Blue Maxima Clam?

[Reefist]

It has been a while since I had a clam , My tank has had it's ups and downs but things were looking good so I figured I try again.
But my new clam is showing signs of stress. The mantle is fully extended but the clam isn't opened as much as it was at the store
( Petswarehouse). There, it was right under the light. My tank is a 120 with 2-175 MH 10K and 2 110w VHOactinic whites,2 110W VHOactinics and 2 NO actinics. The clam is on the sand. Should it
or can it be up on the rock structure closer to the light ? Actually I think it's a maxima maybe it's crocea.

 

[Neurotech]

I never had a clam (yet), but I think people will say that 175's won't reach the bottom of your tank adequately.

 

[olemos]

Try moving him up on the rocks, just make sure he is in a place surrounded with some rocks, some times they move a little and can fall down.

 

[eboonaman]

I brought clams from petwarehouse, They are at the bottom of a 55 gal with only 2 150 mh on the tank. the tank is 24 " deep. had them for a year now and are doing great.
the clams might be a little shy in the new enviroment. they are not use to the shadows or movement of the fish and tend to stay slightly open. give them a week or two. also you might have more light hitting them then PW.
give it time...

 

[fishome25]

its most likely crocea, don't see too many blue maximas around. is the shell oblong or rather symetrical? are the scutes very pronounced?

 

[Reefist]

The clam was in the tank in the front of the coral tanks maybe only 12" deep. I wasn't sure if the clam had to stay in the sand.
I really should have done research first but I was going to get something else for $50 but the clam looked like a better value.
I will move it up on the rocks tomorrow night .I'll try to post a pic before I move it.
Thanks

 

[Reef Junkie]

T. crocea:
http://www.aquahobby.com/marine/img/Tridacna_crocea_1.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/turtlestevesplace/reef/clam.jpg

T. maxima:
http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fishnchips/march2000/tmaxblue.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b51/reefphd/DSC00044.jpg

Notice how the crocea's Mantle doesn't have the defined curves as it curls back and forth on the shell?

Big difference between the two. A T. crocea is a lot more tolerant to lower light levels. Where T. maxima needs more light.

Plus, you would be hard pressed to get a truely blue T.maxima at any pet store for the price of a T.crocea.

Have you noticed anything bothering the clam?
Please list your fish and inverts.

 

[Reefist]

Heres the pics.Tell me what you think. At the store it was fully open. But it looks better today.

 

[fishome25]

doesn't look bad, could be open a little more. it is a crocea. like bill said, if you found a blue maxima you'd know what you were buying b/c of the price tag.

 

[Reefist]

Thanks.
Tanks about 9 YO I always have a problem keeping the Alk up so maybe thats one of the factors. I always go thru this phase of adding superbufferdkh and tech-M for a few weeks but it creeps down unnoticed. Right now DKH is 6 but my ph is 8.45 making it difficult to add buffer.

 

[Reef Junkie]

What are you using to test your Ph? The test might be shot or the probe.
6 DKH is rather low.
You should consider daily alk replacement with a two part or Calcium reactor. That will get your alk to go up and stay up.

 

[Reefist]

Actually I have a Ca reactor but I don't use it. It somehow screws up my ph climbing over 8.5 after a week. And yes I changed my probe then. But you are right my probe is shot now though ,I just checked with my other ph tester and got a 8.3 reading.Anyway I top of automatically with kalwasser now. I've tried to figure out this problem for years.But Kalk seems to work for me although my Alk always falls. I use Hach test kits which are pretty expensive but I wasn't getting consistant results with others.
I even changed reactors from Knopp to MTC but the same problem happens.

 

[Reef Junkie]

I wonder whats depressing your alk?

Just a thought, but try using B-Ionic or something similar for a month. With a 120, you'd probably dose about 30-40 mls a day of B-Ionic. Might solve your problem.

Post a picture too.

 

[Reefist]

Me either unless it has to do with the makeup water. I Use a spectrapure RODI. Clam was not looking to good so I did a water change and there is some improvement but I think its declining.
I have had difficulty keeping sps as well I do have a merlina and hydnopora( in sump) but anything else I try dies and since my alk is unstable I won't buy anymore. I check my Mg all the time and that goes down as well but not as fast.
So I started a whole new setup a 70G sump with a MR3 skimmer VHO lighting and about 150Lb of LR but guess what it's been running about a year and the same problem. The only time the alk is right is after a water change. I will soon buy a 210G and move the 120 setup.I thinking of sell all my rock and buying new.
I probably have about 375Lbs. We'll see.
What do you want me to post a pic of the tank.

 

[Reef Junkie]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8738660#post8738660 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Reef Junkie


Just a thought, but try using B-Ionic or something similar for a month. With a 120, you'd probably dose about 30-40 mls a day of B-Ionic.

Trust me, there is another person on this board that has the same problem. This person has been in the hobby for a long while now and should follow the same advice.

Ok other person?

 

[Reefist]

Are you saying it's you?Problem is when you have low alk adding
Bionic gives me a pH spike of about 8.7 preciptating the additive . I think 30 mls is about an ounce so I will try to add 1/2 ounce in the morning and 1/2 at night. I did a 40G water change so right now alk is 7dkh. I have a gallon of B-Ionic so I can certianly try.

 

[Reefist]

BTW Tank Pics

 

[Reef Junkie]

Nah, of all the parameters in my tank, my alk is first and formost.

Your tank looks great! You've got good caralline algae growth, your other stonys look healthy, maybe it's your test?

If your adding the additive during the day, it will spike the ph. You need to do it at night before you go to bed. If it's still spiking, try using less.

 

[Reefist]

Thanks. I just checked my Mg and it's 1060. I'm gonna check my make up water. I have a fresh 40G mix. BTW I only have 1 sps in the tank and another in the sump. Most are softies since there forgiving.My tank used to be all zoanthids but I had to chuck alot of them since they were major hydroids inmeshed in them.

 

[onegreenray]

just a thought how deep is your sand bed? also how old is it? if its nine years old isn't that a little past the experation date. bill didn't you tell me most dsb are only good for about 7 years. could this be the cause of the problems?