How many T-5's do you need to put over a 75 gallon to keep clams?

[Trumpet12]

I am try to figure out what sort (and how much) lighting I would need if I wanted to keep clams, so I have a few questions. How many T-5's do you need to put over a 75 gallon to keep clams? How much PC light would I need to keep clams in a 75 gallon tank? How much MH light would it take? If this matters, it would be just as easy to put a clam(s) part way up the rock structure as it would be to put it on the sand bed.


Thanks, Trumpet12

 

[Trumpet12]

I know that there are some knowledgeable people around here.

 

[DT's_Reef]

I would recommend a 8x54w Tek Light. Very nice fixtures. Good for clams too as long as the tank isn't too deep.

 

[Peabody]

PC = No amount....they aren't intense enough for 99.9% Croceas and Maximas. I've seen clam after clam die under PCs at my LFS. It's not limited to them because they have a poor tank or something.....it happens time and time again with mis-informed reefers.

T5s - the 8x54 might be good with a proper reflector. However, You have to likely keep them up higher due to the depth of your tank.

MH - 2x250 would be perfect and allow you to keep any clam in your tank, including the bottom. Any SPS would be fine too. 2x175 is a little underpowered for the depth of your tank.

 

[moonpod]

If you go retrofit, a 6x54 T5HO SLS retrofit w/ four of the bulbs on an IC 660 will work (emperic experience). If you go teklight hood, you might as well use the 8x54w (the bulbs will not over hang the tank). From experience I can tell you the clams will be fine. Use a mix of 6500k and blue plus bulbs IMO.

 

[Trumpet12]

Thanks DT, moonpod, and Peabody!

Peabody said that some sorts of clams like to jump off the rocks onto the substrate, and I have read that some sorts of clams will fall off. Do croceas and maximas jump/fall off rock structures?

How high up in the tank would the clams have to be for an 8 bulb T-5 fixture to work?

One of the main reasons that I originally thought I didn't want metal halides was that many had to be hung. How do people usually do this and how hard is it? The other option on metal halides seems to be a hood, but those cost around $700 (or at least that is about the price that I have seen) when they have two 250 watt MH lights.

 

[Rothie]

The 8X54 T5 Tek fixture willover hang your 75G. The 6X54 fixture should be fine for clams.Keep Croceas and Maxs up in the rock closer to the lights.The reflectors are really impotant for the T5's.There are some good threads in the Lighting and Filtration forum about T5's and clams.

 

[moonpod]

Again, emperic experience. They probably can be pretty much at any depth in the tank. HOWEVER, when I was doing this I generally try to keep my croceas in the rocks anyways, so they ended up higher up. The maximas were all over the place. IME once the clam is "settled" down, they don't jump around/fall over. Croceas in particular seem to really attach down to rocks.

 

[moonpod]

The 8X54 T5 Tek fixture willover hang your 75G. The 6X54 fixture should be fine for clams.Keep Croceas and Maxs up in the rock closer to the lights.The reflectors are really impotant for the T5's.There are some good threads in the Lighting and Filtration forum about T5's and clams.

Yes the fixture is 19" (tank is 18"), but the bulbs will not overhang the tank....there's at least an inch on either side of the bulbs in the fixture, so I would think it's reasonable to stick the 8 bulb hood over the top.

 

[Trumpet12]

Wow! Lots of fast replies! Thanks everyone.
So, is the 6 bulb T-5 fixture enough or would I need the 8 bulb? Also, if the T-5 tubes are so small, how come a 324 watt T-5 fixture is more than twice as wide as my 260 watt PC fixture?

 

[moonpod]

reflectors.

Clams are light hungry--it's hard to give 'em "too much". There's "enough" and there's "more". Get the 8 bulb fixture if you're going for the hood.

 

[DT's_Reef]

Listen to Moonpod (and me), and go with the 8x54w Tek light if you're going to buy T5 lighting.

However, I feel you should go with whatever lighting you feel would fit your need the best, regardless of cost. A couple or few hundred dollars won't really make a difference either way over time. Heck, clams often cost $100 a piece. Get what you really want.

 

[Rothie]

Listen to Moonpod-he is the T5 guru.

 

[moonpod]

However, I feel you should go with whatever lighting you feel would fit your need the best, regardless of cost. A couple or few hundred dollars won't really make a difference either way over time. Heck, clams often cost $100 a piece. Get what you really want.

