Maxima Clam

[ExiledInfidel666]

I found very small tank raised maxima clams on a web site ultra grade only $35, im guessing they are small because it doesnt say the size and they look small, I wanted a crocea but I like the look of maximas a little more, I can always sell it when it get to big but that will take several years and by then il have a bigger tank for it anways, I have a 10g with 80w of compacts, USA Orbit to be exact, il buy some DT's phyto planton to feed it but the site its on also sells their own phyto plankton, $12 for 3 regualr sized poland spring bottles full of it, each bottle has a differnt type of phyto, I think im going to shoot for it but need to make sure the maxima dosnt have any different needs then the crocea, thanks in advance

 

[incysor]

I found very small tank raised maxima clams on a web site ultra grade only $35, im guessing they are small because it doesnt say the size and they look small, I wanted a crocea but I like the look of maximas a little more, I can always sell it when it get to big but that will take several years and by then il have a bigger tank for it anways, I have a 10g with 80w of compacts, USA Orbit to be exact, il buy some DT's phyto planton to feed it but the site its on also sells their own phyto plankton, $12 for 3 regualr sized poland spring bottles full of it, each bottle has a differnt type of phyto, I think im going to shoot for it but need to make sure the maxima dosnt have any different needs then the crocea, thanks in advance

Just be sure to put it as high up in the rockwork as you can. Maximas and Croceas are both pretty light-needy, so you want to get it as close to the lights as possible. If you're light is more than 6 months old you need to get a new bulb before you put the clam in, and then make sure to change it every 6 months. That's a good price for phyto. I've thought about culturing it myself, but haven't bothered to mess with it yet. I'd still buy at least one bottle of DT's cause I trust their product, and it would suck to have to scramble around to find some if their phyto wasn't as good.

What website are you looking at?

 

[ExiledInfidel666]

http://www.coralsandbar.com/showroom.html#

yea, they have a pic of their bottles and that stuff is dark green, looks pretty trusting, I thought you have to burry clams in the sand?, how could you put one in the rocks with out it falling, is it ok to glue them?, I doubt it because it might keep them from opening and closing, also I have a sand area hit dead on by the light, and my bulbs are only 3 months old

 

[incysor]

http://www.coralsandbar.com/showroom.html#

yea, they have a pic of their bottles and that stuff is dark green, looks pretty trusting, I thought you have to burry clams in the sand?, how could you put one in the rocks with out it falling, is it ok to glue them?, I doubt it because it might keep them from opening and closing, also I have a sand area hit dead on by the light, and my bulbs are only 3 months old

You don't glue them on. They have a 'foot' that they grab onto the rockwork with. There are rock-dwelling clams and substrate-dwelling clams. Try clamsdirect.com for the most comprehensive and up-to-date info on clams.

As for the phyto, you can't necessarily tell by color whether it's any good. Generally speaking darker is more condensed, which is good, but you can't tell from a picture whether the culture is in fact alive or not. If it isn't then it's not as good for the clam. DT's and liquidlife are the two companies that have the best reps in the industry. Both products need to be refrigerated, or kept in a freezer. However they're both a tad expensive. Any live phyto is going to need to be refrigerated, which is one of the reasons I haven't started my own phyto culturing yet, but I may just go buy a used dorm fridge and go for it, now that I have a garage to put all the stuff in.

 

[ExiledInfidel666]

ok sounds good

 

[dragon79]

I found very small tank raised maxima clams on a web site ultra grade only $35, im guessing they are small because it doesnt say the size and they look small, I wanted a crocea but I like the look of maximas a little more, I can always sell it when it get to big but that will take several years and by then il have a bigger tank for it anways, I have a 10g with 80w of compacts, USA Orbit to be exact, il buy some DT's phyto planton to feed it but the site its on also sells their own phyto plankton, $12 for 3 regualr sized poland spring bottles full of it, each bottle has a differnt type of phyto, I think im going to shoot for it but need to make sure the maxima dosnt have any different needs then the crocea, thanks in advance

Just be sure to put it as high up in the rockwork as you can. Maximas and Croceas are both pretty light-needy, so you want to get it as close to the lights as possible. If you're light is more than 6 months old you need to get a new bulb before you put the clam in, and then make sure to change it every 6 months. That's a good price for phyto. I've thought about culturing it myself, but haven't bothered to mess with it yet. I'd still buy at least one bottle of DT's cause I trust their product, and it would suck to have to scramble around to find some if their phyto wasn't as good.

What website are you looking at?

Yo! Is that how long and effective the lights last for? That sucks! Does that go for any tank you got? what i mean is, I have the jbj nanocube deluxe, and after 6 months, it'll lose it's lighthing and I'll have to replace all the bulbs? Or is it they burn out? Or both?

 

[incysor]

PC lights lose their effectiveness quite a bit after 6 months. The specs say they're good for about a year, but from many things I've read on lots of boards, folks have found that they start degrading after about 6 months. If you aren't trying to keep clams, anemones, SPS, or anything else that needs strong lighting you're good waiting the full 9-12 months before replacing the bulbs. However if you have anything that is light-needy you're much safer changing them after 6 months. You can't tell by looking at them that they're losing effectiveness, and by the time that your coral or clam is showing signs that you can see, they're likely goners whether you change the lights right away or not.

B

 

[djconn]

I change out PC bulbs every 8 months. The difference is amazing. You'll say "now why didn't I do that a lot sooner". I do every time.

And yes, it gets expensive.