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View Full Version : Typical PAR for Maxima

MarlinHooker
03/21/2013, 07:17 AM
can anyone tell me what a good PAR range is for these guys? I have a PAR meter and would like to locate my new Maxima without too much guessing?

Also, is it a good idea to provide some kind of hard base for the clam to attach to if it's going to be on the sand bed so it can be moved if needed without potential damage? If so, what do folks use?
OrionN
03/21/2013, 07:37 AM
Very few reefers with PAR meter so you are not going to get your answer.
Maxima live on the surface of the reef, often exposed in low tide so you are not going to put to much light on them, if you increase in intensity slowly. Just becasue they need so much light, if they beein in very low light for a while, you will need to increase it slowly or they may get damage witht he sudden increase in light.
MarlinHooker
03/21/2013, 09:19 AM
this was an aquacultured clam not wild caught. Right now I have it on the bottom of my sand bed which is 30" from my AI Sols which run at 65% max for 3 hrs during the total light period. At the same time I have 2 48" T5 ATI blue + bulbs on & 6 blue Powerbrite LED strips ...
nystang
03/21/2013, 10:20 AM
I measured my PAR at different location for my maximum power I have during the day. The maxima is in the middle of the tank on the bottom. It's healthy and growing. The same with my corals which are happy, etc. Maybe this pic will help you to determine what you need. This is however in 15" high tank and The Razor is 7" above the water level.
http://www.ericphotoart.com/aqua/PAR60
OrionN
03/21/2013, 10:32 AM
this was an aquacultured clam not wild caught. Right now I have it on the bottom of my sand bed which is 30" from my AI Sols which run at 65% max for 3 hrs during the total light period. At the same time I have 2 48" T5 ATI blue + bulbs on & 6 blue Powerbrite LED strips ...
All the aquaculture facility culture their clams outside under the sun. Just boost it up, they will appreciate it. More light means more color of your Maxiam.
MarlinHooker
03/21/2013, 01:57 PM
nystang; that's exactly what I was looking for! Thx!
MarlinHooker
03/21/2013, 02:01 PM
that's the great thing about measuring PAR ... it accounts for all the variables which are hard to duplicate ... I don't really need to know how far your clam is from your lights or their intensity or anything else assuming that our PAR meters are reading basically the same ... a PAR of 380 is 380 no matter where you get it from ...
MarlinHooker
03/21/2013, 02:02 PM
just for completiness what PAR meter did you use?
nystang
03/21/2013, 03:35 PM
It was Apogee as far as I remember. I asked local reefers on a different forum to borrow one. I was lucky I found a guy who came to my house and we spend about 2 hours measuring PAR at different light intensity and combinations.
MarlinHooker
03/21/2013, 05:08 PM
Perfect, that's the one I have. I did that for a while but started to have to charge a 'nuisance fee' so that I wasn't spending every night driving all over the county letting people use my PAR meter because they were curious ...
moliken
03/22/2013, 05:00 AM
unless there's pure actinic supplements, clams can suffer, regardless of intense par
MarlinHooker
03/22/2013, 08:41 AM
my lighting system is a combo of AI Sols, PowerBritebrite LEDs & T5 ATI blue+ so I should be fine I would think ...