Keeping a Clam or LPS

gatorzone19

gatorzone19

Member
I have a 55g Reef Aquarium with 4x54 Nova Extreme T5 Lighting. I have a Large HOB Refugium loaded with refugium with a Bak Pak protein skimmer which works surprisingly really well. I have a very healthy sebae anemone which has lived near the sandbed for about 1.5 years. I use NSW and do a waterchange once a month. I dont have much coral experience so all help is welcomed.
Heres my questions.
I am wondering if I can keep a clam in my tank? If so what type?
What type of LPS do you recomend for me?
What do I need to dose? 2 part calcium?
What should I be testing for? Right now I only test for Nitrate, Nitrite, Ammonia,pH, and phosphate.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
If you want corals you need to test for calcium also....
W/O testing dosing should not be done...are your T5's HO???
You should also test alkalinity and magnesium
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Originally Posted by Gatorzone19
http:///forum/post/3128045
Yes they are HO.
From what I have read...with T5 HO you can keep anything (?) there are a few people with those lights that have clams....Maxima, Squamosa, Derasa...so you need to decide which one you really want
Frogspawn is a nice lps, as are brains..there are so many
 
bountyhunter23

bountyhunter23

Member
I would also keep it up kinda high. I would never personally keep a clam in T5... But it can be done. Just do a ton of research on it. Ive really only seen it done on T5 fixtures with 6 bulbs. But yes as stated I would defiantly buy better bulbs. ATI is great I used them up till i found a cheap MH fixture and decided to switch.
 
gatorzone19

gatorzone19

Member
Originally Posted by Bountyhunter23
http:///forum/post/3128066
I would also keep it up kinda high. I would never personally keep a clam in T5... But it can be done. Just do a ton of research on it. Ive really only seen it done on T5 fixtures with 6 bulbs. But yes as stated I would defiantly buy better bulbs. ATI is great I used them up till i found a cheap MH fixture and decided to switch.
O ya I have 2 54w ATI Blue Plus, 1 54w KZ Pink, and 1 54w UVL Aquasun.
 
J

jetskiking

Guest
As far as most LPS you should be fine . As far as the clam goes I would recommend having more bulbs. If you try one I would go with the T.Deresa because they require the least light and the gigas would get too large. Also remember clams use a lot of calcium.
 
gatorzone19

gatorzone19

Member
Originally Posted by jetskiking
http:///forum/post/3128102
As far as most LPS you should be fine . As far as the clam goes I would recommend having more bulbs. If you try one I would go with the T.Deresa because they require the least light and the gigas would get too large. Also remember clams use a lot of calcium.
Thanks? What type of 2 part calcium should I get?
 
jackri

jackri

Active Member
If you use 2 part don't just follow the directions. Part A raises calcium, Part B raises alk (usually).
If you blindly dose (like I did once) just following the directions you may be under or overdosing either part. I was dosing per instructions and tested (much later than I should have) and my calcium was at 280 with sps, lps and clams. Before that using a kalk drip everything was fine... so after trying two part and how much it actually took to maintain levels.. I just went back to my Mrs Wage's pickling lime kalk drip.
 
er..md

er..md

Member
I have a blue maxima I keep in the bottm of my red sea max (T5 x 6) that has doubled in size in 6 months....
Alll of my corals are doing well with this lighing..
frogspawn
torch
Green and red open brain
hammer
acans
multiple montipora and acroporas etc...
I don't even have a chiller tank lights are on for 12 hours and the temp goes from 78-81
 
J

jetskiking

Guest
Originally Posted by jackri
http:///forum/post/3128781
If you use 2 part don't just follow the directions. Part A raises calcium, Part B raises alk (usually).
If you blindly dose (like I did once) just following the directions you may be under or overdosing either part. I was dosing per instructions and tested (much later than I should have) and my calcium was at 280 with sps, lps and clams. Before that using a kalk drip everything was fine... so after trying two part and how much it actually took to maintain levels.. I just went back to my Mrs Wage's pickling lime kalk drip.
You should never dose without testing.
 
gatorzone19

gatorzone19

Member
Originally Posted by ER..MD
http:///forum/post/3128790
I have a blue maxima I keep in the bottm of my red sea max (T5 x 6) that has doubled in size in 6 months....
Alll of my corals are doing well with this lighing..
frogspawn
torch
Green and red open brain
hammer
acans
multiple montipora and acroporas etc...
I don't even have a chiller tank lights are on for 12 hours and the temp goes from 78-81

Will the clam stay on a rock or will I have to glue him down?
 
er..md

er..md

Member
I've never had much luck having them saty on a rock in general they like to be in the substrate
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Originally Posted by Gatorzone19
http:///forum/post/3128821
Will the clam stay on a rock or will I have to glue him down?
You never glue a clam down....Depending on what type will determine where it goes
for example...maxima goes on rocks
squamosa in the sand
The clam that goes on the rocks will attach themselves
 
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