Clams and PC's

J

jasper24

New member
I am setting up a 20G (12 inches deep) that will have 130W PC. Will have 20 lbs live rock and 17 lbs live sand from an existing tank. All softies, a frogspawn, and no fish. 10 snails and 8 hermits. I do 20% weekly water changes religiously and will also have a bak pak skimmer on the new tank. I would like to keep a clam. Below is what I would prefer in order.

1. Crocea
2. Maxima
3. Deresa
4. Squamosa

Which could I keep in decent health considering excellent water quality?
 
Unfortunately Derasa, Squamosa, and Hippopus are your only choices. Maximas and croceas are too light demanding. (Change your PCs for a single 150w MH bulb and you will have the PAR to keep them) The bad part is those clams you are limited to will outgrow your tank after a while.
 
That is not totally true.

You are talking about a 20 long correct? The lights will be so close to the bottom of the tank that you could almost put any of the above in the with the possible exclusion of the Crocea.

T5 or Halide are preferred. Distance from the lights matters alot.

Do a search and check out some other tanks that have clams with PC lights (www.melevsreef.com the 29 gallon tank) and ask them. Making a general question will get you the answer that all clams need halides because that is the answer that someone told them at one time.
 
YOu are correct, it's not impossible. Some have succedded with maximas under PC. But it seems that 9 out of 10 times, maximas under PCs don't make it past the 6 month mark. I've seen it time and time again.
 
Have you tried it Peabody?

I would really like to know from some people who have.

I would like to know

Time they have had a Clam,
PC wattage,
Tank sizes,
and Distance from Clams to lights.
 
I had 2x65 over a 15 gallon shallow (12") and had a squamosa. He lived, but showed no growth and poor coloration and "behavior".

I upgraded to a 175w MH so I could have maxima and crocea. My squamosa immediately changed and started growing.

I had personally seen several people with PC tanks try maximas and lose them within 6 months....all while other corals and clams thrived. I saw a 10g with 2x32, a 10g with a 96w powerquad, and a drop dead gorgous 55g with 4x65 all try. These were very good reefkeepers I knew from a reef club. The only explaination was the light as other corals and lower light clams seemed to thrive. In addition I saw the same thing happen at my LFS's show tanks with PC. I was WAY too scared to try it myself. Hope that explains what I experienced. Impossible to do. No way....some have done/are doing it. I just would never try.
 
Clams are already hard enough to keep as it is without throwing another unknown variable in there.

I tried a baby max in a 15 long with 2x65 watt PC's. It lasted for about six months until all of a sudden the mantle did not come out for a day or two. The third day no clam at all. The whole time prior to that it looked fine. Some clams can die slow living off of reserves from their own tissues until one day they just fold.

I did succesfully keep a Squamosa and a hippopus under VHO's. But that seems to be normal.

BTW.... I'm not saying that it can't be done.... just that I wasn't able to. And won't try again with PC's.
 
Last edited:
How far from the light did you have you clams? Were they on the bottom or suspended on rock or by other means?
 
Were your lights side by side or off set from each other? And what combination of lights were you using?
 
I dont mean to hijack this thread but Melev has SPS in there. I have 4x55 W Pc's in a canopy over my 29 gallon. 55 Watts more than him, this means i can keep sps too?
 
29GallonReefer said:
I dont mean to hijack this thread but Melev has SPS in there. I have 4x55 W Pc's in a canopy over my 29 gallon. 55 Watts more than him, this means i can keep sps too?
Click to expand...

I do not know. PM Marc he is a RC member.

I have some SPS in my tank but they need to be close to the top to do ok. I have 2 65 pc bulbs.
 
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/iss...04/aquarium.htm

Maintained by the apparently great Ignasi Torralba

16 gallon high
15.7 "x15.7 " x 17.7 " (wide x length x high)

PC's (4x36w)

2x36w actinics
1x36w 10,000KÃ"šÃ‚º
1x36w blue (no actinic)

SPS, softies, and that looks like a happy crocea or maxi at the bottom

gen.jpg


So uhmm yep


cheers,

Grimmjohn
 
So uhmm...no one said it was impossible....but that one tank doesn't change the fact that many who try lose them in about 6 months. SOme clams will NOT adjust to the light.

And I wonder how long that guy has had those clams. With that little light and being that far away it would be a miracle if they lasted in the long run.
 
If I were inclined to make a call on that I would go to the guys website and email him first...but I'm not so inclined ;)

AA isn't RC but it's still TOTM right? We should all immulate TOTMs right?

If most (alright, "many") people kill one or two then shouldn't Jasper get his turn?

I admit the guy could have at least put the clam up top though.

cheers,

grimmjohn
 
Baby clams rely more on phyto than photo. So it's not a stretch to see tons of nano pics with baby clams in it. Show that same clam in the same nano a year later and I'll be impressed.
 
grimmjohn said:
If I were inclined to make a call on that I would go to the guys website and email him first...but I'm not so inclined ;)

AA isn't RC but it's still TOTM right? We should all immulate TOTMs right?

If most (alright, "many") people kill one or two then shouldn't Jasper get his turn?

I admit the guy could have at least put the clam up top though.

cheers,

grimmjohn
Click to expand...

I think we should try to do our own thing and have fun and try to help others keep things alive by sharing our mistakes,I don't want it to be jasper's turn to kill some clams
 
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