Can I keep Clams?

[kramleigh]

Hi. I have a 25" Deep aquarium with 3 x 54W T5 White tubes and 2 x 54W T5 Actinic tubes housed in the hood. My question is, can I keep a Blue Maxima Clam or a Derasa Clam? Will they have any special requirements?

Thanks

[RumLad]

You should be fine from a lighting standpoint

[luke33]

How large of a tank is it? I would set them half way up on rocks imo.

[kramleigh]

It's 48 x 25 x 20 (L x H x W). All tubes are 46", with reflectors. Could get another T5 in there if it would help? How limited am I with this kind of lighting?

[NanoCube-boy]

yea you can, I think if your like over 100 watts, it should be fine. You tank isn't deep, but yea, i would place in the middle level of your tank just incase.

[power boat jim]

Maximas and derasas have different lighting requirements. A derasa can survive in a more dimly lit environment, The blue maximas are a high light clam, it would need to be toward the top of the tank. The derasa is basically a sand dweller and can get extreamly large. Clams requirements are basically the same as an sps tank. You can try the derasa first and see how it does, then maybe go with a maxima.

[NanoCube-boy]

HOw many what would you recommend for Maximas? If say I want to place on the bottom about 16-20inches? 150w, or 200w?

[kmf507]

I'd get the strongest lights you can afford. I'm upgrading from a 260 W pc to a MH fixture over 500 watts. One of the reasons for my upgrade is to keep a clam.

[NanoCube-boy]

500watts? thats too much isn't? I thought clam can live in 100 watts.

[REMF]

Just for an example, I run a 5x54w T5 retro myself on my 75g tank, I have 1 derasa on the sand bed that is growing like a weed and looks very good (color & mantel extension), I also have a crocea (most light demanding clam) about 1/2 way up the rockwork (they like the rocks anyway) it also is very healthy and colorful, growing well but they are slow growers compared to a derasa.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/75993clam.JPG



http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/75993clams.JPG

[kass03]

I agree with RMEF.
I have 6 54 watt HO lamps on my 55 and kept my crocea for about a year and a half now. Mine is also about 10 inches from the top.
I would do the same with a maxima as those and croceas are the most light demanding.
I have a flat rock thats like a shelf that mine is on.
If possible it would be better to add another 10k bulb so you have 4 white and 2 blue bulbs.

Heres mine. I hand picked it at Doc Fosters coral conference and it took me 2 days to pick lol they had so many nice ones.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y104/kass03/e8edcac9.jpg

kass

[Henry Bowman]

As long as you have good bulbs and reflectors in your T5 unit, you should be just fine keeping clams wherever you want to place them. ATI, UVL's are some of the better bulbs.

[NanoCube-boy]

wow, i thought one hundred watts would be enough, but i guess not. Anyways, how the heck you have 5 rows of lighting together? Is the a fixture that I can by that are compatible with 40gallon I'm planning to work on in 3 months? My tank length is 36inches. I'm in the middle of research and having a hard time figure out what fixture sytem that already built for reef and compatible to SPS and clams. Can you show me some?

[REMF]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9146910#post9146910 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NanoCube-boy
wow, i thought one hundred watts would be enough, but i guess not.

Don't count watt's that is an old method and not really used anymore.

What are the dimensions of your tank? Is it a standard 40g 48 x 13 x 16 or a 40br 36 x 18 x 16?

kass03, that is a very nice clam!

[NanoCube-boy]

REMF, My dimension is 15wx36x16h

[REMF]

If you want a fixture there are some nice ones and with only a 16" depth a 4 light would do fine.

36" Tek Light: 4-39W T5 HO .HERE (http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5_Fluorescent/Sunlight_Supply/Tek_Light_Fixtures/36_inch__Tek_Light:_4-39W_T5_HO_Fluorescents_(Black)_by_Sunlight_Supply) or The new ULTRA SOLARIS 6 x 39w is only 11" wide http://www.aquariumobsessed.com/

Or if you built a canopy you could do retros

[NanoCube-boy]

Wow, that's a lot bulbs. How do you know what likes is good for a particular livestock any? How do you know how the intensity of spectrum shine in certain dept?

[kramleigh]

It can work out slighlty more expensive (but not much), but I've just purhcased 2 twin control units and a single. With reflectors, the T5's are only ~2 1/2" wide, so its taking up 12 1/2" in my hood, could easily get a sixth or more in tank around 2ft in depth.

[NanoCube-boy]

How do you know the intensity of your light shining at certain depth?