Maxima Clam Issue

jpc763

Anthias
M.A.S.C Club Member
#1
All,

I have had this teardrop maxima for 3 years now. It has been a growing well and doing great in my tank with one small exception for these past 3 years. That exception was that he moved around a lot. He would never put down byssal treads and stay still.

Recently, he had moved himself into a place recently that I needed to move him out of. As I had done many times before, I gently lifted him off the substrait and moved him back to a rock. He left behind a glob of byssal threads off a clump of tissue. I did not use any force at all to move him, he just lifted off the sand and left that behind.

Since moving, he has closed up tightly and does not open.

Any suggestions?

Thanks, John
 

Wicked Color

Tiger Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#4
As they grow, some clams don't attach any more, but with it just falling off, and the clam not opening, I would say predation or water chemistry are the two most likely suspects.
 

jonthefb

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#5
With Maximas, or croceas that are kept on a sand bed, you should always have a piece of slate rock or some type of lace/live/ceramic, etc, SOMETHING buried in the sand directly below the clam. Maximas and croceas are boring clams. They excrete chemicals from their byssal organ that dissolve rock allowing them to bore into coral heads. This is why you will often find them in the wild with their mantle expanding from calcareous coral. If they arent given something to attach the byssal threads to, they will move around a lot and will often be a real pain.

I have seen clams that have had portions of their byssal gland/thread removed that have survived well. They key is to ensure that water parameters stay pristine. Keep an eye on the clam, and if you havent already done so, place some type of hard surface below its new location. In the future, for anyone who has one of these clams on a sand bed, if you decide to move them, and dont have a rock under them, try to lift them up from the bottom and reach into the sand cupping a small portion to grab along with the clam. This will ensure that you dont rip the byssal gland from the clam. If you do have a rock under the clam and want to move it, make sure that you grab the rock first and lift it out of the sand with the clam attached.

Cheers~!
Jon
 
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