Maxima Clam in the sand harmful?

[DearPrudence]

Is it true that Maxima clams shouldn't be placed directly into the sand? The LFS guy said it can get into their byssal threads and all that and kill it, but I can't seem to find anything else saying that it's harmful. I see people all over forums saying their clam likes to bury itself and such.

 

[JessiNoel21]

My moms Max loves her sand bed cuz that is where the most light is only thing she had to make sure of was her LTA staying away from it.

 

[DearPrudence]

Well I don't have an LTA so that's good! I've had a clam for about 2 weeks now and got a little clam boat for him to sit on to keep him out of the sand, and sometimes he'll attach ever so slightly but within a few days he turns around on it and keeps finding his way back into the sand. I've been terrified of getting sand in him, but I can't help that he moves himself into it!

 

[DearPrudence]

Hmm, so he continued to hop into the sand from his "clam boat" (kind of a plaster rock with an indention for clams to sit in). Today he was on his side (as he sometimes does but will right himself) only difference was he wasn't as reactive to light and vibrations. Normally he reacts to eeeeverything. His "foot" was definitely on earlier today (on the bottom where he would attach to something), but when I went in to try a new spot there was a complete hole in him. I could see riiiight up in him. He's still alive, just not showing as much activity. Any idea what happened there? Is he dying? =( All parameters are stable and fine.

 

[ryanr]

Hi, sounds like an interesting adventure with your clam.

Having never kept one, I don't know about their behaviour etc, other than most reports I read suggest they are substrate dwellers.

 

[JessiNoel21]

Hmm, so he continued to hop into the sand no matter where I put him. Today he was on his side (as he sometimes does but will right himself) only difference was he wasn't as reactive to light and vibrations. Normally he reacts to eeeeverything. His "foot" was definitely on earlier today (on the bottom where he would attach to something), but when I went in to try a new spot there was a complete hole in him. I could see riiiight up in him. He's still alive, just not showing as much activity. Any idea what happened there? Is he dying? =( All parameters are stable and fine.

He could be stressed due to moving him. A could of retracted his foot due to the stress. I would leave him be a see how he is in a few days. BTW they can move themselves if they do not like a place. The less you handle them the better

 

[DearPrudence]

He died, not sure what happened there. I think he was on his way out when I discovered him on his side since he wasn't reacting very much, not quite sure what happened to the foot during that time, but he died anyway. He was just never happy, I let him go for weeks at a time wiggling around and would only make small movements if he fell over so I know I wasn't wasn't to blame for touching him too much, if anything I feel like I should have made a more drastic change to his placement but didn't want to disturb him =(

 

[Stang Man]

Sad to here that!! Not a good thing to have happen. First off can I ask what your water chemistry is for Ammonia,Nitrites, Nitrates,Phosphates, Magnessium,Calcium and are you using a R/O water and what type salt that you are using at this time the more details the better for a result as to what had happened.. Also what salinity are you at etc.....

 

[DearPrudence]

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0-5
Phosphates 0-0.25
Calcium 540
KH 10
Magnesium 1285
RO Water
Red Sea Coral Pro salt / Brightwell LiquidReef supplement
SG 1.024
Ecoxotic Panorama Pro blue/white LED strip and an actinic Stunner LED strip.
Feeding ReefForge PurePhyto 2-3 times a week.
No predators in tank.
Good flow in the tank but not so much that he was being blown around.
Never moved him unless he fell completely over which wasn't often, once even letting him right himself again on his own. Once he hopped in the sand the 2nd time I left him.

Sigh. I feel that I treated him perfectly =(

 

[JessiNoel21]

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0-5
Phosphates 0-0.25
Calcium 540
KH 10
Magnesium 1285
RO Water
Red Sea Coral Pro salt / Brightwell LiquidReef supplement
SG 1.024
Ecoxotic Panorama Pro blue/white LED strip and an actinic Stunner LED strip.
Feeding ReefForge PurePhyto 2-3 times a week.
No predators in tank.
Good flow in the tank but not so much that he was being blown around.
Never moved him unless he fell completely over which wasn't often, once even letting him right himself again on his own. Once he hopped in the sand the 2nd time I left him.

Sigh. I feel that I treated him perfectly =(

You did..How big was he?

 

[DearPrudence]

2-3 inches from left to right. I know smaller ones are harder to keep, but if everything was stable and parameters were spot on then I don't know what more I could have done =( Maybe I SHOULD have moved him. Ahhhh! I hate that. He was beautiful.

 

[JessiNoel21]

Yes small one are very hard to keep alive even with the right parameters and stable enviroment. Plus they need a lot feeding at that stage once a day I just learned from my mom.