Maxima Clams larger than 2” do not require supplemental feedings, but smaller T. maxima that are less than 2” should be fed a phytoplankton or greenwater supplement several times per week if maintained in a nutrient poor reef aquarium.
Should I Feed my maxima clams?
It could save you some grief in the long run. Most maxima clams come from aquaculture, preventing the need for wild collection and the stress of removal or transport. You don’t need to offer supplemental feeding to a mature maxima, provided you have proper lighting and water flow. Maxima clams provide shelter for shrimp and crab species.
What are the best clams for reef aquariums?
Throughout this time, a single species has stood out as a clear favorite among reef aquarists: Tridacna maxima, the maxima clam. This is pretty understandable, considering this animal’s extraordinarily gorgeous mantle colors and patterns.
What is the best light for my maxima clams?
The Maxima gets most of their energy needs from the zooxanthellae living within the mantle and need high intensity lighting over the tank. Metal halide and T5's are recommended to keep these clams.
How do you feed clams with a bottle?
If you have trouble doing it that way, cut the bottom out of a clean 2 liter soda bottle (or milk jug depending on the size of the clam), place the bottle over the clam and while holding the bottle in place with one hand, administer the food to the clam with the other hand. Hold the bottle in place for a minute or two.
Do maxima clams need to be fed?
They don't need extra feelings aside from strong light and disturbing it isn't good. If it wants it could filter the food out of the tank the gorgs don't eat (phyto), but spot feeding clams, especially maximas is no longer done as research has shown its not needed.
Are maxima clams hard to keep?
Clams are a beautiful addition to any reef aquarium and they are pretty easy to keep once you have the right lighting, flow and water parameters.
What do you feed marine clams?
What Do Clams Eat in a Saltwater Tank?Some of the common foods that clams eat in a reef tank are a variety of live planktons like zooplankton and phytoplankton. ... These frozen coral foods include diced small fish, frozen planktons, shrimp, krill, and others.More items...
How do you feed fish clams?
When I feed them, I split them, rinse them and in they go. When I feed them, I split them, rinse them and in they go. I buy bags of whole clams and mussels and keep them in the freezer. I pry them open, rinse them, and drop them in for the pickers.
Should I Feed My clam?
Augment your clams natural food with feedings 1-2 a week. Your clams can eat a lot of the food leftover by the rest of the tank, but, especially in newer tanks with fewer organisms, they will need some extra food to truly thrive.
How quickly do maxima clams grow?
.08 to 1.6 inches per yearEven though Maxima's can grow large, they do it at a much slower rate. On average this clam will only grow . 08 to 1.6 inches per year, rather than the 4" per year seen with the for-mentioned two big fellows. To reach a 14" length will take a Maxima clam 50 to 60 years.
How often feed maxima clams?
2-3 times a weekThis process works as the maxima clam grows. You just cut down the frequency of the feeding. Once the maxima's 4 inches (10.2cm), drop down to 2-3 times a week.
Is reef roids good for clams?
It can help make other foods the clam will filter and eat. Great little clam. These guys do a lot better than maximas small. They grow fast, so keep eye on calcium!
How do you tell if Maxima clam is healthy?
Best examples of a healthy clam are no gapping holes in the syphon (inlet and outlet). Next is they should be sensitive to shadows and respond by closing up some what. Also the mantle should be open usually past the upper tooth area of the shell. The mantle shouldn't be bleached, fadded or show any signs of damage.
Can I feed my fish clams?
Looking closely at a single mysis you can see more shell than anything else but a clam is all nutrition and will keep your fish in spawning mode. If you keep a natural tank, and if you can get your clams fresh, it will also keep your fish immune.
Can clams eat fish food?
Freshwater clams eat small particles of floating edible materials in the water column and are filter feeders. This floating food can come from both natural sources and supplements. Freshwater clams will eat fish food particles as well as fish poop.
How do you keep clams alive?
Keep them that way by storing them properly. Never store them in plastic: They'll suffocate. (That's why most come in a mesh bag.) Instead, place them in a colander set over a shallow dish, cover with a damp towel, and store in the coldest part of your fridge.
How do you preserve maxima clams?
Tridacna maxima are relatively hardy clams, and require intense lighting and good water flow in the home aquarium. Proper water chemistry is very important, and they will thrive when calcium levels of 380- 450 mg/L, alkalinity level of 8-11 dKH, and magnesium level of 1280-1350 ppm are maintained.
How long do maxima clams live?
Lifespan: 200 years - May live decades in captivity, but can live over 200 years in the wild.
How do you tell if Maxima clam is healthy?
Best examples of a healthy clam are no gapping holes in the syphon (inlet and outlet). Next is they should be sensitive to shadows and respond by closing up some what. Also the mantle should be open usually past the upper tooth area of the shell. The mantle shouldn't be bleached, fadded or show any signs of damage.
