches) in my nano that opens up really nicely every day. It's on the sand with a rock under it for it to attach to (tank is only 9 inches tall) under 4x36watts of t5HO light. I've had it for almost 2 mos. They also don't like a lot of current on them - I moved mine from a high flow area to a calmer one and it's really thriving. Good luck!

09/07/2012, 03:47 PM	#10
DiscusHeckel Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Sheffield, UK Posts: 334	I am going to ask a standard question. What is your fish stock? Any angelfishes? Bi-colour blennies? File fishes? Copperbads?, etc.

09/07/2012, 08:09 PM	#11
Tetra84 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Charleston, SC Posts: 241	just 2 ocellaris clowns and a skunk cleaner shrimp atm __________________ Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant filled with odd waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don't always like. Current Tank Info: 57 Gal Rimless Reef

09/07/2012, 08:39 PM	#12
moliken Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: smyrna Posts: 2,964	is it attached? __________________ not obsessse--scuse me gotta check on the tank Current Tank Info: 75 and 65gals plumbed together, clams 12 fish. lps corals/ aquaillumination leds on the 75 and lovin them. t5's

09/07/2012, 10:42 PM	#13
rc4kinu Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 256	I agree it should open up more during the day and look like your last pic at night. Try some live phyto. This should help getting it to open up. You may also try ramping up 1-2 % on radion and see what it does.

09/08/2012, 02:57 PM	#14
Tetra84 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Charleston, SC Posts: 241	it is attached to a piece of rock (bought it that way).. and I will try to ramp up the light some more.. just don't want to fry my coral frags by putting the light to full too fast just for the clam.. __________________ Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant filled with odd waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don't always like. Current Tank Info: 57 Gal Rimless Reef

09/08/2012, 03:35 PM	#15
x3thelast Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: classified Posts: 145	my clams actually open up less when theres TOO much light and start pooping out extra zooxanthellae (brown stringy thing). i raised it up a tad bit and now its opened up all the way. mine had PM after a week in my tank, did 3 FW dips for 30mins each 2 days appart and now its 100% better. also dont be afraid to give its shell a light cleaning with a tooth brush. sometimes if theres algae on the shells edges, the mantle wont extend out past it. good luck and keep us updated. __________________ Drift magician

09/13/2012, 10:35 AM	#17
Tetra84 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Charleston, SC Posts: 241	still looking the same.. i'm going to try and cut off my gfo/carbon reactor for a few days and see what happens.. chime in if you recommend this or not and why? __________________ Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant filled with odd waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don't always like. Current Tank Info: 57 Gal Rimless Reef

09/13/2012, 04:08 PM	#18
moliken Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: smyrna Posts: 2,964	good luck. i would not hesitate to turn off gfo fr a while. what kind of as u call em "parasites" were in the bucket? __________________ not obsessse--scuse me gotta check on the tank Current Tank Info: 75 and 65gals plumbed together, clams 12 fish. lps corals/ aquaillumination leds on the 75 and lovin them. t5's

09/15/2012, 04:07 PM	#19
Tetra84 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Charleston, SC Posts: 241	not sure.. they were little semi transparent things.. not snails.. I know that much. __________________ Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant filled with odd waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don't always like. Current Tank Info: 57 Gal Rimless Reef

09/15/2012, 05:54 PM	#20
mandarin_goby Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 231	Maybe they were pods? Bug-like critters? Some came off a zoa I FW dipped once.