Anyone have success w/ small Maximas?

[SINNERMF]

I tried to keep a couple small Maximas over the summer and I lost them. It seems like most people I talk to lose thier small Maximas. Anyone have luck with them and what would be the best way to keep one alive??

 

[sundance1]

I recieved a 1" gold maxima on 01/24/2006 and have been bowlfeeding it "reefchili" 4 times a week or so and have it under 3x250 DE MH lighting with 4x96 PC's.
It is doing well and growing slowly.

 

[Rothie]

I have had incredible results bowl feeding daily with Phyto Feast.

 

[Snprhed]

I don't bowl feed, buts I have a 1 1/2 inch blue max and a 2 inch purple max in a 20H. I just feed the whole thing. (DT)

 

[critterkeeper]

Rothie - what exactly do you consider "incredible results"?

Just curious...

 

[Rothie]

When I received the clams,one of them appeared dead and 2 of the others looked really bad.They also had pyramid snails.I removed the snails and put them in a bowl of the phyto feast mixture.The dead one appeared to be alive,so I left them in the bowl for a few hours,before placing them in the tank.The next morning they all had improved.I kept up the daily bowl feedings every day for about 2 weeks,and they all made a complete recovery.I still do the bowl feedings every other day and they have great mantle expansion.I have used DT's and Knop KORALvit F in the past,but never got results like this.I will only feed Phyto Feast from now on.

 

[jay24k]

I have had no issues with a 1 inch maxima. I never fed phyto and he is doing very well and has grown quite a bit. I think while they can benefit from pyhto, providing a stable and light enriched tank is more then enough.

 

[Ti]

I have.
2 in fact.
Still going strong.

 

[gophia]

My gf bought me a 1.5 inch maxima during christmas. Never bowl fed but rather I feed the tank with phyto. It's in my 75g with 5x54w T5. It has grown two scutes so I guess it's doing well.

 

[Johnsteph10]

Small giant clams (1 inch or less) have abysmal survival rates in home aquariums.

1.5 inches tend to be the "magic" number where success improves nicely if you provide enough light and phyto for the clam.

 

[cristhiam]

I have one, it was about 1.5" a little over a year ago, now is about 2.5 - 3 inch. I used the phyto kent, never bowl feed it, I just add it to the tank.

 

[knumbnutz]

I wished I would have read this first. I lost a small maxima, but all my other clams are doing well. I use DT in the tank no direct feeding. I've read that bowl feeding isn't good because it will clog their little gills obviously some mixed opinions on that. Here is a great article by Dr. Ronald Shimek that I've always gone by to judge clam health.

http://www.dtplankton.com/phytoplankton/articles/necessity.html

 

[belgian_waffleman]

silly question:

What is bowl feeding?


Waffleman

 

[jay24k]

Place maxima in a bowl. Put a capful of DT or other phyto in the bowl. Leave till it clears up.

 

[belgian_waffleman]

Do you keep the bowl in the tank while feeding?

Waffleman

 

[jay24k]

No you feed outside the tank otherwise it won't get the phyto directly. I've never done it but many have used this method before.

 

[JmLee]

bought a 2 inch maxima. Had him for about 2 months now. Growing like crazy. No bowl feeding, just dose the tank with phyto.

 

[SINNERMF]

How strong are your lights, placement in the tank, and how strong is the current. I have 175 watt M.H. on my 55 gallon.

 

[JmLee]

i have 2 250watt HQI pendants, a seio 1100 with two seio 400 and a seio 90. All on a 60 gallon. But Clams arent really big fans of high current, i notice there mantle being blown around in high current so mine is kinda tucked into a cave ( but still gets light ). I just pulled him out last night to inspect him as i was cleaning the tank and noticed even more growth, and during the day hes mantle just spread out hanging over he's shell, hes doing great!.

 

[cuong]

I have a 2" maxima that i bought 3 months ago. I dose DT twice weekly for the whole tank (not bowel feeding). The clam was kept under 20k 400w metal halide in 30g tank and it was brown when i got it. In my tank it has slowly turning back to the orignal gold colour. I have it up high under 2x250w 10k Reeflux & 2x110 vho actinic. It has also grown to almost 3".