FMC Tridacna maxima auf Stein

"WYSIWYG" ("What You See Is What You Get") - Coral Original Images.
To make sure you get exactly the coral you want, every single coral is photographed by us. And usually once under daylight illumination and once under blue light.

If you have any further questions, please check our Fauna Marin Support Forum and our  Fauna Marin Reefing Group at Facebook. Useful tips + tricks about marine aquaristics are available on our Fauna Marin YouTube channel. 

About clams of the species Tridacna:

Tridacna mussels bore mechanically and chemically into corals in nature and attach themselves with byssus threads. In order to get the animals, whole coral blocks are smashed when caught in the wild, so please always prefer the offspring (NZ), even though they are more expensive.

T. crocea is more susceptible than the other species, because their foot opening is much larger and therefore wrasses and bristle worms can get to them more easily.

It is important when buying that the animal is not stuck and torn off, this causes bacterial infections very quickly, which the mussels usually do not survive. It is best if it is attached to small stones and you buy it with the stone.

In the tank itself it needs a quiet place with full lighting, where it is safe and can not fall off. It takes some time for it to reattach itself by itself.

Very young tridacnas can also migrate, only the adults live sessile - mostly due to the weight of the shell.

The bivalve feeds mainly on the products of its zooxanthellae.

The most interesting thing is their thousands of photoreceptors, which allow them to see moving objects. These receptors are located in the broad mantle lobes and also ensure that light is focused to reach the zooxanthellae. (light guide effect).

The zooxanthellae are picked up while still in the larval stage, although it is still not known exactly how the bivalve does this. There is a theory that the dinoflagellates (zooxanthellae) are eaten and absorbed in the gut by special bladder cells and transported through the body to the mantle lobes where they are stored. The stored zooxanthellae enable the enormous growth rates to be achieved and the mussel to hold its own against the competitive pressure of the light-active corals.

It is assumed that the Crocea can reach an age of 40 - 50 years, but with 15 cm final size it is the smallest species of the family Tridacnidae.

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The keeping of mussels, such as the species of Tridacna, is easily possible with today's technology, such as with the use of, for example, the Fauna Marin Balling Light method.

If you provide the right current, good lighting and the right water values, successful keeping with good growth and great colors is feasible in a marine aquarium.

In contrast to small poylp stony corals (SPS), which require rather lower nutrient values, the mussels usually still cope well with higher nutrient values.

Nevertheless, like LPS and SPS corals, they require clean and clear water. To successfully maintain corals and mussels in the long term, stable water and nutrient levels should be aimed for.
This can be well controlled with various phosphate adsorbers. With filtration via activated carbon, such as Fauna Marin Carb L long-life carbon, the water remains crystal clear. Phenols, protein compounds, dyes and nettle toxins are filtered out of the water and rendered harmless.  

Light intensity also affects the coloration and growth of the mussels. At Fauna Marin Corals we successfully keep our corals and clams under a mix of T5 tubes (50/50 white/blue), in combination with the LED lamps.

Important for the care of all corals is the constant maintenance of the salinity, as well as the use of a good sea salt, such as Fauna Marin Professional Sea Salt. The salinity should always be between 34/35 per mille, respectively 1.022 and 1.024 density. 

A regular check of the density is an absolute must in marine aquaristics. Our salt calculator helps to calculate the correct amount of salt.

Pay attention - especially in summer - to the temperature in the aquarium. Corals do not tolerate temperatures exceeding 30 degrees for longer periods of time.

We recommend a regular control of the water values with our ICP water analysis. 
Based on the results of the analysis, the water values can be adjusted correctly with the help of our dosage recommendations on our laboratory website.