Hi everyone! ive been considering getting a clam for my 55g reef and i have a few questions…
Ive never tested my par levels in my tank but i have 324 watts of HO t-5 lighting… 3x54w 420 actinics
and 3x54w 10,000K daylights would this be enough to successfully keep a clam…?
any input is greatly appreciated.
Ryan
for the most part it’s a maybe to very likely, but would depend on the bulbs and the reflectors.
You would need a decent fixture with good reflectors that are keep clean and also use good bulbs and change your bulbs regularly like every 8 months.
Might try posting on Chris and Barbs forum over at reef-geeks.com. Chris who runs the forum is a true clam guro. There are many clam geeks here as well, but they all spend more time there.
I’m no clam fanatic, but have to agree with what Hudzon said. It would be on the line really close. You could increase your odds by feeding, but only if you could maintain healthy chemistry at the same time(nitrates and phosphates didn’t climb too high and Alk, Calcium, Mg, all sat where they should be.)
According to the crew at Pacific East Aquaculture they really don’t think T5s are the way to go for clams.
How established/mature is your aquarium? If you haven’t been running it for 6 months or longer I would say wait a little while.
Post on Reef-geeks as well. Good luck!
T5s are adequate for clams, especially on a 55 which isn’t very deep. The type of clam will also be a consideration. I believe croceas are the most light demanding and readily available - on that note I kept a crocea successfully on the sand bed of my 75 under 6 T5s.
From what I’ve heard it doesn’t help to try to feed clams as the food we have access to is too large for clams to utilize, they get most of their energy from light and floating particulate in the water column.
Assuming your light has individual reflectors for each bulb (read NOT Nova (the old ones) ) and has been set up for 6 months or more (would recommend 12 months minimum), and all parameters are in check and stable I would say go for it.
Thanks for your input everyone. I dont plan to keep a clam anytime soon just doing some research while i consider what i want for my tank after its finished and stable its been running since feb 11’th 2011 so its still new and i also would like to find what clam would be happy with my setup. my lighting fixtures have reflectors for each bulb and i plan to replace 3 out of my 6 t-5’s every 4-6 months
Hey Ryan, i have a 125 with 6 rows of t5’s. i waited about a year ( i planned on waiting a full year, but caved in while sitting in DPA… beginning of this year…x-mas gift certificate in hand…and staring a a beautiful blue maxima!) soon after, i got a squamosa from there as well, both have been on the sandbed the whole time, both have grown…maxima a little…squammy a lot! They both survived a pyram snail episode shortly after i got them as well…come to find out my snails (turbos and astreas had them in my system before i even got a clam… start checking your snails now for small white cone shape snails…(like a pionty grain of rice, and much smaller. )
I do have quality bulbs, and reflectors, and have acros and some other finicky things doing well. Most of my "softies dont grow much hardly (except gsp, and seafoam palys!) and O nitrates… i’ve never “fed” anything specifically for clams, but i do wonder, and need to read up on that more, but from what i’ve seen theres long term success with no feedings. If i had live phyto, i’d surely squirt it in the tank right now though…its gotta be good i’d think
Id say go for it with good bulbs, and you can always raise the clams up higher, maximas like it up on rocks, as long as you can get away with them not falling and hurting themselves. and you should be just fine with the “light part” with squammies and deresas on the sandbed…you do have sand right?
anyway, talk to me when your ready to replace some bulbs, its cool to use a par meter then, to really see a before and after. you can find out for sure what par others of us have for comparison.
there will be a par meter borrow thread soon. And i’m hoping for short and sweet lending times so its available within a week, not months (and still keep in mind our southerners) we’ll work it out.
theres also a couple other members that have clams under t5’s doing good…maybe Tim, or Ellen, or Paul (used to mr. led)
in my short clam experience and what i’ve seen, you’ve got plenty of light
i ran a 65 with less wattage, and it’s taller than the 55, and kept maxis and derasas and croceas. you need good bulbs and good placement to get it right.
[quote=“Ryan, post:5, topic:4535”]
… i plan to replace 3 out of my 6 t-5’s every 4-6 months[/quote]
You’re effectively eliminating one of the benefits of T5s if you’re replacing them that often. :
: The nice part of T5s is that the bulbs only need to be replaced every year or so (depending on your lighting schedule).
MH bulbs need to be replaced every 6 months, T5s every year, LEDs every 4-5 years. I’d save the money on trying to replace the bulbs so often and start a nice clam collection ::drool::
Thanks for all the help guys! That would be awesome to test my par! also yes i have 60 pounds of live sand.
