* Restriction On Guarantee. However in the deeper waters, over 25 feet, they are found solitary (Jaubert 1977). If they are positioned where the water flow causes them to fold their mantle upward or close, this will cause the clam to eventually starve and die. Temperature : 75°F - 80°F (25°C - 27°C) Specific Gravity : 1.023 - … While in nature, giant clams can deal with a few of these parasitic snails, in captivity these snails tend to multiply to dangerous numbers. You will see their mantle extending excessively if the light is not strong enough. Clams can be sensitive handling, so avoid that as much as possible. Although it is rare, the tubercles are sometimes quite numerous. Be cautious with tank inhabitants that may pick at the clam or eat its mantle, such as Trigger Fish and Puffers. However it grows at a much slower rate. The size of the tank should be at least 100 gallons for your Maxima Clam (though larger is better) as this will help keep water parameters stable. The intake siphon is used to direct water flow into the mantle cavity and across the gills. This is because on small specimens, the color patterns of these two clams is similar and the outside of the shell is identical. But though these markings are common, they shouldn't always be expected. When placing your clam into the tank, do not put it in a tight crevice. The byssus opening's edge on the Maxima tends to curl upwards with a chitonous ring surrounding it. We’ll give you 12 hours after delivery to make sure you are completely satisfied. While they can be found at depths of 50 feet (15.24 m), their numbers drop off dramatically at 25 feet (7.62 m). However, herbivores present an effective and totally natural means of algae control. Tridacna maxima is currently classified as lower risk/conservation dependent (i.e., species of ‘least concern’) under the IUCN Red List for threatened species. If they are positioned where the water flow causes them to fold their mantle upward or close, this will cause the clam to eventually starve and die. There are no discernible sexual differences. The Maxima Clam and Green Maxima Clam (Tridacna Maxima), also known as the small giant clam, is a species of bivalve mollusc found throughout the Indo-Pacific region. They are considered ectoparasites or commensals, and they will not harm a healthy clam. 18 Products . These clams do not burrow in captivity. Once you see Coralline algae growing (that cool pink and purple hard algae) you know your tank is doing well and ready for your clam. Quantity: Add to Cart . This is most likely due to bacterial infections, however, rather than the damage itself. But they are slow growers, expanding at only a few millimeters per month. When there is a good fish population, most clams fulfill their nutritional requirements by filter feeding and absorbing dissolved organic compounds from the water. Reef aquarium setup for large reef tanks, Nano reef tanks, Pico reef or MIcro reef aquariums with reef tank lighting, filtration, choosing coral reef animals, and problem solving! You will have a much better chance of keeping a wild collected clam if you receive it still attached to a rock. For hardness, maintain a dkh of 7.9-12, with the optimal being 9. Anemones need to be watched, as they can move close to a clam and sting or eat it. Pictures from a coral frag conference! It is important to make sure they are not being irritated or fed upon by other organisms. We’ll even cover the shipping on the replacement no matter which service you choose. With plenty of light this algae will make too much food for themselves and the extra carbon and glucose is given to the clam (similar to most reef corals). They are much sought after in the aquarium trade, as their often striking coloration mimics that of the true giant clam. Clams that close partially or all the way are not happy with water flow. The rows of scutes of a Maxima Clam are smaller and closer together than those on the Squamosa, and the hinge on the Maxima is smaller. In the event that your inverts arrive DOA, simply take photos of the DOA items within 2 hours of delivery and visit www.algaebarn.com/claims to submit the form. They do best in a tank that is at least 100 gallons. A temperature between 74 to 83˚F (23 to 28˚C) is best, but be sure to keep the temperature you choose stable. Once they are older they will still benefit from phytoplankton foods fed on a regular schedule in an aggressively skimmed tank. After that, visit www.algaebarn.com/claims and submit the form. They are often