Clams under VHO

nm reef

Active Member
I refuse to enter the debate of PS vs VHO vs MH....for one my experience has been limited to a combination of PC & VHO on a 55 gal reef...for another I simply don't have the technical experience/information to offer a valid position. I do know whats worked for me and to this point I've kept a few SPS type corals but no clams(considered them...but have not added one)
All I want to add to this pleasent little issue is the pic below...I found it several months ago and saved it because it shows the effectiveness of VHO lighting when combined with a stable/mature and well maintained system. Take a look.....
Paul A. Ifkovits' VHO Paradise
 

fishfood

Member
Well i never kept a clam but i do have 3 acro/sps frags. They do show more color under the vho's. I do like the lighting effect with the mh that i just put in. Instead of that all blue or all white look from the 3 bulb icecaps that i have, you know the uniform look, the single mh bulb in the center of the tank makes everything look more life like. All of my stuff looked great under the VHO's but when i got the mh you have the ripple effect going on that makes it look like you are actually on a reef scuba diving or something. I guess pc might be able to do that but I don't know because i never had them and i'm not sure what all bulb type they come in. I just wish that my sps would show a little more color. I'm not satisfied with mh or vho on that part, although they are growing.
 

gregzbobo

Member
That lfs off of n kelley right? I was there once. Did not like what I saw in her sell tanks. She had a couple nice display tanks though. Thought she closed too, drove by the place once or twice in the past year and did not see any signs of business.
 

jpribelin

Member
Yea its off N Kelley I think, she is still in business, i wouldn't buy any fish period from any LFS here b/c they all suck. They all seem to have good corals though but everyone except Aquariums wants outragous prices for them. I got my Derasa and Peral Bubble from Aquariums and they are both doing excellent :) but I would just rather get everything online.
 

wrassecal

Active Member
Been following this because of the lighting debate but I need to throw in here that I have bought all my fish (except the rusty that got ich and died early on) at Crystal Clear in Norman. Their livestock is in great shape and if something is new, they will keep it for you for a couple weeks to make sure health is good.
 

gregzbobo

Member
Thanks fellow Okies. I went to Pet Vet in MWC a few days ago and decided they have a decent selection of corals and fish, but their live rock selection isn't so good. The Reef shop has a great selection of fish, inverts, and corals, but are WAY pricey. Aquarium Concepts, nice store, GREAT selection of tanks (All-Glass dealer), but low selection of marine life. I bought my tank setup through Aquarium Concepts in fact. All-Glass 65 gallon with the overflow system, pine stand and canopy, paid about 450 I think including the overflow plumbing. I offset the cost of that tank recently when I bought a Little Giant pump for 55 bucks, factory direct. Sure does pay to be an employee of one of thier suppliers. :D Anyhoo, thanks guys, I am going to go to Crystal Clear and to Aquariums today to have a look see.
 

herbbie

Member
I would just like to add, while you are researching lighting, and debating what to do with your 25g, I would definatley look into doing a sump with that. Also, the mh will give you lots of heat, so depending on how you will set your tank up, be prepared for the heat it will throw off. If you don't have good ventilation, you may end up having to get a chiller, and that is another peice of equipment. I have mh, and they really heat the water up. Also, I have a 36" DEEP tank, and that is another consideration. If you are going to have a lot of depth, you will need the penetration of MH. I don't know what is better for keeping clams, I just know that my experience using both a sump and MH has been excellent results for my corals and clam. But, my tank is only 3 months old, so what do I know? I don't even know what sps corals means.:p
 
Top