For the vast majority of reef aquarists, it is Tridacna maxima (what we more commonly call Maxima Clams) that come to mind whenever clams are brought up. These gorgeous clams are popular all around the world, both as a stunning jewel in one's aquarium and in many places, as a delicacy! In the aquarium, they are few rivals for their beauty and having a healthy, happy Maxima Clams starts with where you get them. There used to be some debate as to whether or not clams needed feeding. This is mostly because we are keeping them under very intense lighting, and we still suggest keeping them under very intense, broad-spectrum lighting. All this being said, they still need feeding (even under direct sunlight). Even though a large proportion of a Maxima's nutrition needs is supplied by their symbiotic zooxanthellae, they are still filter feeders. They will do best in aquariums where there are fish (as long as these fish aren't clam pickers). Fish produce both ammonia and particulate waste, and both of these waste streams are utilized by Maxima Clams. Even if you have very dense populations of fish, we still suggest target feeding your clams, and the absolute best way to do this is with Nutramar's live phytoplankton, in particular the CRIT and IC products which offer an excellent nutritional profile for bivalves. Click here to learn more
