To much light?

[kidk3]

I have a 15 gallon w/ a shop light that has a 120w 6500k bulb. I want to add a 96w atinic.Do you think this would some how over power small clams in a 12" high tank?

thanks in advance

 

[mbbuna]

what kind of clams are they?

 

[kidk3]

t.maxima blues and a few golds

 

[JR719]

Should not overpower the clam, maybe give you more evaporation but that should not be a problem.

 

[kidk3]

ya I add about 4-5 gallons every other day to the main system and a gallon every few days to the prop tank already.No biggy I am always making water. Thanks for the help guys

 

[Gatorfan]

It should be fine, my baby maxima is about 12" from my 250w 20kk DE.

 

[Peabody]

I've never heard of someone keepign a clam with that kind of light. What kind of bulb is it? Mercury Vapor? I'd be more worried about having too little light (par) than too much, but I really have no clue!

 

[Ti]

He said shoplight.
That already makes me say no.

 

[kidk3]

Ya it isn't a halide,but it is a 120w internal reflected 6500k bulb w/ another 96w of atinic it'll be about 12" from bottom of light to clam only half of which is water. i figure the 120w is about as effective as a 75w halide maybe or there abouts anyway

 

[Peabody]

Ooh...I wouldn't do that. I strongly doubt that has even close to the PAR of a 70w halide. Maybe not even PCs. It's like Halogen or other HID bulbs, they totally look like they would be as good as halides, but not useful for much but algae.

 

[M.Maddox]

Nothing beats a PAR meter. Borrow\rent\buy\steal a PAR meter and see for yourself

 

[Ti]

Ya it isn't a halide,but it is a 120w internal reflected 6500k bulb w/ another 96w of atinic it'll be about 12" from bottom of light to clam only half of which is water. i figure the 120w is about as effective as a 75w halide maybe or there abouts anyway

I don't really care it ain't MH. I'm not part of the MH authority here on the site, so I won't say, MH no can do. It's just that whenI read shoplight I am thinking you probably come from freshwater background and are going by what you knew from freshwater.
I may be wrong, but I'm guessing those lights you have are the big round ones that aren't HO. Right?
If you had T5, sure. PC, maybe, Halide, for sure.

 

[Gatorfan]

I would definately measure the PAR before trying it.

 

[kidk3]

Shoplight is reference to the socket it is in, nothing more.The light ones with the clip and the silver reflector.The bulb is a $8 special from HD that people grow indoor plants with 6500k. I know you didn't mean anything by it ,but I am more than knowledgable about salt.This is for my ghetto prop tank that I threw together out of stuff junking my house up.AkA workhorse7 ,shoplight,drilled15gallon etc,rubbermaid etc.. I was just unsure if the clams could take to much light or not. I've been growing out rics in the tank with great results with just he 120w and a old 96w pc that had 1 of the 2 tubes blown.

I got the reflector built tonigh and added the new 96w pc.Man it makes my show tank luck dull.Wish I had a meter I'd measure for us all. Anyone know where to rent one? maybe a photographer has one?

 

[Peabody]

Don't take anything the wrong way...we're all here to help you My feeling as well as others is that you should REALLY try to get your hands on a PAR meter before trying it. I would be very surprised if it could sustain a clam.

 

[kidk3]

I know man thats why I said "I know you didn't mean anything by it". I'm just saying with the experiances I've had with them (the bulb) they aren't by any means a halide ,but by all means they are a quick and dirty to get the job done. Lets just say I used to them to do some indoor gardening when I was younger and the plants had little to no strech on them. Halides would have produced a finer crop, but for $8. Besides my 96w pc atinic alone would be around 9w per gallon with only 8-9" of water.The 120w of 6500k granted I dont know the lumens per watt is just extra 6500k.It wont hurt a bit thats for sure. I'm gonna maybe feed them phyto anyway. I'll take a pic when the clams get here tommorrow night I hope.

 

[Frisco]

I certainly wouldn't recommend it; that's really not much light

 

[Ti]

O.k, then I'm guessing those are the lights I thought it was.
I'm gonna go with no.
Two reasons, from what I have read blue clams need some blue specturm to color up, with a 6500k that won't happen.
I've kept a little blue baby maxima under PC 96X2 and I had that thing 3" from the light.
Got T5 now and the clam is down near the sand and doing good.
Second reason, those bulbs just don't have the intensity to penetrate through the water.

Since the clams are on the way, we'll find out soon enough.

 

[kidk3]

lol, ya I have faith.I dont get how someone can say relative 10+w of atinic and 6500k wont be enough.That just befuddles me.I mean I understand lumens yada yada ,but you guys have been reading the halide bulb salesman rethoric to long. 9w of atinic and extra what ever the 6500k can produce is gonna be plenty IMO.As mentioned well all find out.I am the first to admit defeat

 

[Peabody]

I'm not sure you understand how it works for the clam/coral. Watts are nothing. Lumens are nothing. All they care about is PAR, and that bulb likely has low PAR. It has nothing to do with halides at all.