Odd Maxima placement question:

Fasthandsslowmind · Mar 30, 2025

Hoping for a little clam advice on a few topics:

Firstly, I recently added an ORA maxima clam (maybe 4.5") from ASD to my reef that currently has a very large and thriving Maxima.

Placed nearby, on the sand over a buried ceramic frag disc, it initially looked pretty good, then for the last few days, was only maybe half open. I had recently lost a very small clam placed in this spot. It doesn't get a ton of PAR, and is partially shaded by a Monti.

SOOOO, I've decided to move it to higher par. I removed it very easily but gently lifting, and I believe it was barely attached to the ceramic plate. It's new home is limited on room due to a lot of SPS growth. Here's the question:

I've put it on top of a seashell that's placed in the center of a very large monti cap colony. It'll get more light here, and about the right flow I think, but I'm concerned with a few things: It won't be accessible by any snails or CUC. Maybe hermits.

Second concern is that it won't be able to move far, just adjust itself within the boundaries of the shell.

I guess the plan is to watch for extension. If it looks happy, I'll leave it. If not, at least I can just pick up the shell so future moves will be less traumatic.

Sorry for bad color in the photos.

Tahoe61 · Mar 30, 2025

Beautiful Montipora.

The clam not being available to the cuc would not concern me. I have 1 tiny Certh with my clams.
The clam is capable of walking right out that shell if it wants to. You were definitely right to move it up. Maxima are rock boring clams. If the clam is moving around a lot that's an issue.

minus9 · Mar 31, 2025

Can you take a pic with filters or turn on the white LEDs more? Just for future reference, all blue pics are kind of worthless to determine the overall health of a clam. Placement should be fine as long as the clam can extend its mantle and has proper lighting. I'm trying to determine the shell growth, so the blue pics kinda suck for detail.