Tiny Maxima PMD???

[BriDroid]

I got this ORA maxima a few weeks ago. It’s maybe 1.5” if that. It looked great.


Fast forward to this week and I noticed what started to look like PMD. I started to run a lot of carbon in my rector and I did my first 30 minute FWD. It opened back up within 30 minutes of being in the tank and looked the same. 3 days later (yesterday) I did a second 30 minute FWD. This is what it looked like this morning.

Top down pic


Front pic through the glass


Here is what it looks like this afternoon, top down.


It seems to have white new growth on the shell edge, it reacts to shadows. After the first FWD I moved it to a tiny deli cup at the bottom of the tank with some rubble. One thing I’ve noticed is that it has never attached firmly. After about 2 weeks it attached with maybe a single byssal thread. I have a derasa and a crocea and they are both happy and growing like crazy. Did I just get a bad clam maybe? Any other ideas on what I can do to help it?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Does not look like it to me, but I'm not sure, more concerning to me is that I don't see growth on the shell, it could be the picture angle, but should see a clear thick white line of new growth at the top of the shell. @minus9 is one of the clam guru's

 

[minus9]

Your first pic shows virtually no new growth at all, so wherever is was being held, it wasn't growing at all. I would keep it in a high light area of your tank, putting it lower doesn't help it at all. I don't see any signs that say PMD for sure, maybe some irritated the mantle. Hopefully there was enough new growth that the FW dips didn't stress it out too much? Give it high light and keep water chemistry stable. In the last pic it almost looks like a vermitid in one of the scutes, which would explain the mantle being tucked in a little. PMD has a distinct look, the mantle just doesn't fold, it will look like it's been "crinkled" and slowly spread along the mantle, not just stay in one section.

 

[BriDroid]

Your first pic shows virtually no new growth at all, so wherever is was being held, it wasn't growing at all. I would keep it in a high light area of your tank, putting it lower doesn't help it at all. I don't see any signs that say PMD for sure, maybe some irritated the mantle. Hopefully there was enough new growth that the FW dips didn't stress it out too much? Give it high light and keep water chemistry stable. In the last pic it almost looks like a vermitid in one of the scutes, which would explain the mantle being tucked in a little. PMD has a distinct look, the mantle just doesn't fold, it will look like it's been "crinkled" and slowly spread along the mantle, not just stay in one section.

Thank you! That gives me great hope! I'll move him back up into the light right now!

 

[minus9]

When buying a clam, look for shell growth if you're buying it in person. If you don't see any new growth, pass on the clam. Until you gain more experience and know how to provide the right environment for them, look for healthy clams with a good amount of new growth. FYI: most vendors, wholesalers, etc don't keep clams in adequate conditions.

 

[BriDroid]

When buying a clam, look for shell growth if you're buying it in person. If you don't see any new growth, pass on the clam. Until you gain more experience and know how to provide the right environment for them, look for healthy clams with a good amount of new growth. FYI: most vendors, wholesalers, etc don't keep clams in adequate conditions.

This one drop shipped from ORA…. I just moved it back up and after it closed there does appear to be some white new growth on the edge of the shell. Hopefully that’s promising! It’s hard to tell from the pic but I can see it in person.

 

[minus9]

Maxima and crocea need to be in high light portions of your tank, there's really no need to acclimate them to high light, unless you know they are coming from poor conditions. If you need to acclimate (light) them, then it should be over the course of a few days to a week max. They should be receiving a minimum of 350+ micromoles (that's the lower end, as they should get more than 350) for at least 8hrs a day of full spectrum light.