beginning clamer

[blue carpet]

hey all as i said ive always wanted to keep clams. im setting up another 40 gallon tank with just MH lighting. what spectrum would be best for that if i only plan on using the MH? oh and im going to use a 400W so no problems there.

Thanks in advance

 

[bencozzy]

20k

 

[spencerx15]

400 is going to be alot of light over a 40g IMO, and i dont think the spectrum will affect the clam much, but would look best under 20k i would say.

 

[blue carpet]

yeah i know its alot of light ive been deciding between 250W and 400W. Ok then 20K sounds good any preferences for brand?

 

[killereef]

I love and use geissman bulb.

 

[hwynboy]

Keep in mind clams do best in an aquarium that is established for a few months.

 

[Badkharma]

I would use 250W over a 40 g, not a 400. Even I use 2x 250 over my 24" deep 120. IMHO, 400W is for tanks 24"+ deep. There is a point where you can have too much light. Keep in mind, if you don't have a chiller for your 40g, you'll have heat problems with 400w.

 

[kevensquint]

Keep in mind the higher the kelvin the less intense the light, a 400w 20k, is probably less intense than a 250w 6500k. For example my tank started with a 250w 5000k MH that bleached all the corals. Now my 250w 6500k is growing them, the intensity difference in the tank was easily visible too.

 

[Funky_Fish14]

Im currently(but not for much longer, upgrading to a 75g 20" deep next week) running a 400W 10K XM on a PFO ballast over my 18" deep 33g tank. Only thing I've had bleaching problems with is a few zoo polyps on a colony I used to have. The bulb is about 12-13" from the water's surface. I have only two SPS, both birdsnest corals(slowly adding more), I have several LPS, a Crocea clam that sits at the bottom(had it for a week, and it seems happier than it was in the store under 250W), and tons of thin-barred xenia and some zoos and a few mushrooms, and a hairy mushroom, o and some GSP. All my corals are really happy under this light, and my frogspawn has been growing like mad under it, its just recently split into two heads and already another head has grown off one of the branches and the other head is splitting. Clam is showing great color under the light and looks more open and happy than it did in the stores tank which it was in for about a month and is a very healthy tank.

Overall, very happy with the 400W bulb over the tank(although I do have good air movement in the hood to keep the tank temp down).

Chris

EDIT- Should have mentioned that the 10K halide is the only light im running over the tank right now. I will however be picking up a blue fluorescent bulb for the 75g.