question for Clam owners

[Jojoyojimbi]

I'm new to this whole saltwater thing but I've been doing research for right near a year now before i got my first tank, (thanks overanalyzer) and i can't seem to figure out which clam demands the lowest light

the tank i've got is only lit by a single 36w pc if i'm not mistaken, would one of the three most common species of clam thrive under such lighting or would i need to upgrade that for one?

 

[jtesdall]

I believe Crocea has the lowest lighting needs and Maxxima has the highest. Please correct me if I am wrong someone. My Blue Crocea does great, but I have 440 VHO on a 55. It also did well when I only had 220, does better now though. You said 36w but not on what size tank. If this tank is new I would wait a bit until takling clams. They are a hefty investment. I am leaning towards 36w is not going to be enough, but some with more experience on the issue may diagree.

 

[Jojoyojimbi]

it's 26g flat back hex, was set up and running well at overananlyzer's and i just purchased it and moved it down the street

didn't figure i'd get one till i replaced the bulb but just wanted to see if it would be feasible to have a clam, the blue would look good in a tank full of yellowish orangey softies i think

 

[musty baby]

Crocea requires the greatest amount of light, squamosa and maxima next in line. I'd go ahead and upgrade your lighting to a level adequate for sps, then think about adding a clam or two. Some people do keep clams under PCs, but I think that's more common with a lot more PC lighting, i.e. a 260 watt system on something like a 55, and even then I think it's common to keep clams at the very top of the tank.

 

[Jojoyojimbi]

so what size lights should i upgrade to?

 

[musty baby]

2 400 watt halides. Lucky for you, I have some

What are the dimensions of the tank? Not sure what size of t5s might fit, a 70 or 150 metal halide would do well I would think. Do you have a sump? Just wondering about how much total water is circulating for heat issues.

 

[Jojoyojimbi]

it's a 26g flat back hex, imagine the two front corners angled off of a 29g aquarium and that's what it looks like

don't have a sump, but thinking about adding a 15-20g if i can do what i think i might be able to

anyone know if it's possible to convert a canister filter into a pump for a fuge/sump? i could set it into the 'hood' area of the aquarium using egg crate with a hole cut in it to fit the top of the canister possibl?

 

[jtesdall]

Hmmm. I guess I am wrong about crocea. But mine is doing great near the center of a 55 with 440 VHO if that helps.

 

[phishcrazee]

Yep, crocea's need the most, maxima's next, then squamosa's......... you might want to ask your ?'s on the tridacnid forum, they're some good, knowledgeable folks on there:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=41

 

[leeweber85]

I wouldn't even try it under that lighting. With a tank that size you have quite a few options. A single metal halide would be the best thing IMO. Preferably a 250w, but a 150 or 175w would work too. Use the PC light as an actinic.

 

[sipe]

Derasa and squamosa can survive in lower light, but you'll need a lot more light for your tank. They are a bit picky about water conditions as well, so be wary of small tanks which tend to have greater water fluctuations. Can be done, but need to be more watchful.

 

[BigBlue187]

I have a crocea in my 20g I also have a 150w MH over my tank. I waited to get my clam until about 2-3 months after my tank was cycled. Its been doing good ever sence.

Check it out:

 

[Jojoyojimbi]

that's a mighty purty clam

 

[overanalyzer]

the light is a 96 watt PC (if you are using the same one I sold you) .....

 

[Jojoyojimbi]

i knew there was a 6 in there somewhere, thanks man i couldn't remember what it was for sure

 

[phishcrazee]

Most clam people will tell you not to use fluorescent lighting for clams, at least the maximas and croceas. There will be people that tell you their clams do great with less, but if you're going with either of those 2, I'd definetly get a MH. I have 4 clams, 3 croceas and one maxima and I have 2 250w MH in a 75g.

 

[jtesdall]

Certain people also say no flourescent for SPS, but this has been proven by many to be false, including myself, but more by actual experts that write articles and stuff. ;0) I have 440 watts on a 55, comparing lumens I would think this is very close to what you have on your 75. I guess you have to define what you mean by "less". My Clam does great, although he is not quite as pretty as BigBlue's and my SPS grow well too!

But I don't want this to turn into a VHO vs PC vs. MH debate, that's been done. ;0) MH is better in the long run for energy cost, space and intensity, but the upfront and ongoing hardware cost is very expensive. For people to get started in the hobby, flourescent is proven to be a good alternative to MH, then upgrade in the future like me. But then we can get into Lumens, Lux, PAR and Kelvin. Just say NO - I can't take anymore of that this week. Please take this all in the light hearted manner in which it is intended.

 

[phishcrazee]

There is a lot of variance between all the different types of sps, so I'm sure some can be fine under PC/VHO, but as far as croceas and maximas go, I wouldn't use anything less than MH. It can take a year or more for a clam to slowly fade away and die, so it's really hard to say if a clam is doing well under less than ideal lighting until it's too late. I figure why take the chance?

 

[tibbs2]

I believe the Hippocampi clam requires the least amount of light. It is an uncommon clam to find though. I've seen them for sale at clamsdirect.

I have two croceas in my tank. I have them on the top of the rocks. I run 4 55 watt t-5 bulbs overdriven /w an icecap ballast. The clams are doing well and each have grown a few new rings. I did lose a third one. It was the smallest and I believe it died because it was irritated by some mushrooms in my tank.

chris

 

[mbbuna]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10091883#post10091883 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tibbs2
I believe the Hippocampi clam requires the least amount of light. It is an uncommon clam to find though. I've seen them for sale at clamsdirect.

I have two croceas in my tank. I have them on the top of the rocks. I run 4 55 watt t-5 bulbs overdriven /w an icecap ballast. The clams are doing well and each have grown a few new rings. I did lose a third one. It was the smallest and I believe it died because it was irritated by some mushrooms in my tank.

chris

i believe your talking about Hippopus clams. H. hippopus and H. porcellanus are both shallow water clams often mislabeled as low light clams. in the wild they are found at the same depths as T. crocea and T. maxima and require about the same light.

in all honesty there are really no low light clams (besides T. tevoroa, that you will never find for sale). all of the tridacnids are primarily photosynthetic and do the best under intense lighting. if your really interested in clams, get MH or T5's with individual reflectors and then you can have any of the species you want with little worry of lighting issues