Stringy stuff coming off maxima.

[zanemoseley]

I got a 2.5in ultra grade ORA maxima about 3 weeks ago from etropicals. I put it on a flat rock on my sand bed where its been for the entire time. I have a 75 and dose about 1TBSP of DT's every other day. I have 2x250w MH's about 8" off the water. It appears healthy and opens up for the entire day but there's some stringy junk around the bottom of its shell where it meets the rock, its kind of a fluffy clear and white stringy stuff. Last night I sucked off all the junk and put it up to the top of the rocks in case it hadn't been getting enough light on the sand bed, btw I have a 3" sand bed. This morning the MH's have not come on yet but there is a small amount of the stringy stuff forming again.

 

[pecan2phat]

Sounds like the excretions that the byssal gland puts out to attach to the rock. Is the clam attached or trying to attach?

 

[zanemoseley]

I think its attached by now, last night when I moved it up in the tank it didn't seem to move on its rock at all, also I accidentilly poked the shell some when I was removing the stringy stuff and the shell didn't move at all. So will this stop after a while or continue?

 

[pecan2phat]

They look like a whitish stringy thread correct? If so, then yes. It was probably just the clams attempt to attach a several times. When and if he detaches, you will see the remnants of these stringy threads.

 

[zanemoseley]

Ok here's a picture, the clam is now about 15" from the 250w MH's, and I put 1TBSP of DT's in the tank every other day. You can see the stringy stuff at the base of the clam I"m talking about.

Another wierd thing I noticed about the clam is as you can see when you look at it from the side it looks dark purple but when you look at it from the top it looks blue/turquoise, I didn't know maxima's changed color depending on the direction you look at it.

 

[Witch-King]

I have a max clam as well that is brown / purple from the side and blue only if I look down upon it from directly above. I thought it was this color because I didn't have the correct lighting for a month or so at first. I hope it turns blue from all angles as the one in the LFS. Mine has been under the new Duel 150 DE HQI 10K Ushios for about 2 weeks and seems to be gaining more color. I'll be watching this thread as i'm also interested what others have to say about the color of these clams.

 

[odoprelude]

I've got the same stuff coming off of the mantle of my crocea... as far as the color, all clams (excpet squammies) that I have seen have the different colors visible depending on where you are looking from so no worries there...