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duncan-junkie

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duncan-junkie

Hello my fellow reefers! I will be getting my 1st maxima clam here in about 10 days. I was just wondering if anyone has any advise to give me on this topic? I'll give you guys the run-down on my tank; 29gal Oceanic Biocube, no skimmer just weekly 6gal water changes w/Red Sea Pro Salt mix, 28 dimmable 3w cree LED's from Rapidled, media-Chemipure and GFO, 2 Koralia 600's. My tank has been up for about 3yrs and some change, and i'm just now wanting to try out a clam. Is there anything specific that i need to know about these guys? I've been doing some research on these, but I wanna hear from your experience......reading can only take me so far. Look forward to your reply's, Thanks!!!



I'm torn between either a blue, or a gold maxima.....if that makes any difference

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I have a black and white, I wanted a blue, but even with a Radion I was hesitant to get one. The reseach I did said blue have a higher light requirement...

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Hello my fellow reefers! I will be getting my 1st maxima clam here in about 10 days. I was just wondering if anyone has any advise to give me on this topic? I'll give you guys the run-down on my tank; 29gal Oceanic Biocube, no skimmer just weekly 6gal water changes w/Red Sea Pro Salt mix, 28 dimmable 3w cree LED's from Rapidled, media-Chemipure and GFO, 2 Koralia 600's. My tank has been up for about 3yrs and some change, and i'm just now wanting to try out a clam. Is there anything specific that i need to know about these guys? I've been doing some research on these, but I wanna hear from your experience......reading can only take me so far. Look forward to your reply's, Thanks!!!

 

I'm torn between either a blue, or a gold maxima.....if that makes any difference

 

The gold Maximas are the easiest, the blues are more difficult. You have an advantage in that you dont run a skimmer, thus your system is probably high in nutrients, which is great for clams, but not so great for SPS. Let us know how it does.

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duncan-junkie

I appreciate all your imput, and I do have an update for you. I decided to hold off on the clam for about 2-4 weeks. Im going to order from liveaquaria with a friend so that we can split the cost of shipping.....HEY, why not?? I also just purchased the aquaticlife 115 skimmer from a guy on NR, so that should be arriving sometime next week. I figured that would give me enough time to get the skimmer dialed in, and see how well it skim's? I've heard good, and bad things about the skimmer, so I just said "hell with it" might as well give it a try, ANY skimmer is better than NO skimmer.... Right? Anyway, back to the topic.... I've decided to go with a gold maxima since it should be a bit easier to care for than a blue one. I think once I'm able to hone my clam skills, then maybe I could try my luck with a blue maxima. I will keep everyone informed when I get the clam, and I'm sure there will be plenty more questions to come.

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I appreciate all your imput, and I do have an update for you. I decided to hold off on the clam for about 2-4 weeks. Im going to order from liveaquaria with a friend so that we can split the cost of shipping.....HEY, why not?? I also just purchased the aquaticlife 115 skimmer from a guy on NR, so that should be arriving sometime next week. I figured that would give me enough time to get the skimmer dialed in, and see how well it skim's? I've heard good, and bad things about the skimmer, so I just said "hell with it" might as well give it a try, ANY skimmer is better than NO skimmer.... Right? Anyway, back to the topic.... I've decided to go with a gold maxima since it should be a bit easier to care for than a blue one. I think once I'm able to hone my clam skills, then maybe I could try my luck with a blue maxima. I will keep everyone informed when I get the clam, and I'm sure there will be plenty more questions to come.

 

Check with Zeph before you order. He mentioned something about their clams not doing well. They had them too long and they were starved or something.

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Check with Zeph before you order. He mentioned something about their clams not doing well. They had them too long and they were starved or something.

 

 

Unless you get one of their Divers Den clams, they have a 14 day guarantee. Plus the DD livestock have already gone through QT, so I wouldn't think that pests should be a problem.

 

Great folks to deal with.

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Yea...be carefull with DD clams, most are near starving. They have a very poor reputation when it comes to clams, and not just from me. THeir new South Pacific cultured croceas are doing good, and are of propper size.but most of the others are a loosing situation. Stay away from their maximas. But like you said, the 14 day gurantee is a nice insurance policy.Youre most likely going to need it.

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If you are looking for Clams check out Pacific East Aquaculture. Dr. Mac is great, his facility is immaculate and he takes amazing care of all his stock, as well as the 2 dogs that greet everyone!

 

If you are ever in the area go visit! Its totally worth it!