How do you preserve tridacna clams?
0:155:43How to Care for Tridacna Clams in Your Saltwater Aquarium - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipPay close attention to the mantle as it should be evenly colored with no bleached areas or tears.MorePay close attention to the mantle as it should be evenly colored with no bleached areas or tears. And a smooth edge. The large inhalants opening in the mantle should be a slit.
Where do Maxima clams live?
They are found all over the Indo-Pacific often in large congregations where there is high light penetration. The Maxima gets most of their energy needs from the zooxanthellae living within the mantle and need high intensity lighting over the tank. Metal halide and T5's are recommended to keep these clams.
What is the color of a clam?
The colors on this clam can be simply outrageous and extremely vibrant. Common mantle colors are blue, green, gold and turquoise with various mantle patterns.
Setup
Most importantly, new tanks are not ideal for keeping maxima clams. They’re a finicky breed of clam and don’t do well with any amount of ammonia or nitrite. Nitrate and phosphate are also not welcome.
Maxima Clam Care
Now that the Maxima Clam has been acclimated to its new home, you want to make sure it’s living in the ideal environment.
Maintenance
As I said earlier, Maxima Clams have high standards and enjoy living in near perfect conditions.
The Perfect Addition to Any Reef
Overall, Maxima Clams are the perfect addition to any reef, whether you’re a beginner or advanced caretaker. They require some love and close maintenance, but most reef species do. Maxima Clam care is the easiest to maintain of all Tridacna clams, making them the hardiest of the bunch.
What is maxima clam?
For those willing to spend the time and money necessary to create an exceptionally healthy reef aquarium environment, a maxima clam (at least one!) is a great choice. It may be hard to believe that fully aquacultured specimens have been available in the trade for only about six years at the time of this writing. All farmed tridacnids, whether maricultured or bred entirely in aquaria, are considerably hardier than the wild ones that were once available. But even these farmed specimens are particular about water quality, lighting and substrate. Paying close attention to these three critical factors, one is well on their way to keeping and enjoying one of these magnificent mollusks for many years.
What are giant clams?
For a couple of decades now, tridacnid or “giant” clams (genera Tridacna and Hippopus) have been regarded as the cherries on top of any well-constructed and well-maintained reef aquarium. Though there have been a couple of newcomers along the way, most members of the relatively small family Tridacnidae have been available in the trade all the while (give and take some bumps along the road due to harvest/trade restrictions). Throughout this time, a single species has stood out as a clear favorite among reef aquarists: Tridacna maxima, the maxima clam.
Can T maxima sit on sand?
Additionally, unlike a few of its close relatives, it will not be content to sit on a soft substrate. Rather, it loves to snuggle into a tight, rocky pocket. While placing them on the sand won’t necessarily harm them, they will likely waste energy to move somewhere else.
Is T maxima sensitive to water quality?
While all tridacnids are sensitive to suboptimal water quality, T. maxima is especially touchy. This makes them unsuited to a newly set up tank where some parameters could still be in flux. At a minimum, there should never be detectable concentrations of ammonia or nitrite. Even nitrate and phosphate should be maintained at nearly undetectable levels.
Where can I find Maxima clams?
https://pacificeastaquaculture.com/blogs/coral-farming-in-the-solomon-islands. In the waters around the remote Islands of French Polynesia there are hundreds of millions of naturally occuring Maxima clams. So many so that some small Islands that are covered completely in ancient clam shells.
How to avoid clams?
While most are easily removed it is best to avoid any clam with obvious hitchhikers. If possible, examine the foot. It's the open fleshy area on the underside of the clam and is used by the clam to attach to a hard surface.
Where is Maxima clam meat sold?
These divers were use to collecting the clams for food, not the aquarium trade. Maxima clam meat is commonly sold in food stores in Tahiti. It is also an important strategic economic commodity in the region.
Where were clams shipped?
The clams were packed in water and shipped to Tahiti and then housed at the holding facility and cleaned and prepared for shipping. The shells routinely needed scrubbing for removal of algae, Aiptasia, Pyramid snails, etc. Pyramid snails can be difficult to see. A meticulous scrubbing is essential.
Can Maxima clams be kept alive?
Normal reef parameters are fine. Wild clams nowadays are very difficult to keep alive and should be avoided. Freshwater dips or other treatments have been tried and do not eliminate the Perkinsus parasite.
Do clams grow in rock?
Maxima clams grow embedded in rock. Note that it is common to see Maximas in the wild with less mantle extension than what we normally expect. Also, so-called gaping is a transient observation in these clams. A normal clam can look quite gaping a one time and later appear totally normal.
Is it normal for a clam to be gaping?
A normal clam can look quite gaping a one time and later appear totally normal. Occasional gaping and mantle extension are not good consistent signs of health, long term gaping over a 24hr+ period or retraction of the mantle is always a sign of imminent mortality.