Baby Maxima

[poon415]

Anybody ever raise a Maxima from a baby? I was at LFS and saw all these baby Maxima's. I just wanted to get feedback from people who have actually tried and had success or failure. I've read lots from people who have also heard, but haven't actually tried. Was hoping your experience could help me make a decision on trying to raise one under 2 inches.

 

[jda]

I have raised them. They are a pain, but can be done. You need to feed them every other day with live phytoplankton either by bottle top or in a cup. There is mixed success with feeding the tank so they need to be target fed just to be sure.

I have had fish move mine around too from time to time. I lost one and never found it again.

If I had to guess, there is a low survival rate for clams this size... probably mostly due to reefers not properly caring for them.

 

[sdm]

Sorry, this isn't an answer, rather a question from someone thinking about sorta the same thing (only with probably more questions!:lol. I was wondering, could that be done in a standard 90g tank with about 450 watts power compact (7 65W) lighting (about 5 inches off water)? Also, would it do better if it was placed on a flat rock, or on one of those "sand pillars" (plastic cups filled with sand- heard it recommended for baby clams a couple of times)? Thanks in advance!

Gabe

P.S. That didn't help you at all did it? Sorry! :lol:

 

[Scuba Dog]

I have raised one small maxima about 2inchs or a little smaller for a year now, its puting on good growth, about two weeks ago i bought a small one inch ultra maxima, these tiny clams at this stage dont have enough mantel to take advantage of powerful intense lighting systems, like mentioned above they need livephyto plankton to keep them alive and growing......my feeding plan is mondays I feed my tank DT's and cyclopseezze, the cyclopse isnt of good use for the clams but my other corals and fish and pods apprieciate it.........wensdays I target feed the baby maxima with the bowl technique, fridays I feed the tank Dt's and cyclopse ezze agen, and either saturday or sunday I target feed the baby max...also the scrapings off the aquarium glass help or are suspected to feed the calms as well........

Since this clam is so small and i have only had it two weeks im sure what to tell you, if the little guy starts showing me some new shell then, ill write back and say go for it......

 

[sdm]

I was just looking in the old posts, and someone said Super Tongan Nassarius snails eat clams. Is this true? If so, I'm going to have to reconsider doing this- I have 4!

 

[poon415]

Scuba please do update on your progress every once in a while. Also what your tricks your using to get the job done. I hope your clam grows out well.

 

[Scuba Dog]

My first small maxima about a 2inch clam I never target feed....it atached to my rockwork high up when I was running 175's halides......but I did feed the tank heavly DT's every other day...and back then I feed my fish heavly also.......the clam contines to put on new shell.....I think that I was lucky on that one, but the new clam I got is so small that Im sure if I did not target feed it that it be a gonner.......Mostly I shy away from livestock that has to be target feed like the sun coral, its a beauty but a pita to take care of, and the bubble corals, I cant keep one of those alive because they are a pain to target feed also my fish and shrimp rob it blind........but with this little clam its no big deal since I take it out of the water in clear plastic cup and add a few mils of dts to it....but I nearly forgot about it once and almost left it out all nite lol.......

All in all I love the idea of raising them from babys and there a lil chaper that way also, but they like infants need there milk lol

 

[poon415]

You ever use Bioplankton from Liquid Life? Think its good enough or is DT's the only one that will work?

 

[Scuba Dog]

If its a live phytoplankton then I would use it. Actually Im hopeing to quit using DT's soon, and will start culturing my own phytoplankton and rotifers at a later date, its much cheaper to culture your own, and actually better than Dts....the freash home brewed phyto is all alive and Dt's is a semi live product, du to the shipping from the company to the wholesaler to the lfs then to you there is some die off....

 

[sdm]

Sorry if I sound a little annoying (what with asking questions on someone elses thread and all :lol: ), but I would appreciate it if you could confirm/deny the possibility of super tongan nassarius snails eating clams. If it's true, I can forget the baby clams for awhile.

Thanks,
Gabe

 

[maoiwowie]

I have 7 baby maximas...all growing...and i never feed. I just put them on a live rock bed at around 3/4 inch...thay are now almost 1.5 inches within 6 months. I am on the side of not target feeding. My lighting is intense, and have many nice sized fish that share the tank.

 

[Scuba Dog]

sdm

As far as nassarus snails eating clams i dont know, I know that the piremid snails(sp) will though.

maoiwowie

My lighting is pretty intence as it gets 250DE's 6inches off the water line over a 75 galon tank....I asked barry once about feeding clams and he stated of you have fish, which i do they get some nutrician off the jusces of the myssis or something..I just target feed this little guy to be on the safe side, why its my wifes favorite clam....

 

[jay24k]

I had a small one about an inch. I don't does Phyto at all. I feed the tank 3 to 4 times a week with cyclopeeze and it is almost twice as big. Mine is ORA so I'm not sure if it makes a difference. Where I bought it, they raised quite a few from that size doing the same as I did.

 

[foxstop]

I have a 2 Squamosas and a Crocea in my tank with 6 Pacific Super Nassarious snails. IMO they will not bother clams or anything else unless it is dead or dieing. They are scavengers and will feed on detritus and dead or near dead matter.

HTH.

Brian

 

[MattG]

ive had an ORA maxima since may. i got it in at 1.5" and it has grown conciderably in this time. So far it has 4 extra scutes. I dosed phyto every other day to it for the first 2 months and havent since due to some algae problems. So far so good!

if you are willing to dose phyto i think the chances of success are very high