Good afternoon! So I'm thinking about trying my second round at a blue Maxima clam.... I read somewhere that most if not all large Maxima were wild caught. Along with that wild caught clams are not suitable long term in the home aquairium. Talking to LFS they told me the one they have about 5-6" is believed to have been captive grown. I'm sure it's difficult to tell the difference between the 2 (captive and wild caught) but seems to be some pretty knowledgeable people out there so thought idI give it a try.... He seems real healthy and super receive to movement and light at the LFS with great coloring. Any advice is greatly appreciated
Maxima clam advise
- Thread starter Chad Eicher
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VSVP bet
Well-Known Member
Do you have other clams in youre tank now? Most clams are either AC or raised on farms. Your second go means the first one didnt go so well? What type of clam was your first, tank size, how long did it last, what fish do you have, how big was it at time of purchase, how long did it last in your tank, did you see growth rings? etc. what lights do you have?
Oshengems
Valuable Member
That’s a sweet one! One advice I can give you is once you get it set it and forget it! Lol, I killed a squamosa about a month ago not completely me(blaming petco just because they have a history) but I think my moving it almost every day to accommodate my viewing help kill it, went on a long weekend vaca came back to pinched mantle and part of my rock nem on it, I have a Maxima I got 2 years ago she was about 2-3” and has definitely put on weight and last week got a derasa which I have left alone and it’s doing great these were the original 2 I wanted a Maxima and derasa
dansreef
Well-Known Member
I read an article not too long ago by Pacific East Aquaculture that most smaller < 3" clams are aquacultured and are suitable for aquariums. Anything larger is wild caught. Main reason is the length of time required to grow clams to 4-6" is not feasible for aquaculture. Now, wild caught have issues... They can have parasites and they do not generally acclimate to aquariums. The aquacultured clams are free of parasites and have been raised in conditions that are very close to our aquariums. They went so far as to say nothing they sell now are wild caught because they just do not thrive. Interestingly, they say the smaller clams are just as good in our aquariums and do not require supplemental feeding... Just good strong light and good flow.
I am planning to add a couple of clams in the future. Will most likely get them from Pacific East.
I am planning to add a couple of clams in the future. Will most likely get them from Pacific East.
rc4kinu
New Member
Looks pretty and healthy. Go for it. The big ones are most likely wild harvested. I currently have 3 of them in qt right now. They love intense lighting and some nutrients in the water. I run a Radion on my 30 gal. qt and change about 2 quarts of water every 3-4 days with display tank water to add nutrients and keep up with alk/calcium. I also read that they come from relatively cooler ocean water. I have mine at 75 degrees. Check for snails by its foot and watch out for pinched mantle.
The smooth middle/lower shell is a great clue to it being wild caught since they are removed from the rock and in the wild the scutes are worn off. That coupled with the size is a pretty safe bet being wild. It takes many years if not a decade for a maxima to hit 6", no way an aquaculture center is going to grow them out that long unless it sold for huge money (thousands). Another hint is the center mantle isn't as exposed as we normally see with captive maximas (but this isn't always 100% spot on).
That being said some wild clams do great! If you don't want to take a chance then I would wait until PEA gets some 3" clams in.
That being said some wild clams do great! If you don't want to take a chance then I would wait until PEA gets some 3" clams in.
