Setting up clam Tank

[henkelsfamily]

Ok, the wife gave me the ok to set up a clam tank in my sonââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s room. I have a 30gal slat front cube that I am planning on using. I plan to run a 250W DE Geisman fixture suspended. The tank will be plumbed into the show tank (600gal of water) that is directly below. What I need advice on is substrate that I should use, rock or no rock, and flow. I do not want to go with a DSB being that I and a firm believer in bare bottoms but I also know that the clams need a sand bed. All help is greatly appreciated.

Mahalo,

Walter

 

[kfisc]

Mine are thriving so far in a bare-bottom; retailers that sell them with byssal already attached to a small rock are a plus, as with a crocea i have. A 6" or so derasa in my tank wandered a bit before settling in- it's byssal came off and on the bare bottom easily as it moved.

 

[Travis]

Any type of substrate will be fine. Mine have been happy with large grades of sand, small grades of sand, dsb, ssb, and even bb. My new 45 gallon clam tank with 45 degree viewing panel will be up and running in a couple months. It is plumbed to my main system of 425 gallons. I will be using a 250w DE Hamilton 14k over it. For substrate I plan to go with a shallow bed of medium grade sand with several rocks for the maximas and croceas to attach to. I've found that maximas and croceas prefer to attach to rocks and the rest are just fine on the sand. So I would add some rock but not make the aquascaping very high.