mushnmeesh
Member
Hi I have a 90 gal with 4 110 watt VHO, I want to buy a clam or two, I'd like a bright one, which clam, if any, is recommeded?
Thanks!!
Thanks!!
Which is the best clam for me??
- Thread starter mushnmeesh
- Start date
CMcNeil
New member
i have the same problem you have and that is VHOS.everyone says they arent strong enough to house clams(in general).there are a few clams that MIGHT SURVIVE,but not thrive under VHOS.i have 4 /75w vhos on mine(300 watts)im getting ready to replace them with a halide just so i can get a clam 
mushnmeesh
Member
Thanks thats incourging I hope to get one soon if anyone has pics of how theirs look under VHO's please post!!
mushnmeesh
Member
Anyone else thats had clams under VHO's ANd lets see some pics!!
jmaneyapanda
Commencing hatred
i agree with a4twenty. a clam losing color= slowly dying.
parothead22
New member
Your best bet is to go with a Squamosa or Durasa. A Gigas will grow over 2 feet through time(fyi).
At any rate, lighting requirements for the two mentioned above is moderate light whereas the Maxima's and Crocea is at the very least moderate to intense for their irridophores and zooxanthellae(feeding through photosynthesis).
Now you may try placing the Crocea or Maxima up towards the top of your tank and position it in your rock work and see what happens(make sure it is stabile until its Byssal strands take a firm hold on the rock work to stabilize it so as not to fall.
What you want to look for is bleaching of the mantle or gapping of the inhalent syphon which are tell tale signs that your clam is stressed(mainly due to light changes or improper lighting)!
Hope this helps!
At any rate, lighting requirements for the two mentioned above is moderate light whereas the Maxima's and Crocea is at the very least moderate to intense for their irridophores and zooxanthellae(feeding through photosynthesis).
Now you may try placing the Crocea or Maxima up towards the top of your tank and position it in your rock work and see what happens(make sure it is stabile until its Byssal strands take a firm hold on the rock work to stabilize it so as not to fall.
What you want to look for is bleaching of the mantle or gapping of the inhalent syphon which are tell tale signs that your clam is stressed(mainly due to light changes or improper lighting)!
Hope this helps!
jmaneyapanda
Commencing hatred
gaping has nothing to do with the inhalent siphon. gaping occurs at the adductor muscles of the shell.
critterkeeper
New member
"Don't belive the hype. You can definitely keep squamosas, deresas, and hippocampus clams under those lights. I also think you could probably keep a crocea, but it might lose some color."
I couldn't disagree more.
For one thing, maxima's maximum depth of occurence is almost 3 times that of crocea, and is also the same as squamosa's - so why'd you leave maxima out?
Hippopus' (not hippocampus, which is part of your brain) lives in water as shallow as crocea does, too.
The fact that SOME squamosa, derasa, and gigas individuals can live at greater depths than croceas IN NO WAY implies that all of them can. The whole "deep water" clam thing was thought up by people that have never looked at the real distribution of clams in their natural habitat (I have), and is believed by people that don't know any better.
Look at it this way: Some humans can eat essentially all they want and not gain weight. Others can eat all they want and turn into a blimp. Still others can eat less than 1,000 calories a day and not lose a pound.
Some derasas can live under less than metal halides and thrive. Other derasas might survive, but not thrive. Others will die. It's called genetic diversity...
Your safest bet is MH lighting. Period.
I couldn't disagree more.
For one thing, maxima's maximum depth of occurence is almost 3 times that of crocea, and is also the same as squamosa's - so why'd you leave maxima out?
Hippopus' (not hippocampus, which is part of your brain) lives in water as shallow as crocea does, too.
The fact that SOME squamosa, derasa, and gigas individuals can live at greater depths than croceas IN NO WAY implies that all of them can. The whole "deep water" clam thing was thought up by people that have never looked at the real distribution of clams in their natural habitat (I have), and is believed by people that don't know any better.
Look at it this way: Some humans can eat essentially all they want and not gain weight. Others can eat all they want and turn into a blimp. Still others can eat less than 1,000 calories a day and not lose a pound.
Some derasas can live under less than metal halides and thrive. Other derasas might survive, but not thrive. Others will die. It's called genetic diversity...
Your safest bet is MH lighting. Period.
dvmsn
New member
critterkeeper, you are so smart. Thank you for blessing us with your all knowing wisdom. I guess my 16 years of experience in the hobby have been for nought. It is one thing to have a difference of opinion, it is another to be condescending.
A quote from Daniel Knop's book "Huge specimens of T. Gigas can be found in 20 M depth where a T. Crocea would hardly have a chance to survive. I suspect that the larger species are better adapted to grater depth with its diminished light intensity than smaller clams."
T. Maxima and T. Crocea are generally the two smallest, with Maximas rarely getting large. Deresa, Gigas, and Squamosa are generally the largest. But I guess that Mr. Knop doesn't know any better.
Hippopus clams are found in sand flats adjoining sea grass beds which are much more turbid and get much less light than than a reef front for example.
There is an absolute halide bias in this hobby. Some of the prettiest tanks I have seen have been VHO only tanks. Granted VHO's lose their intensity with depth, but a Crocea high up under VHO's will live nine times out of ten.