living together in the much shallower waters.in great congregations. If obtaining a clam from the wild, you will have a much better chance of success if you receive it still attached to a rock. The next stage is the bivalve veliger, which sort of looks like a tiny free swimming clam. bobtc100@yahoo.com, I am looking for either a larger one or a few smaller frags, Hello dear Polynesia is in the central and South Pacific oceans and contains the Hawaiian islands, Tonga, Samoa, and the islands of French Polynesia. Yes; false; Clams. A Maxima Clam will never have the entire mantle background in a striped pattern. “We will take care of you and make it right”. Discount for Military, First Responders and more! These snails attack tridacnids with a trunk-like snout called a "proboscis." CLAMS! Most clams fulfill their nutritional requirements by filter feeding and absorbing dissolved organic compounds from the water. A stable salinity is critical, aim for 1.024 to prevent swinging out of the 1.023 and 1.025 range. If you need to move them, take a few weeks to slowly get them into their new position or they will go into shock. Size ranges from 6 inches for T. crocea and 12 to 16 inches inches for T. maxima, to 4 to 5 feet for T. gigas, which has been recorded at lengths up to 53 inches! I’m not a huge fan of all the bright green or deep purple specimens I usually find. Blennies, Butterfly Fish, Clown Gobies, Angelfish and shrimp may disturb Tridacna clams. In the wild, the T. maxima's are found on the tops or slopes of the reef in shallow and clear waters. A mature tank is also important. The more colorful clams, such as T. maxima and T. crocea, are naturally found high up on reef areas where there is … Along with regular water changes the following parameters are important in keeping your Maxima Clam long term. AlgaeBarn, LLC offers promotional free shipping on all purchases (excluding items that require overnight shipping such as live fish, live clams, or frozen foods) that subtotal exceeds $40 (not including taxes or fees) and the delivery address is located inside the continental United States of America. If for any reason you decide something isn’t quite ultra grade, simply snap a photo of the unopened item(s) you would like replaced. With some specimens being intensely colored and strongly patterned, you will find references to them in the aquarium industry under a variety of descriptive names. Placing a Maxima Clam in your tank is pretty much the same as placing a Crocea Clam. The byssus opening on the Maxima extends towards the edge of the shell, but not as much as on the Crocea. Maxima Clams are graded for size, intensity of colors, and complexity of patterns, then priced accordingly. Copyright © [Animal-World] 1998-2020. When they are very tiny, just settling into a reef, they will chemically borrow and make a small divot that their shells fit in perfectly. They may hide in the scutes of the clam or in the substrate by day, but will often will be found around the edges of the clam's mantle tissue or byssal gape (large foot hole) after the lights go out. While they will adjust to their new surroundings in time and will become more hardy, during acclimation it is especially important to avoid wide fluctuations in light, water flow, reef water parameters (calcium, magnesium etc), and salinity. Seems to be well right now in my sand bed. A siphon, also called the intake siphon or inhalant siphon, is a fleshy tube-like structure that is part of the mantle. Maxima clams have many different colors and patterns. CLAMS! These high-grade aquacultured specimens are a great choice in terms of both animal hardiness and source sustainability. It is the third largest giant clam following its cousins, the massive Gigas Clam, Tridacna gigas which reaches over 3 feet in length, and the Derasa Clam, Tridacna derasa. Their coloring is incredible but they are also one of the most demanding clams when it comes to lighting. The maxima clam (Tridacna maxima) is as beautiful as it is strange and interesting. The hinge has an opening, called the "byssal opening," where a muscular foot attaches to a hard surface. This helps prevent pests from attacking them through the opening. If they do not burrow early in life, they loose the tendency. Maxima Clams are sensitive to being handled so avoid it if at all possible. If your clam's color is iridescent, it has adapted to bright lighting and should be placed closer to the top of your tank. If proper lighting is used, they are a beautiful display in a reef