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I appreciate all your imput, and I do have an update for you. I decided to hold off on the clam for about 2-4 weeks. Im going to order from liveaquaria with a friend so that we can split the cost of shipping.....HEY, why not?? I also just purchased the aquaticlife 115 skimmer from a guy on NR, so that should be arriving sometime next week. I figured that would give me enough time to get the skimmer dialed in, and see how well it skim's? I've heard good, and bad things about the skimmer, so I just said "hell with it" might as well give it a try, ANY skimmer is better than NO skimmer.... Right? Anyway, back to the topic.... I've decided to go with a gold maxima since it should be a bit easier to care for than a blue one. I think once I'm able to hone my clam skills, then maybe I could try my luck with a blue maxima. I will keep everyone informed when I get the clam, and I'm sure there will be plenty more questions to come.

I've been using the Aquaticlife 115 skimmer for a few months now and Love it! I'm sure like most skimmers you gotta get the right setting and I get great skim from it, the only complaint I would have is that I wish the collection cup was larger but its literally a quit 2 min job to clean out and the suction cups for in the tank are crap but I just superglued them to the skimmer brackets and its all good now. It is very easy to take apart and give a good cleaning too once a month as well. You may get some micro bubbles for the 1st week or 2 but they go away.

 

All and all I'm happy with the little work horse

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I 2nd PEA, but really hold out and find a clam that is pretty large. Even 2" seem to be pretty touchy, better than under 2" but imo 3-4" clams do MUCH better.

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Acclimation! Have an isolation tank ready, match the specific gravity that they advertise on the website you buy it from. Slowly adjust the specific gravity to your reef tank over a few weeks if you have an extra light to spare. Clams under 2" are super touchy. Any great swing in salinity and they freak out (stress leads to death). Make sure you have a FLAT rock or rock tiles under the clam so it can attach it's foot, otherwise it will walk around your tank until it finds a rock to attach to.

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Yea...be carefull with DD clams, most are near starving. They have a very poor reputation when it comes to clams, and not just from me. THeir new South Pacific cultured croceas are doing good, and are of propper size.but most of the others are a loosing situation. Stay away from their maximas. But like you said, the 14 day gurantee is a nice insurance policy.Youre most likely going to need it.

 

 

O.K. zeph...... I gotta ask, but what does a starving clam look like?? I was always of the assumption that clams didn't need to be fed?? Or am I wrong in my thinking?

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I never feed my derasa. Ever. My tank runs a little dirty and it filter feeds that. 1/4" new growth.
There's a pic of him in my tank thread. W-

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O.K. zeph...... I gotta ask, but what does a starving clam look like?? I was always of the assumption that clams didn't need to be fed?? Or am I wrong in my thinking?

THats the big issue with clams. Besides gaping, they can look perfect and even responsive two days before theyre dead, Most agree with you that clams dont need to be fed, but if your system is very low in DOC from an overly effecient skimmer, carbon and water changes...well, your clam will have a very hard time surviving/growing.

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Zeph..... Please don't take this personal, but I have to respectfully disagree. While I'll admit I don't have the sheer numbers of clams as you have/had, I do have experience in keeping clams. I have an SPS system with skimmer, run carbon, GFO, etc. and I've never lost a clam. Clam showed great growth, color, etc..

 

The only one I lost was due to a heater that exploded and caused my tank to crash.

 

BTW, this is just my 2 scutes (pennies)......

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  • 4 weeks later...
duncan-junkie

Well guys and gals, the clam is here!!! ORA Gold Maxima. Just got the little guy, about 2".....a little on the small side, and its acclimating right now. I did notice the clam close up when i shinned the light on it, so its reacting to stimuli. Anyway, so far, so good!! I'll keep filling you all in as I go, and post some pic's tomorrow after the clam is a little more settled in.

 

I also wanted to ask if I should be worried about my cuc(mostly my hermits) crawling all over the clam.....will they pick at it? My hermits are quite annoying and like to knock stuff over, and piss my corals off! Will this be a problem, or should I try and isolate the clam away from their reach?

 

Thanks!

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I have a blue Maxima clam and I have had it for a week or so. I am using an AI Nano fixture and so far my clam seems happy. At it's peak during the day, my lights max out at :White: 55% Blue 55%, Royal Blue 55%. So far so good! I have another clam which is a Derasa and it's happy as well. I keep my Derasa on my sand bed and my Maxima about 3/4 the way up on a rock shelf.



And I'd try to keep the clam out of the hermits reach just in case!

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duncan-junkie

The clam is doing good, I do have a problem though......I watched one of the hermits climb on the clam, and it must have pinched the mantle of the clam....the one part of it is now retracted, and has been for a week now. I cant keep the crabs off of it, anywhere I move the clam, the crabs seem to find their way to it. I've also been broadcast feeding with reef chili, and Seachem Reef Phyto-Plankton. I wish I could target feed the little guy, but everytime I get close enough, he closes up........Will broadcast feeding suffice?



Heres a pic of the little guy

 

ORA Gold Maxima

post-81686-0-27725100-1385078112_thumb.jpg

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