A quote from Daniel Knop's book "Huge specimens of T. Gigas can be found in 20 M depth where a T. Crocea would hardly have a chance to survive. I suspect that the larger species are better adapted to grater depth with its diminished light intensity than smaller clams."
T. Maxima and T. Crocea are generally the two smallest, with Maximas rarely getting large. Deresa, Gigas, and Squamosa are generally the largest. But I guess that Mr. Knop doesn't know any better.
Hippopus clams are found in sand flats adjoining sea grass beds which are much more turbid and get much less light than than a reef front for example.
There is an absolute halide bias in this hobby. Some of the prettiest tanks I have seen have been VHO only tanks. Granted VHO's lose their intensity with depth, but a Crocea high up under VHO's will live nine times out of ten.
there is a difinitive differance between survive, live, and thrive that is constantly overlooked in this hobby. even if the Crocea does live, i dont think anyone wouldnt grant that it wouldnt be better off under MHs, and your only going to find this out after long term observation and seeing that your clam isnt responding optimally to its new enviroment. sure, maybe a Crocea will be ok under vhos at the top of your tank, but how are you going to view its mantel when its an inch from the surface and you have vhos an inch from that, kinda defeats the purpose, IMO.
PS, im only granting you that they will survive (its a matter of luck, just as most people are finding out now with the meaning of "reef safe" being redifined as a percentage, not an absolute) to show you this point is arbitrary at best, the whole point of keeping a tridacnid in your tank is the asthetic, and with that out the window, why waste the money
PS, im only granting you that they will survive (its a matter of luck, just as most people are finding out now with the meaning of "reef safe" being redifined as a percentage, not an absolute) to show you this point is arbitrary at best, the whole point of keeping a tridacnid in your tank is the asthetic, and with that out the window, why waste the money
critterkeeper
New member
Knop also says (on page 131 at the bottom left) "As the main light source, the only suitable means are metal halide lamps..." then he goes on to recommend 250w bulbs, too.
BTW - what does size have to do with how much light they need? Maxima and squamosa have the same maximum depth of occurence. And derasas have been found deeper than gigas has, and gigas can get more than twice the size of derasa.
I'll bring this up again, too. Last year I posted a survey asking about keeping clams under fluorescents. Basically asked if anyone had done it LONG-TERM, what type of lights, what species, how far from the surface, etc.
After something like 1,100 views - 7 people said they had done it. And about half of those didn't answer all the questions - just said they'd done it.
BTW - what does size have to do with how much light they need? Maxima and squamosa have the same maximum depth of occurence. And derasas have been found deeper than gigas has, and gigas can get more than twice the size of derasa.
I'll bring this up again, too. Last year I posted a survey asking about keeping clams under fluorescents. Basically asked if anyone had done it LONG-TERM, what type of lights, what species, how far from the surface, etc.
After something like 1,100 views - 7 people said they had done it. And about half of those didn't answer all the questions - just said they'd done it.
i have had an ultra blue crocea under t5's in my 65 for at least 5 months. it is thriving and growing and the color is very vibrant.
i have it close to the top of the tank like maybe 3 inches under the water. imo he is doing great. if i had metal halides i could probably put it lower but im fine with it up high because you can see the color better anyway.
i have it close to the top of the tank like maybe 3 inches under the water. imo he is doing great. if i had metal halides i could probably put it lower but im fine with it up high because you can see the color better anyway.
critterkeeper
New member
I think everyone will agree that if kept high enough, various specimens can be kept under fluorescents - but the vast majority of hobbyists want their clams lower in a tank so they can view them better.
There's also the issue of potential size, as any species other than crocea can get too big to keep on the rockwork. Eventually all of them (other than crocea) will end up on the bottom (unless maybe someone has a really, really big tank, of course). Yes, even maximas, as a 9" specimen is nothing unusual, and many make it to a foot (the record is actually almost 16").
I think a whole lot of people follow the same path - start with fluorescents and then end up upgrading to MH (and usually a bigger tank, too
). I always recommend just skipping the first part and go straight to MH - then you never have to wonder/worry if you've got enough light. Problem solved...
I had my own aquarium business for 5 years and never once did I have a customer upgrade to MH and wish they hadn't. Not one return or complaint. The way MH make the "glitter lines" in a tank is what most people like I think, and knowing that you can keep essentially any clam/coral without worries. That's where the "hype" comes from - thousands of satisfied hobbyists.
There's also the issue of potential size, as any species other than crocea can get too big to keep on the rockwork. Eventually all of them (other than crocea) will end up on the bottom (unless maybe someone has a really, really big tank, of course). Yes, even maximas, as a 9" specimen is nothing unusual, and many make it to a foot (the record is actually almost 16").
I think a whole lot of people follow the same path - start with fluorescents and then end up upgrading to MH (and usually a bigger tank, too
). I always recommend just skipping the first part and go straight to MH - then you never have to wonder/worry if you've got enough light. Problem solved...I had my own aquarium business for 5 years and never once did I have a customer upgrade to MH and wish they hadn't. Not one return or complaint. The way MH make the "glitter lines" in a tank is what most people like I think, and knowing that you can keep essentially any clam/coral without worries. That's where the "hype" comes from - thousands of satisfied hobbyists.
parothead22
New member
Skidaddy, how big is your clam? If it is under 3", then the clam is receiving most of its nutrition/food not from your light but from the nitrates and other nutrients in your water column.