aquarium. We take the worry out of buying Live Copepods, Phytoplankton, Inverts, and Captive Bred Fish online by going above and beyond to take care of our customers. Depending on how long you have the clam and what kind it is, some clam species attaches more than other with Squamosa and Derasa not as attached as Maximas and Croceas although I have Maximas and Croceas that also never attaches even to a bare-bottom tank. Whatsapp;00201118151003 The mantle will extend excessively if the light is not strong enough. Maxima Clams have a soft, laterally compressed body that is enclosed in an elongated shell. Fill in the area with sand, as much as half way up the clam, to keep their byssal opening blocked off. Vying for this honor is its close cousin, the Crocea Clam Tridacna Crocea. On average this clam will only grow .08 to 1.6" per year, rather than the 4" per year seen with those two big fellows. Other common names they are known by are the Great Clam, Elongate Giant Clam, Giant Clam, Rugose Clam, and Small Giant Clam. They can be found online and in stores, Due to the wide variety of colors and sizes, they range in price from moderately expensive to expensive. Inspect your clam regularly for several months and remove any snails you discover. There are usually larger areas of solid color in the Maxima, more so than in other Tridacna clams. They will have bored themselves slightly into the coral rock or substrate on which they sit and will be firmly attached by their byssus glands. They have light sensors on the mantle and do need a lot of lighting. Giant clams have the ability to absorb nutrients like ammonia, nitrate and phosphates from the water. It is a bit easier to care for than its close relative, the Crocea Clam, but both species need diligent attention paid to water parameters, flow, salinity and lighting to be stable, more so than some of the other Tridacna clams. The Maxima Clam is also known as the Small Giant Clam and is the most recognized species of giant clams. The shell of the Maxima Clam is asymmetrical, while the. These sustainably farmed specimens are available as First Grade, Gold and Black & Color. Do typical water changes of 10% biweekly, 20% a month, or 5% weekly. ORA grades include Ultra, Ultra Gold, Purple First, Green First and Gold mantle colors. They will filter water to extract phytoplankton and microscopic organisms that inhabit the sunny upper waters, such as dissolved organic matter like ammonium nitrate. Feather Dusters, Bristle Worms, Flatworms: Author: Clarice Brough CFS, Elizabeth M. Lukan, Carrie McBirney, Giant Clams - Hippopus and Tridacna Clams, Online Dictionary of Aquatic Science Terms, Dr. Overview. Required fields are marked *, Pods. Solid blue Maxima Clams have been found in the Red Sea. Scientific Name : Tridacna maxima. maxima is the smallest of the "giant" clams at less than a third the size of the true giant clam T. gigas. For more in depth information on caring for Maxima Clams see, Caring For Tridacnid Clams. There is the Tridacna maxima clam which gets to be about 12 inches. Whether additional feeding is required is still debated. It is suggested that they be fed micro-foods designed for filter feeders, especially when small. Once they adjust to the lighting, the light must stay constant. They should be placed on live rock or some other solid material they can attach to. They come in an infinite range of colors and patterns. The mantle protrudes in the form of flaps that are quite colorful. They receive the majority of their nutrition from their zooxanthellae. To minimize the possibility of the product being delayed over the weekend, we ship our products Monday - Wednesday. One marking often seen on the Maxima Clam is a prominent row of black pigmented eye spots along the edge of the mantle. Of course, the maintenance of good water quality is by far the best way to combat them. If you have some available, please respond. In …, Hard to Kill: Using Cerith Snails and Siphonaria Limpets Read More ». Latin Name: Tridacna maxima Max Size: 12″ in Wild Approx Cost: From $40.00 Light Level: High Placement: Rock Care Level: Moderate It's also one of the most readily recognized of the giant clams in the aquarium industry, and has been dubbed by some enthusiasts as the "Holy Grail of Reef Aquariums." One aquarist noted a spawning clam pulsing out eggs every two minutes. All rights reserved. Good water quality must be maintained, but if a healthy Maxima Clam is obtained and proper light provided, they are moderately easy to keep. $109.99 . Tell:00201118151003 If you have plenty of light on the substrate, placing them on a flat rock below the sand is best. We’ll review the photo and have a replacement out to you faster than a six-line wrasse at feeding time. Your email address will not be published. Common Names : Maxima Clam, Giant Clam. If the fish expires from natural causes (this does not include being killed by tank mates, jumping out of the aquarium, being acclimated to the wrong environment, not being fed the recommended foods) within 7 days after delivery, just provide a picture of the expired fish and we will offer you a free replacement, however, you must pay for shipping, or a refund, less the shipping cost. These masses are transparent, so difficult to spot. The small giant clam T. maxima (max known size < 40 cm, but usually < 20 cm), is still found in relatively high densities at various locations throughout the Central Pacific . Predators are small pyramidellid snails that bore into their tissue and feed on their bodily fluids. For this reason they are usually graded for sale in the aquarium industry. Like Crocea Clams, Maxima Clams may create indentations in rockwork. Often called flowers of the sea, they are quite varied and beautiful, but are actually animals! If putting them in a hole in the rock work, keep excess detritus out by periodically using a turkey baster or power head. The T. maxima are the most common and widespread of the giant clams. Maxima Clams commonly have small shrimp and crabs that live in the mantle cavity. CLAMS! The gorgeous colorings of its mantle arguably make it one of the most popular of the Tridacna clams. Adding large doses weekly is not recommended. Though a bit smaller than the Maxima Clam, the Crocea is another highly colored, beautiful, and favored giant clam. This service tends to take 1-3 days for delivery and may depend on locality. Typically, we ship with USPS Priority Mail. Keep a watch out for predators! The Maxima Clam will generally reach a maximum of about 12" in length in a large enough aquarium, though in the wild Maxima clam's have reached over 16 inches. The Tridacna clams have gone even further than this, using zooxanthellae to manufacture food for themselves. They require high light levels in the aquarium and are best placed high in the tank, close to the lights. However, they lose the need to bore into rock if they are captive grown. Maxima Clams are known to live together in great congregations, and they can attain a maximum size of 12” in … This video shows that Maxima Clams are like fingerprints, in that no two ever look the same! Certain orders may be shipped through FEDEX or UPS when we determine necessary. another may be showing off the brown color of their zooxanthellae. Put a flat rock on the bottom glass of the tank and the clam on top of that. Pitcairn Island is a volcanic island in the South Pacific near the Tropic of Capricorn. Out of Stock. Likewise, a protozoan by the name of Perkinsus olseni has been found in the digestive tract of Tridacna crocea, T. maxima, and T. gigas (Goggin & Lester 1987 and Goggin 1996), which can possibly lead to a clam’s death. The Maxima Clam is probably the most widely recognized species of the giant clams, with its beautiful mantle and rich variety of vivid colorations. I would like to purchase a quantity of Aiptasia for my Berghia Nudibranch. Jungle's Pets and Animal Speak - Newsletter, Giant Clam Care: Caring For Tridacnid Clams, Tridacnid Clams: Friends, Enemies & Ailments, Tridacna maxima (Röding, 1798) elongate giant clam, Guide to Marine Invertebrates: 500+ Essential-to-Know Aquarium Species, Book of Coral Propagation, Volume 1 Edition 2: Reef Gardening for Aquarists, Reef Invertebrates: An Essential Guide to Selection, Care and Compatibility, Reef Secrets: Starting Right, Selecting Fishes & Invertebrates, Advanced Biotope Techniques, Natural Reef Aquariums: Simplified Approaches to Creating Living Saltwater Microcosms, Giant Clams: A Comprehensive Guide to the Identification and Care of Tridacnid Clams, Baensch Marine Atlas, Vol. The shell consists of two parts connected by a short hinge. They will find a shallow area of the reef to settle into, using limestone substrates on coral rubble or on top of living corals as their new home. Captive Bred Fish: We guarantee every Live Fish we ship to be 100% Alive On Arrival and we also offer a 7-day health guarantee on all Live Captive Bred Fish. The Maxima Clam is beautiful, but moderately difficult to care for, so it is not suggested for a