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Clams
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WYSIWYG (What You See Pictured is the Exact Clam You Will Get)
These are the Giant Tridacna Maxima Clams, not to be confused with the more common and less brightly colored Crocea Clams. Giant Tridacna Maxima Clams are the most desirable and sought after Clam of all of the Tridacna species. People like the ultra bright colors, the intricate and never two exactly the same patterns, and the large flutes on the outside of their shells. Pretty much all you can find anymore are 1" to 2.5" Maxima's which are hard to keep baby clams, still needing to be fed phytoplankton, being that young and delicate. This size of Maxima's are becoming almost impossible to find.
These Giant Maxima's are easy to keep and care for. They require medium to high lighting....anywhere from (4) T5 bulbs to metal halides is fine. So, pretty much anyone can keep these gorgeous clams. The lower the light, the higher up in the tank you want to put your clam.
They like medium to high water flow, temperatures that all corals prefer (75 - 82 degrees), and water paramters that are typical of all reef tanks. So keep your Calcium between 380 to 460 mg/l, your Dkh at between 8 and 11 (alkalinity), and your magnesium at between 1280 and 1360 ppm. Of course, your reef should be within those parameters all the time anyway.
Clams are filter feeders, so they will filter microscopic particals from the water, but get most of what they need to live from the light. It is not necessary to feed these Giant clams, unlike the delicate baby clams (under 2.5"), which need to be fed phytoplankton supplement several times a week to insure they have proper nutrients. These Giant clams are easier to keep than many corals!
Maxima Clams like to attach they're foot (byssal filaments) to a rock, so find a good spot for your clam, and let it be. It will attach it's foot from below, and reside very solidly on that rock or sand (after it has time to burrow through and attach to the bottom). You don't have to worry about it moving around your tank....once it's attached, it's pretty much there for good. Clams will usually live for many years with minimal care.
One thing you can be sure of...your Giant Maxima Clam will be the CENTERPIECE of your reef tank, and the first thing people will notice when they view your tank.
Any questions, don't hesitate to call 503-709-7860
please click on a picture to get more details.
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