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View Full Version : Clam or SPS, which one is harder to keep?


BHD
01/11/2012, 10:45 AM
Hello everyone,

So which one is harder to keep?
I know that for sps, alk need to be stable between 8-11 and cal need to be stable at 400-500.
How about clam, what are the level of alk and cal for them?

Thanks,
Bao

D-Nak
01/11/2012, 11:03 AM
I think the general rule of thumb is that if you can keep SPS, you can keep clams. This implies that clams are easier to keep. In many ways they are since they aren't as demanding as coral in terms of environmental conditions. SPS need high flow and lots of light. While clams like a lot of light, they don't need high flow.

Another thing to consider is what you want your result to be. SPS can be kept in less than optimal conditions, but they won't look the way you want them to -- many tend to brown out or lose vibrancy when parameters are out of wack or not locked in. So the key for SPS is consistency. On the other hand, to the best of my knowledge, clams don't change color based on environmental conditions. They may grow slower due to lower calcium levels, but once you have a blue clam, it will always stay blue.

To answer your question though, I think the goal of all reefkeepers is to keep their water parameter near NSW, which are the parameters you mentioned. Both SPS and clams consume calcium, so you will need a form of replenishment based on the demands of your system. Large clams can surprisingly consume a lot of calcium, especially the faster growing species such as Derasa.

Reef264
01/11/2012, 11:25 AM
Clams are Simpler, SPS are More Technical to keep, a Couple more things have to be Optimal to Make These Expensive Sticks thrive.I do like both though...

Allmost
01/11/2012, 11:32 AM
compare clams to LPS.

SPS next level up. keeping SPS alive aint that hard, keeping them colorfull and happy is.

Drae
01/11/2012, 12:02 PM
^^^^+1 ime's

BHD
01/11/2012, 12:06 PM
Thanks everyone for your replies,
I am very frustrated with sps right now. They are growing alot but won't color up at all. Those sps pest are realy annoying as well.
I am thinking of trading in sps for some nice and colorful clams.
Does clam need clean water with zero nitrate and zero phosphate?? or they can tolerate a bit dirtier water??

Allmost
01/11/2012, 12:20 PM
Thanks everyone for your replies,
I am very frustrated with sps right now. They are growing alot but won't color up at all. Those sps pest are realy annoying as well.
I am thinking of trading in sps for some nice and colorful clams.
Does clam need clean water with zero nitrate and zero phosphate?? or they can tolerate a bit dirtier water??

you should not aim to have dirty water, aim for clean water.

clams dont require water AS clean as SPS ...

all relative.

if you can keep SPS alive, you can keep clams too.

SPS death is not always related to pest neither, you hear it alot, but dont see it as frequent :)

slakker187
01/11/2012, 01:08 PM
b, two things that make sps brown out are dirty water and the light spectrum.
10k = brown corals that grow fast > 15k > 20k = less growth more color.
and dont forget to have too much water flow. ;)

nrbelk
01/11/2012, 01:14 PM
I wish I had the success that everyone is talking about.

I keep sps with what I think is a good success (as in I have to trim my SPS back or else they will run into the glass or other colonies) but the one clam I tried to keep, it died after two weeks....

D-Nak
01/11/2012, 01:28 PM
I wish I had the success that everyone is talking about.

I keep sps with what I think is a good success (as in I have to trim my SPS back or else they will run into the glass or other colonies) but the one clam I tried to keep, it died after two weeks....

Sounds like it was either sick when you got it, or predators in your tank got to it. It's definitely not your water parameters if your SPS are thriving.

D-Nak
01/11/2012, 01:32 PM
Re: SPS... what's nice about them is that you can tweak your system to get your SPS to look the way you want them to. I've had my tank up for a little over a year now and have been slowing adding SPS. I've seen lots of growth with some, not much with others. Now that I know that my system is mature, I'm going to start adjusting lighting (switching from 14k halide to 20k, or moving on to LEDs), flow patterns, and also the water parameters/chemistry (I may try bio-pellets) to not only grow coral, but also have the colors pop more.

wbuzatto
01/11/2012, 03:33 PM
The factors that make corals brown out will affect clams, too, just not as intensively. A blue clam will stay blue with dirty water and bad illumination, but you'll start seeing some brown in them as well. At least that's my experience. I've had (and lost) some clams along the years, and currently keep four of them in my RSM250 while my other tank matures. Water conditions are far better in the RSM250 then they were in the other tank; since I moved them to the RSM250, one blue derasa seemed to have it's color literally explode, and I see no trace of brown in it anymore.

As to the health and survival chances, try to start with larger clams; the ones I lost were very small ones. Lastly, always keep one six-line wrasse with you clams, it helps get rid of those nasty, little pyramid snails that suck up their juices.

scarface70706
01/11/2012, 04:02 PM
a Couple more things have to be Optimal to Make These Expensive Sticks thrive.I do like both though...

lmao thats funny.

just wondering though; not trying to thread jack but are you suppose to dip clams or are they good to go right out of the bag?

Drae
01/11/2012, 04:47 PM
I heard its a def no no to dip. Qt tank all the way.

wbuzatto
01/12/2012, 08:54 PM
Sorry, post was duplicated...

wbuzatto
01/12/2012, 08:58 PM
You need to look very carefully for hitchhikers on their shells, specially on squamosas or croceas... clams are an easy way for mojanos, aiptasias and pyramid snails to get into your display! And, differently than with corals, you can't knock off the base!

tkeracer619
01/13/2012, 10:58 AM
I heard its a def no no to dip. Qt tank all the way.

+1

Also use a toothbrush and scrub the crap out of any clam you get. Be careful around the base and keep an eye out for pests.

Both can be alive one day and dead the next. SPS requires absolute stability to keep your colors bright. You can have sps that looks great for years. You slip up and your alk spikes or dips. You now have faded corals.

Phosphates and nitrates need to be kept close to zero for success.

Jenzifer
01/13/2012, 12:45 PM
sps is the hardest..clams IMO are as easy as keeping rock alive

sanchoy
01/13/2012, 01:29 PM
Actually my sps thrive. Lost a few clams. Maybe my tanks too clean.

Mikep503
01/22/2012, 02:43 AM
I think a calcium reactor and dirty water are keys to keeping clams! I have had my current clams for about 5 years. I killed a few before adding a calcium reactor to my system and havent lost one since.