Forgive me if i say anything that sounds a bit off to be completely honest im still new to reef keeping but im learning and taking it slow to be successful and i never neglect my tank. if anything im a bit obsessed! >LOL<
For an example i had no clue API test kits were inaccurate… Im looking into salifert test kits now.
also i was led to believe instant ocean reef crytals is the best salt out there… thanks LFS’s! >:::
Happy to be a part of a great group so when i need help ill be on the right track and i always
research for myself as well. Anyways i didnt know i didnt have to change my bulbs that much
ive only changed one so far and that was an actinic and my fixtures are only 5 months old.
Its great to hear i can keep a clam someday! my fiance really wants one and ive put alot
of cash into my 55g and id be bummed to hear its a no go… But id rather be bummed than to
have something unhappy in my tank. I appreciate everything guys!
[quote=“Ryan, post:9, topic:4535”]
also i was led to believe instant ocean reef crytals is the best salt out there… thanks LFS’s![/quote]
HJack
I use IORC . . . pray tell, what do you know that I do not?? Not that I believe that it’s the best, but indeed I’m still using it. Is there a better alternative or a definitive reason that you’re unhappy with it?
Hi dajohnson02! ive had no issues with it to be honest i use it as well and im very happy with it.
Just used it for an example that LFS’s will try to get over on you as they did with me and
make you believe the product they carry is the best out there. I feel the same i know its not the best out
there but im very happy with it and ive never had issues. sorry for the confusion that was my fault
“The best” of ANYTHING is subjective in this obsession hobby, what works well for one may be a total failure for another.
That being said I have been using IORC for quite a while now and like the results I am getting. I have told others that I like IORC and recommend it to them, but it will not work for everyone.
I am however curious as to who your LFS is Ryan. I don’t want to bash them, I just want to be aware of who may try to sell me something they stock over what I really want.
I definitly agree with you. Its not for everyone but its been working great for me but IO and IORC is the only salt they carry there and is what im told by an employee that they use for the tank they have in the store.
Pet emporium in seaford DE. I still like to go there and they are super nice and helpful but with dr macs being so close i go there now but i still buy things from pet emporium as well but im cautious now.
thay also told me you have to use all live sand to set up a saltwater tank and aquaclear HOB filters
would be okay for reef tanks.
I am also using Reef Crsytals for my tank and it does what I need it to do for MY tank. You will always get different opiions about everything, the final decision whether to use or not, is basically up to you. If something is working fine for your tank, leave it alone. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.
i know dunk uses r/c and loves it!
Not r/c just io. Have used instant ocean since the beginning. I like it. I like it ahhh lottttt. Lol. Never tried reef crystals. Kinda think it would be the same just elevated elements. It really is the easiest to get that’s one reason I like it and still use it. Any store I go to they have it in stock and if they don’t it’s because they sold out. I think consistency is key, DANIELSON!!!
houndsbayman i completely agree with you as well! i appreciate all of the help guys its reassuring to hear im not the only one who is using IORC’s not that its crap or anything because IMO its not at all but its nice to hear
its working for others as well. thanks for your input as well moliken! Ive only been a member for a few days and im loving it! thanks guys!
IORC were good when I used them. I have switched to Tropic Marine Pro reef since. I had no problems with the salt itself I just switched cause I wanted more of the extra stuff and was trying different routes when I had some issues. I imagine as long as you stay on top of the water changes and adding livestock you should be fine. Like others have said what salts to use is opinionated some have better luck with other salts then others but they all work well.
I’ve been using Reef Crystals for years with much success. Is it the best? No, is it the cheapest? No Is it the best I can afford and does it give me consistent results? Yep
[i]
While we’re talking about salt I’d also like to remind our newer members that it’s important to stir your salt bucket to make sure you’re getting a full mix of all the elements every time. During shipping, moving, transporting the finer particulate matter in a bucket of salt will settle to the bottom. The result is you won’t have enough of this element through your first 50 water changes and then you’ll have too much of it in your last 10.
We now return you to your previous thread.[/i]
FWIW I used a bucket of Tropic Marin last year and got ridiculous growth and better color than I get with RC, granted I don’t know if it was the salt or I was just doing my water changes and testing as frequently as I should have been. But I am giving credit to the salt - if it were cheaper I’d probably be using that full time.
Thanks for your input guys!