Maxima will not stay put! - Pic.

[jpc763]

I have had this clam for 2 months.

It started up on the rock work and then flipped itself back behind the rock work. After fishing it out from there, I placed it in the sand bed in the front corner of the tank.

Since moving it to the sand, it has gotten happy, but has still "hopped" around. Yesterday the mantle was pressed up against the glass so I put it on top of another rock. It looked great until bed. When I woke up this morning, I found it hopped off backward and was upside down in a hole in the rock work!

So I put it back in the sand.

Is it OK for a clam to NOT be secured to anything? Should I keep trying to get it to attach to a rock? Other things I have dried is a burried rock, burried shell and other rock spots. Nothing works.

Lighting is T5 4x54w (2 10k, 2 Actinic) and 1 250W MH (10k) over a 55g tank.

Thanks in advance. John

 

[a4twenty]

beautiful clam


it is ok for him not to attach but if he is constantly moving there is something missing. if he likes the sand i would just leave him and let him move around a bit until happy. maxima's are usually placed up on the rocks for more light but a 250W 10k should be enough in 55G ( 20" deep ? ) for him to be happy on the sand.

 

[jpc763]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13395759#post13395759 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by a4twenty
beautiful clam


it is ok for him not to attach but if he is constantly moving there is something missing. if he likes the sand i would just leave him and let him move around a bit until happy. maxima's are usually placed up on the rocks for more light but a 250W 10k should be enough in 55G ( 20" deep ? ) for him to be happy on the sand.

Thanks. I was just concerned because he kept moving around. So he may never attach and that is OK?

 

[a4twenty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13399303#post13399303 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jpc763
Thanks. I was just concerned because he kept moving around. So he may never attach and that is OK?

is he still moving around on the sand??

yes, he doesn't 'have' to attach and it is fine

 

[jpc763]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13403404#post13403404 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by a4twenty
is he still moving around on the sand??

yes, he doesn't 'have' to attach and it is fine

He is moving a little. I will check him again tonight.

 

[dendro982]

My first baby Tridacna maxima also wandered a lot for a week, including down and up, until found suitable spot relatively to the flow (mine doesn't like flow, moving the mantle, and prefers being under angle, not horizontally), once during these moves the water parameters were not good.

The second baby Maxima approved this spot and never moved.

I would add half of shell under the clam, if it is in the sand, to protect opening, but it is up to you.

 

[Jovreefer]

My teardrop did not attach for about a year, it kept moving all over the place so I left it on the sand as well. I tried everything you did to get it to attach somewhere.

I recently found a(i think) deresa shell in some rock rubble & placed the clam in that. It finally attached I know you said you tried shells before... try maybe a different one? I put the clam in the shell & then burried the shell in sand..dunno if that made a difference.

 

[jpc763]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13406929#post13406929 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dendro982
My first baby Tridacna maxima also wandered a lot for a week, including down and up, until found suitable spot relatively to the flow (mine doesn't like flow, moving the mantle, and prefers being under angle, not horizontally), once during these moves the water parameters were not good.

The second baby Maxima approved this spot and never moved.

I would add half of shell under the clam, if it is in the sand, to protect opening, but it is up to you.

I tried the half shell thing already. I burried a shell in the substrait so the clam could secure to it. The clam hopped off the shell! :furious: I ended up removing the shell and the clam calmed down.

 

[jpc763]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13408422#post13408422 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Jovreefer
My teardrop did not attach for about a year, it kept moving all over the place so I left it on the sand as well. I tried everything you did to get it to attach somewhere.

I recently found a(i think) deresa shell in some rock rubble & placed the clam in that. It finally attached I know you said you tried shells before... try maybe a different one? I put the clam in the shell & then burried the shell in sand..dunno if that made a difference.

Hmmm Did you put the clam inside the half shell or on the outside? I have another Maxima shell that I can use.