What’s the difference in care requirements for these clams?
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Both have similar.What’s the difference in care requirements for these clams?
You'll be fine. Keep things stable.I keep my parameters at:
1.026/35ppt
cal 460ppm
Alk 11dkh
Nitrates <10ppm
phosphates <.10ppm
Magnesium 1350ppm-1400ppm
I’m having really good coralline growth. I like where my parameters are at.
Was this comment really necessary? This is an open forum where questions are welcome regardless of how many times they've been asked.Also, you’re asking basic questions easily answered by reading articles, old posts, and/or books.
Wait, How the hell you keep clams in 400+ Par? Isn't that top of tank?By “good lighting” he means 400+ PAR. If you have that on your sand bed, everything else in your tank is dead…
My Maximas are at 500-900 PAR.
Also, you’re asking basic questions easily answered by reading articles, old posts, and/or books.
Maxima and Crocea clams are shallow water rock dwelling clams. In nature, they receive 1000-2000 PAR easily during the day, and often spend hours exposed to direct sunlight out of water during tidal periods. I’ve seen it.Wait, How the hell you keep clams in 400+ Par? Isn't that top of tank?
I just added a young crocea to my tank, put him on a sandbed level rock that had a nice crevasse he firmly attached to. That area of my sand bed sits at approx 150 par, my intention was to move his rock higher over time. He's been in the tank a week now. Any specific advice on how long to spread that out? Or should I just move him up immediately? I have some areas higher in the tank that are in the 500-600 range I was going to aim for long term.Maxima and Crocea clams are shallow water rock dwelling clams. In nature, they receive 1000-2000 PAR easily during the day, and often spend hours exposed to direct sunlight out of water during tidal periods. I’ve seen it.
My clams are on the rocks in my clam tanks. The top of the tanks receive up to 1100 PAR.
Having long term success (5+ years, with steady growth) for maximas and croceas requires intense lighting. It may be that there are some outliers (there always are, hence the word) but by and large, intense lighting is required for both species, otherwise they’ll slowly starve. It may take 1-3 years for them to starve, but it will happen.
Growth is always the indicator of health in this hobby. IME, healthy maximas tend to put on a new row of scutes every 2-3 months until slowing down when they reach ~16-20cm. Croceas grow slower, but you should still see the a bright white area of new growth on the shell. IME, growth stops below ~350 PAR, which indicates starvation. I would consider 350 the borderline bare minimum, and a risky one at that (the clam could face slow starvation, even if it takes a few years). Keep in mind a maxima or crocea would never be receiving such a low amount light in nature. As I said, 1000-2000+ is often the norm in their natural habitat.
Don’t forget that maximas get big, easily 25cm. One of mine is nearing 25cm (about the length of my forearm) and probably weighs ~4kg.
As someone who’s had maximas for nearly 20 years, this is my experience for long term success (5+ years) rather than short term, slow starvation (1-3 years, followed by a “mysterious” death).
picture of this 25cm clam or it didnt happenMaxima and Crocea clams are shallow water rock dwelling clams. In nature, they receive 1000-2000 PAR easily during the day, and often spend hours exposed to direct sunlight out of water during tidal periods. I’ve seen it.
My clams are on the rocks in my clam tanks. The top of the tanks receive up to 1100 PAR.
Having long term success (5+ years, with steady growth) for maximas and croceas requires intense lighting. It may be that there are some outliers (there always are, hence the word) but by and large, intense lighting is required for both species, otherwise they’ll slowly starve. It may take 1-3 years for them to starve, but it will happen.
Growth is always the indicator of health in this hobby. IME, healthy maximas tend to put on a new row of scutes every 2-3 months until slowing down when they reach ~16-20cm. Croceas grow slower, but you should still see the a bright white area of new growth on the shell. IME, growth stops below ~350 PAR, which indicates starvation. I would consider 350 the borderline bare minimum, and a risky one at that (the clam could face slow starvation, even if it takes a few years). Keep in mind a maxima or crocea would never be receiving such a low amount light in nature. As I said, 1000-2000+ is often the norm in their natural habitat.
Don’t forget that maximas get big, easily 25cm. One of mine is nearing 25cm (about the length of my forearm) and probably weighs ~4kg.
As someone who’s had maximas for nearly 20 years, this is my experience for long term success (5+ years) rather than short term, slow starvation (1-3 years, followed by a “mysterious” death).
my guess is that you have a derasa or squamosa. Unlikely a maxima...not that big in home aquariumpicture of this 25cm clam or it didnt happen