Kessil 360WE/ squamosa

chrisv

Member
Hello RC-

I recently switched several things about my tank-- perhaps most relevant, i switched from a 250W MH light to a Kessil LED.

I have a ~10-12 inch squamosa clam who has been with me for many years and I'm wondering how you guys think he will do under the new light. The entire system was moved from north carolina to new england about two weeks ago, and while the clam (and everyone else) seems to have survived the move, the move was coupled with my transition to new lights (not great).

So-- any of you keeping large squamosa clams under Kessil LEDs?

Thanks in advance.
Chris
 
I don't personally, so take this for what it is worth...

It is not nearly as much light, which you probably know... If I had to guess, I would say that it will be OK. Squammies do not need a ton of light. I would keep it directly under a Kessil since they do not have good output off to the sides.

Good luck.
 
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Thanks! I'm realizing that it's a whole lot less light (don't tell the led advocates I said that). After two weeks I'd kill for my halides back, but the tank needed to be way more simple than it was (smaller, no sump, no chiller). Now the clam is about half as deep and right under the led that's running at half power. The first week I ran it at 25% power.

Ironically, I'm also wondering if I'm actually hitting the clam with a whole lot (too much?) Of certain wavelengths.

Clam is less responsive to shadows and seems open pretty wide, but is still retracting at night. The tank also has lower dissolved nutrients, so that's also a concern. Ugh. I hate making big changes to the tank so fast. It had to happen as a part of a recent move.
 
Blend can be an issue and you can get hotspots - don't tell the LED advocates that either. I don't know what to tell you. It sounds like you are stuck with it regardless of what happens.

Regardless of what happens, please share your experiences here... either the success or death will help somebody make a decision someday.

BTW - in the post above, I meant to say that I "don't" have personal experience, not that I "do."
 
If he deliclines much further I may post a sos message on my local reef club board. I don't know if anyone uses metal halide lights anymore (it seems people who have started over the last 5 yrs all use led) but if need be, I hope to find a person with a big tank and some MH lighting. Handing over a big squamosa should be a decent way to make friends in the local reef club.
 
There are more folks with MH than you think. Of the top-20 tanks that I know about in the Denver area, 16 or 17 of them use MH... they just don't post much or go online since they know what they are doing, don't need help and don't want to fight with the three-month-old tank folks or fanboys about this or that.

Good luck. I have a pair of big blue Squammies myself and I would be sick if I lost them... they are not quite that big, but they aren't even a year old yet.
 

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Where do you guys buy these squamosa from? I want one and whst a reasonable price for s small one? Thanks..

I got him from live aquaria when he was ~2.5 inches. I think I paid $75 bucks or so. If you're getting one now, go for on of the blue ones they have in from time to time. They are a couple hundred bucks but worth every penny.
 
Well, it sounds like you're out of the woods so to speak so this may be of limited use, but I am keeping a smaller squamosa under an AI Prime HD in an 18" tall tank and it's growing very quickly, so I imagine with the Kessil you will be just fine. Retracting at night sounds normal to me. Less responsive to shadows might be related to increased shimmer from the Kessil... the new normal for the clam is increased shadows all over the place in comparison to the old lighting.
 
Update #2: Squamie is fully adapted to my kessil light. I personally think his color was better under the MH lighting, but for now he seems to have his lighting requirements met. I'm calling this one a win. If anyone is keeping track, this is a 10-12 inch clam in a 14 inch deep tank with the kessil 12 inches above the water and with blue /withe dialed in at 70% toward blue, and 50% LED power.
 
Ok, he looks happy! I had a sqammosa about 10 years who moved from mh to led then to kessil led. Color was never as good as mh but he kept open and growing. I have no data to back this up but it seems that the kessil may be putting a lot more light down that we (humans) don’t really see. Ive seen that bantered around elsewhere and by folks with photospectro thingies. Anyhow - bigger clam seems to be just fine with less light. Little guys as we all know are more finicky, or are rumored to be
 
Update #2: Squamie is fully adapted to my kessil light. I personally think his color was better under the MH lighting, but for now he seems to have his lighting requirements met. I'm calling this one a win. If anyone is keeping track, this is a 10-12 inch clam in a 14 inch deep tank with the kessil 12 inches above the water and with blue /withe dialed in at 70% toward blue, and 50% LED power.

How long would you say this change kept your squamosa in a dormant stage? I recently switched to LEDs from T5s in December out of necessity as well and my blue squamosa has stopped growing when it was growing really well before. I've also noted that coloration was much better under T5s, but perhaps it's still adjusting and the mantle will look better when growth comes back.
 
Complicated answer here: I changed tank volumes and calcium delivery method when I changed to LED. Ive had a harder time maintaining can and ALK now that I'm not using my calcium reactor.

So he is for sure growing more slowly, but that's likely at least in part due to poor calcium maintenance. It turns out that big clams in small volumes really do a number on your calcium when you're using 2-part.

:headwalls:


How long would you say this change kept your squamosa in a dormant stage? I recently switched to LEDs from T5s in December out of necessity as well and my blue squamosa has stopped growing when it was growing really well before. I've also noted that coloration was much better under T5s, but perhaps it's still adjusting and the mantle will look better when growth comes back.
 
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