Maxima Clam, Iodine?

[KatanaRamirez]

Hi, I recently purchased a maxima clam and have heard that to maintain colouration I need to add iodine or if the clam shows poor colouration that it is likely that it needs more iodine? Can anyone confirm this?

 

[BeesGoneWild]

I have never heard of that. I have a crocea clam which is in the same family with the maxima and I have kept him successfully without ever adding any iodine.

 

[Salty Joy]

Color on clams is mostly dependent on lighting. Make sure you have the correct lights for the species and you'll be fine. For a maxima, I would use minimum 6 watts per gallon.

 

[fishfl]

feeding

feeding

I have found that clams color up when feed. I feed mine phytoplankton.

 

[crvz]

I've never needed to dose phyto or other things for the clams, just give them plenty of light. Depending on the species, it can require a lot of light. Maxima's do tend to need more light than some of the others. Try moving it around in the tank.

 

[KatanaRamirez]

Thanks, the colour wasn't great when I got it but I seen pics of it in the journal of person I brought it off so I'm hoping to return it to the more intense blue colouration I saw in the journal pics.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Hi, I recently purchased a maxima clam and have heard that to maintain colouration I need to add iodine or if the clam shows poor colouration that it is likely that it needs more iodine? Can anyone confirm this?

I do not believe that it needs nor will benefit from supplemental iodine. Note that not only does lighting impact color both directly (as in it instantly looks different under different lights) and indirectly (as in it actually impacts the color as the clam changes its pigments), but the angle that you look at a clam has a huge impact. Stores and such often how top down photos, but when viewed from the side of a tank, such clams are typically less colorful. Sometimes they even change color (green from above, blue from the side).