DT has a good point here. Clams are pricey. Now JME, you don't HAVE to have MH lighting to keep 'em happy, but it's easier w/a quality MH system. Don't get me wrong, IME, T5s do just fine w/clams. But, IME, sps growth is very slow w/T5s (course I also have a big tank for doing the fluorescent thing realistically, and I'm no sps pro realisitically). So if it's just for clams, yeah T5s are fine, and if you go w/the teklight hood you'll have very low heat issues and the 6500k bulbs anyways will last a REALLY long time. If you're considering sps, T5s work, but growth is really slow. Shallower systems T5s and sps seem to get along well though. Personally I switched from T5 to DE MH, and I would say the jury's still out on the switch, but by the numbers, it should be much more light.

 

[Trumpet12]

Okay, if I get T-5's I will get the 8 bulb fixture.
Could anyone give me a lumens per watt measurement for a T-5 bulb? Are the bulbs really more efficient, or is it just that the smaller bulb sizes means that less of the light that goes up, then gets reflected back down, is blocked?

 

[DT's_Reef]

I believe T5's are so intense because they block less of the light that's reflected, because they're smaller. A good reflector is *critical* which is why I recommend the T5.

FWIW, I'm using a 4x39w Tek Light on my 90g SPS tank in addition to 2x54w T5's with Tek reflectors, and I've gotten good SPS growth and color. This is a loaner while I wait for my Giesemann system (which I should get next week, after waiting almost 2 months) and I've been using it for a while. I don't think this light is intense enough for crocea and maxima clams long-term, but I wouldn't doubt that the 8x54w fixture would be just fine for both clams and SPS.

However, in the grand scheme of things, I still prefer halide, as my tank is SPS/clams.

 

[eums]

i have T5 lighting. my clam had been in my tank for ~a month. there is 14" of water in the tank so about 13" above the clam. i have the 4 bulb setup and it seems to be doing good and has added a layer to it's shell. i even have sps at the same depth growing.

here is a picture of the clam ( crocea )

if its still doing great after another 4 months i will think about getting another. but IMO its doing just fine, but if it starts to decline it will go to a home with MH lighting. i don't think i would have too much trouble giving it away if i needed.

 

[Daniel62]

Lighting, tell me what you think

Lighting, tell me what you think

OK, here is another lighting opinion question. Tank size 72"l x 48"w x 19"t. This will be a look down tank. I was thinking of 880 to 1320watts vho. SPS will be Only Monti's, LPS and any type of clam I want. Heat and Power usage is a factor. I know more is usually better, but I think you can over do It. Also there are 2 sky lights 24x48 directly over the tank. So witch light do you think will do the job without being overkill. 150de, 175de, 250de etc.
150se 200se 400se. the light will be 18 to 24 inche over the tank.
Thanks Daniel

 

[eums]

i would not use vho for those. there is no such thing as a 175w de .... if you use 250de's your going to be using ~1500+ watts with a set up cost of say $2100. maybe a little less, you may want to just buy a case of 10 bulbs as your going to be needing them sooner or later(use electronic ballasts as electricity will be a huge savings in what ever you pick) ( the $2100 is 6 ice cap ballasts with ROIII pendants with and $100 bulbs, it will be less but always figure its more )

you could use 250se's but you would have to buy pendants or make some crazy diy thing. price here will varry alot depending on ballast ( still go electronic) and refelctor /pendand if you use a pendant + bulbs will be a little cheaper.

the 150's would not havel enough punch that high up with a allmost 20" deep tank. using 400's would be a waste unless you got 400de's they would be over kill for what you want, put outmore heat and use a ton more electricty

i say 250de's and its going to cost you the petter part of two grand, good luck with the setup.

 

[moonpod]

My question would be why are the lights gonna be so high up? I understand that it's a top view tank, but pendants don't obstruct that much.

Even 250DE at that height may not penetrate enough (2ft???). I'd SERIOUSLY consider like I dunno 4 1000w MH and dig up some diamond lumenarc reflectors. Otherwise, if you can drop the lights down to a reasonable height (like a foot or less), then go w/6 250w DEs. Personally I'd use the mag HQI, more light, equal effeciency. Especially cause I got a feeling that you're gonna hang 'em on the high side. It'll run you about 1800--bulbs are somewhat of a variable. You'll get a deal on the ballasts, but the reflectors pretty much run about 90-100 period. There is also a fudge factor on the bulbs, as the prices run from 65 a pop for say coralvues to 120 a pop for aquaconnects.