Hey
@Tom@HaslettMI
. I've got a lil 3" T. Maxima. Doing well so far, 2wks in the tank today. I've placed it on a holder center tank on the SB. This area is my known "hot spot" and why I chose it for the clam. Higher light right?
Well I've noticed the clam doesn't open very wide during the higher lighting periods. Actually opens best during blues only and when the Lunars come on.
Will it eventually acclimate to the "hot spot" or should I move it? Via a Seneye Reef monitor par meter, the "hot spot" has a par of 265.
High light is the way to go for all Tridacna clams. The sand seemed fine for my two maximas. Though I did lose both of them in a two week span... A 3" one I had for amlost a year exactly and the other (1.5") just a couple months. I believe I shocked them with too many changes. I cleaned the salt spray off of the light splash guard did a couple large water changes. They both bleached in the center and started opening less and less.
I have not measured the PAR on this tank but 265 does not seem like too much. How about a picture? If I recall your crocea used to open crazy big. So, that would not be a fair comparison.
Sorry for the crappy pics. IPad/iPhone is all I have. For sure this clam opens up nothing like my Crocea did. Onna side note, there is new growth showing on the shell. But mantel looks a little browner from when I first got it. It does react quickly to light and movement.
2wks ago pics
I agree it looks happier in the first picture... But growth is the a better overall health measure. If it continues to open less and less then you'll need to worry. I wouldn't worry too much about a little change in color. A clam's color is highly dependent on lighting.
After losing both of mine in such a short period I decided I will not try maxima clams again (or at least for a long time). They are just too temperamental. I didn't say that earlier in hopes that yours was going to be OK. I will only own derasa or squamosa clams from here out.