Clam Tank set up?

[Scuba Dog]

Well today I purchased a 57 gallon clam tank that will be plumbed into my existing 75 gallon sps/clam reef. The tanks diinsions are 34 X 30 x 12....shallower than what I wanted but its a bargan price for the glass tank pre drilled and a overflow box allready. ill build a stand for it also and likly add a acrylic sump/fuge combo also. Sorry no pics yet it will be a couple weeks before I pick up the tank and get started. As far as ligthing I was planing on going with a single 14 k hamilton 250DE but since the tank is longer and wider than 24inches i may have to go with a two bulb set up......since it is so shallow at 12 inches im thinking i may get away with 150DEs if i go that option i may go with the 50k bulb....or I could go with a single 400 SE set up 20 k....ill add some sugar sized substrate a few inches worth....some allready cured live rock or some base rock with good shape....and move my maroon mated pair over to the new clam tank....Im excited my goal is for it to be my clam fuge.....

If anyone has an existing clam tank, please dont be shy and give me some ideas and input....would love to have this puppy set up right the first time......

 

[Telecaster]

Cool tank dimensions. Did you buy it new or used? Look forward to pics when you get it all setup.

 

[Scuba Dog]

Telecaster

Im picking it up new, a lfs up in rogers arkansas exotic tropicals makes them....its a ong way from my home but a reef club member will up there this weekend and will pick it up for me....so in the next few weeks i shuld have water in it...just need to decide on what bulb , in thinking 15 or 20k since the water is so shallow...a 250DE 20 k or 15 k

 

[Twins Guy]

hey scubes-
i have a smaller tank but i think there are some parallels here...

dimensions on my tank are 30"l x 19"w x 13"H or thereabouts (about 30g). over the tank i have a single aqua-medic oceanlight 250...and i'm running an AB 250W 20K DE bulb-which is pretty blue (more so on an electronic ballast than magnetic IME)-but nice considering i have no supplemental actinics. i thought about going with a 150W version of the same light but the well-chronicled drop off in intensity with higher kelvin bulbs convinced me to go for the juice. it seems like 10Ks or iwasakis (6500s) get the best reviews for clam-keeping but i think the 20K is working just fine. and while my tank is definitely a lil brighter in the middle (keep in mind this is similar in length to your tank) i still have some acros (even an efflo if you're familiar with them) out on the sides of the tank so its still decently bright. right now i just have a derasa that's doubled in size in the past 6 mo (he/she's at least 5" now) but plan to add a few croceas in the coming weeks. initially i wanted to wait to make sure my tank was clam-worthy-now i have no doubts (money and time have kept me from getting a crocea more recently but no more!).

if i had a recommendation it would be a single 250W DE setup or a single 400W SE. i'm sure your 75 is already heavy on the power consumption so consider how hard two more halides might hit you in the pocketbook every month. plus more light=more heat=chiller time. especially if you're gonna make it a clam fuge-with your clowns you can sprinkle in a RBTA or some softies that prefer a lil less light around the outside (if you find its not brighht enough for clams). my 2 cents-good luck and have fun with the new toy!
tg

 

[Scuba Dog]

thanks for the advice....Ill start off with a single 250De 20ls on flavor at first, but ill go ahead and purchase a dual ballast so at a later date I can add another, I dont mid running 4 halides total, was condisering seting up a 450 sps/clam reef but this curent project is so much more doable.....I get a pretty good price on PFO stuff so thats what ill stick with....and go ahead and pick up the croaceas there one of the best looking aquarium clams out there, and IME more hardy than maximas...i have 4 croaceas at the moment, and never lost a ctoacea, I have two maximas, and have lost two max's in the past....so enjoy the new clams....

 

[Twins Guy]

yer welcome (for the advice) and thanks for the crocea encouragement. would love to see what this new setup of yours will look like, especially the tank, if you have any links? take care-
tg

(i wasn't really trying to pimp the Aqua-medic stuff-just describe the setup-you know...I have had a couple PFO lights and they're rock solid!)

 

[Scuba Dog]

I totally understand lol....Yeah when i get it set up ill get some pics going...and may start up a web site since i might be giting in the tank maintance biz.....