Maxima Question

[jrice]

This question goes out to those of you who have successfully kept clams for some period of time. I purchased a 3.5-4.0" blue maxima from Dr. Mac a few days ago and placed him on the bottom of my 100g. mixed reef. He came atached to a rock and seemed to adapt fine to my conditions, which are the same as Dr. Mac. He is under (2)250W. 10k ushios and (2) 55W actinic power compacts. Ca(420), alk(10.2dkh), sp. gravity(1.024), temp.(79.7), deep sand bed on 2yr old reef. He seems to want to lay over to one side near a rock. He is still upright and the mantle remains fully extended. He also reacts to movement from fish just fine. I tried propping him up twice and he blows some sand around and returns to a 45-50 degree angle. Should I keep trying to adjust him or let him alone. The reason I ask is that no one else seems to have pictures of clams on an angle. By the way he is still attached to the rock he came on.

 

[SurferStevo]

Your clam may not be happy where it is & is looking for a new place to attach. From my limited experience, with the 3 clams I've kept over the last 2 years - that's my guess. My maxima did the same thing until I got him a shell to sit on - now it's stuck there & very vappy.
Steve

 

[coraladdict]

From what I experienced is that some clams will want to get on their sides , I think they do this while they adjust to their new enviroment.I had two clams going through this and I remember some of the members here where telling to move the clam because it wasn't happy where it was.So that's what I did but,every time I changed it ,it was still on it's side.Finally 6 weeks later it died because of me moving the clam too often and the lack of food such as phytoplankton.
Now when I get a clam I put it in a half shell at the bottom and feed it phytoplankton twice a week in a container.As the clam grows and becomes stonger I start raising it closer to the top.