Worried About New Maxima

[LiquidSpace]

Hey guys, I’m wondering where to go from here. Is there something wrong with my clam or is it just getting used to the new system?

Reef is 7 months old, SPS corals and Bubble Tip Anemone are doing great. No problems at all.

AI hydra in a smaller tank so the light should be fine.

Ammonia: 0
Nitrate: 0.1
Phosphate: 0.2
Ph: 8.2
Alkalinity: 9.4
Calcium: 415
Magnesium: 1310
Temp: 79
Salinity: 1.025

This 2 inch maxima arrived on Thursday via overnight mail. Heat pack was cold upon arrival. I have it on a clam hammock in the sand. It closes its shell and is responsive to light. My main concern is that it is not opening up all the way and it looks like the mantle is receding. I’ll try and get pictures with better lighting tomorrow. The photos without blue light are from last night, so more flesh has come out since then.

Could this be a pinched mantle? Is he toast?

 

[Miami Reef]

In my opinion I believe he is a goner.

Once they retract into their mantles it’s too late. Nobody has been able to revive them once they are in that state.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Tissue very receeded. this thing needed light which is a food source and energy source for them. This clam is stressed and even past that but could look different in the morning. If it looks the same or worse- Its gone. Cold temps are a No-No.
They’re a sensitive species. You CAN’T allow ammonia, nitrite, or even nitrates to build up. This means adhering to a strict schedule of 25% water changes every week. Set up dosing to provide the trace elements the clam will need to survive if you can’t. Fluctuations in temperature, oxygen levels, pH, or alkalinity can make your maxima unhappy. Maxima clams also need light and lots of it which fuels the photosynthesis carried out by the zooxanthellae within their mantle. Without proper light, the clam will starve.
Clams can be rewarding and colorful but there are a few precautions:
Temperature not to exceed 80
Ca not to exceed 450
Ph not to exceed 8.3
Alk not to exceed 11
Salinity best at 1.025
Nitrate not to exceed.8
Moderate water flow
Good lighting

 

[LiquidSpace]

In my opinion I believe he is a goner.

Once they retract into their mantles it’s too late. Nobody has been able to revive them once they are in that state.

Thats pretty much what I thought. Thanks for the confirmation.

 

[MartinM]

Any update?