beginning aquarist. Maxima Clams obtained from aquaculture systems are readily available, and usually from 1 1/4" to 3 1/4" in size. Gotta love a beautiful clam showing off in the tank. 023528. Giant clams are all born male and then turn female as needed. That’s why we guarantee every order we ship will be 100% Alive On Arrival or we will replace it free of charge. Gold Maxima Clam - Tridacna maxima - Aquacultured. I added a few more high end sps, and a very lovely Maxima Clam to my reef. Facts about clams predators, hitchhikers, pests, and diseases - everything from pesky fish, snails and crabs, to clam worms, mantis shrimp, and Protozoans! Its best to obtain a captive grown clam that is at least 2 inches, ideally 4 inches, in length. That helps to stabilize them and if you have to move them, the small rock makes it easier. They do very well in aquariums with higher lighting and should be kept in the rock work so they can attach with their byssal threads. Guide to marine supplies, putting the aquarium together, cycling the aquarium water and adding fish! We will review the photos and issue store credit for any DOA Inverts! The clam is probably trying to find a better position my moving around. The giant clams are protandry, meaning they are born male and change to female. They lose their desire to burrow, however, when raised in captivity, and only use their byssus (foot) to attach to hard surfaces. They will eventually bore into a substrate or other substance on which they are placed. Live coral frags and topics on Nano Reef Aquariums and large reef aquariums, taking care of a reef and coral propagatio, Aquarium Cycling Guide: starting up a new aquarium the right way, Diagnose illness, chart symptoms, suggested medications, What to feed tropical fish fry, livebearers and egglayers, Glossary of aquatic science terms used in ichthyology and aquarium circles for freshwater and marine animals, corals and plants. Lost a very lovely Orange Passion colony due to RTN. You will want to make sure that your tank is established before adding these clams. 3 (Baensch Marine Atlas), The Reef Aquarium: A Comprehensive Guide to the Identification and Care of Tropical Marine Invertebrates (Volume 1), Maxima Clam Multicolored, Aquacultured (Tridacna maxima), Aquarium Invertebrates: A Look at the Giant Clam Tridacna maxima, scutes are usually low and close together, the lateral distance between scutes in adjacent rows is usually less than the scutes' width. I was wondering if you had a piece of stag horn coral in it’s natural golden tan color. The mantle of a Maxima Clam can be any colors of the rainbow, including black and white. Damage could be done when messing around with an attached clam. Typically, there is some sort of outside stimuli that causes spawning, which can be a change in temperature, salinity, or other parameter. First and foremost, “Is this system capable of managing a large(r) bioload?” And then, “How will I deal with all of the nitrate that my biofilter …, Upgrading to the ULTIMATE Refugium Starter Pack Read More », Nuisance algae is almost certain to emerge—at least to some extent—in all reef aquarium systems. While one Maxima Clam may do well in a tank with one type of lighting, another may not. 3 inch size. The most dangerous predators are the highly prolific pyramidellid snails of the Tathrella, Pyrgiscus, and Turbonilla genera. However this should be left to the experts, as clams spawning in a small system can cause serious pollution issues. For more information about the feeding process of Maxima Clams see What Do Clams Eat. The Maxima Clam is also not as hardy, nor as easy to care for, as its two large cousins but is slightly more durable than the smaller Crocea Clam. Or EcoPods, which is a mixed-species (four, to be exact) …, Upgrading to the ULTIMATE Ecopack Read More », You might be setting up a brand-new reef tank. Clams are very stationary and peaceful, they are not aggressive towards other aquarium inhabitants. When first obtained, inspect the clam's shell for predators. Hi All, If anyone can advise me, thanks in advance. Lighting is one of the most important aspects in maintaining Maxima Clams. Kelvin is best at 6K to 10K, to mimic the light levels they receive naturally in their shallow habitat. They punch holes into the clam's soft tissue and then feed on its bodily fluids. Because they burrow into the rock and attach themselves with their byssal threads, collecting them from the wild is more difficult and the chances of receiving a damaged clam are greater.