Precautions in proper care and protection of a maxima clam?

[STiTCH87]

So if anyone has been following my posts here and there, they'll know I am picking up another maxima clam soon. Likely this Friday/Weekend.

I've read enough info on them to be paranoid for the rest of my life, lol.

I did find 2 pyramid snail shells a few months ago that I removed from a frag disc and I haven't seen any since nor am I certain if they were even alive or just the shells (looked empty to me)
And I also saw a eunice worm about half a year ago and I still see broken shells tucked up into a crevice in my rockwork though I haven't seen the worm in atleast 3-4 months.

No corals, fish, or snails have gone missing so I think I might be ok.

Should I be concerned about adding a maxima because of this?

Are there any precautions I can take to say, block out any pests from picking on it? Like a way to block off the bysal opening safely to ward off pests or something?

I plan to place it on a piece of rubble rock on my sand bed. It's about 5-6" and very healthy looking.

I've already removed all nassarius snails from the tank just to be safe.

I own a possum wrasse and flasher wrasse but IDK if either one would eat any pest snails/worms if I had them.

 

[Rentalcoot]

I'm just as paranoid!!! Everyone has been very helpful on here with mine. Good luck and they are beautiful specimens. Archit(lovethereef) did good by getting more in

 

[STiTCH87]

Well I have 3 hitchhiker turkey wing clams that have been very happy and healthy for about a year now. Granted they're super easy to keep and strictly filter feeders, but still I figure if they can survive, it's a start.

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[dz6t]

Large Maxima clam (over 4 inch) from the ocean (they raise them in ocean pans these days) have higher death rate than smaller one (~2 inch). Maxima clams from Polynesian seems to have higher death rate than clams from other locations. There are threads on RC where people talk about this. I had several maxima before, all grown from ~2 inch by me or other members. It is possible that a smaller clam adjust easier than larger ones. Just want I learn so take it as my own opinion.

 

[STiTCH87]

Really? I've read the opposite that larger clans are easier to keep. Maybe shirt term they're easier? Hmm. I had read larger ones are more capable of adjusting to a tanks parameters. Now you're having me second guess buying a large one. Lol Oiii these clams. I'm about ready to just stick to corals.

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[Nicole79]

Really? I've read the opposite that larger clans are easier to keep. Maybe shirt term they're easier? Hmm. I had read larger ones are more capable of adjusting to a tanks parameters. Now you're having me second guess buying a large one. Lol Oiii these clams. I'm about ready to just stick to corals.

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I have also done a TON of research on this and everything I have read has pointed to smaller clams being less hardy/harder to keep thank larger ones, having to be "fed" etc...

 

[wdebenedettojr]

I have also done a TON of research on this and everything I have read has pointed to smaller clams being less hardy/harder to keep thank larger ones, having to be "fed" etc...

100% agree with Nicole. Plus from my own experience first hand small Maximas under 3 inches very high mortality rate. Not saying dong is wrong but IMO larger are much much easier.

 

[SteveDola]

bigger the clam the more resilient. smaller clams die for any little stress from my experience. Ive tried many times and eventually they get knocked around or something picks and then...DEAD. All my clams that were 4" or larger lasted well over a year and most 2-3 until I killed them in a transfer :-( or when I switched to LEDS

 

[STiTCH87]

Okay, yes that's what I thought and have also read. I don't want to disagree with Dong either. But in this case, I feel as though I do.

So if french polynesia = tahiti = tuamotu, then where else do maxima clams ever even come from?

 

[Rentalcoot]

Archit got his from Vietnam

 

[dz6t]

I am talking about Maxima, not other clams.
Small calm less than or about 1 inch are very hard to keep alive, the best Maxima clam size is between 2 inch to 3 inch.
There is a thread on RC talking about large Polynesian maxima with very low survival rate.

 

[dz6t]

There might be a reason for Maxima clams.
First of all, T. maxima are rock boring clams, large maxima in the wild normally embedded itself in rocks with only mantel visible.
For farmed maxima clams, they are raised on slabs or rock sea floor. From liveaquaria, sometime you can see photo of small maxima sitting on small slabs.
For larger size maxiam, they are cut off the slabs before shipping. In general, mid size (2 to 3 inch) maxima clam MAY recover better than large ones.
Another thing people do is let the clam sit on a small piece of rock in your tank, then you can move it later, with the rock firmly attached to the clam.

 

[dz6t]

bigger the clam the more resilient. smaller clams die for any little stress from my experience. Ive tried many times and eventually they get knocked around or something picks and then...DEAD. All my clams that were 4" or larger lasted well over a year and most 2-3 until I killed them in a transfer :-( or when I switched to LEDS

It depend on when and where you get the clam. As you said, smaller clams get knocked around. Clam doesn't like to be moved around and that may be the reason for their death.

 

[dz6t]

So if french polynesia = tahiti = tuamotu, then where else do maxima clams ever even come from?

Vietnam, their clam seems to be hardier than Polynesia. But time will tell.

 

[dz6t]

By the way, I mean the shell length of a clam, not including mantel extension.
I would jump into Archit's group buy if I am not going to travel for sometime. From the photo, they looks healthy.

 

[STiTCH87]

I still disagree that the best Maxima clam size is 2-3". I have read dozens upon dozens of threads of people saying that size is toughest to keep and the larger the easier. I guess everyone has their own opinion but I trust those who own many and have for years over a few guys over in RC. I've gotten a fair share of poor advice from that site already. I think if it wasn't cultured and just dug from rock as an adult then yeah I could see the issue, but a large maricultured maxima grown in a specialized area in the wild, I think that's the way to go. Look at PacificEastAquaculture.com They're one if not the most successful Maxima clam supplier in the US with very small death rates and all their clams are cultured. Most from tahiti.

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[dz6t]

Most clams today are cultured these days.
They are cultured in ocean, not in tanks, it doesn't improve their hardiness much.
Such as Marie cultured SPS, still has the similar hardiness as wild colonies.