clams under VHO?
- Thread starter krishj39
- Start date
nm reef
Active Member
Wow...burn&spy has returned. Haven't seen you here in forever!!! Welcome back. I tried a few times to access your site but was never able to...any chance of it being back on-line?
In response to the thread...a few of the clams can be kept successfully...I've had a squamosa under a combination of PC's & VHO's for several months now. It has nearly doubled in size and appears to be healthy. It likely could do better under MH's...but I'm confident it'll continue to thrive in my current system. But I would not suggest anybody to attempt any type clam until you have a working understanding of their requirements and are able to provide adaquately for their long term health.
Below is the most recent picture of mine...
nmreef@cox.net
In response to the thread...a few of the clams can be kept successfully...I've had a squamosa under a combination of PC's & VHO's for several months now. It has nearly doubled in size and appears to be healthy. It likely could do better under MH's...but I'm confident it'll continue to thrive in my current system. But I would not suggest anybody to attempt any type clam until you have a working understanding of their requirements and are able to provide adaquately for their long term health.
Below is the most recent picture of mine...
nmreef@cox.net
jonthefb
Active Member
clams are a tricky little animal.....the brwn ones can be kept in lower light conditions.....however they are also the fastest growers and can easily outgrow a tank in 1 to 2 years......i personally kept a squamosa clam in a 20 gallon tank under 2 65 watt pc lights....the thing did fantastic and grew about an inch in a year.....i now have the little guy under MH lights along with 2 other maximas and a craocea and the squamosa is doing about a million times better with better color and mantle expansion.....i know that two of my friends who work at the lfs with me keep clams such as maximas, and croceas under pc and show considerable growth, however they also provide large amounts of planktonic foods to compensate for the lower light conditions......the clam that reef nut has pictured is a crocea clam and is the most light loving clam of them all.....if you do decide to keep a clam other than a squamosa or derasa under pc or vho lighting i would strongly reccommend raising the clam off the substrate closer to the light source.....maxima and crocea clams are boring clams in nature....they exrete a chemical from their byssal gland that dissolves the calcium carbonate rock around them and then gradually inch down into the substrate. if you try to mimic this idea in a reef tank i reccommend placing them on a depressed rock adn filling the depression with sand and then settign the clam on top of the sand....the sand will feel comfortable in the sand, and try to bury down as far as possible and once it senses the rock below will attatch its byssal threads.....this is also why bang guy suggested burying a rock under the sand so that they can attatch to it...i agree with spsfreak that keeping clams happy under non HID lighting is difficult and should only be tried by advanced hobbiests in tanks that have been established for at least a year.......and only then under close observation!
good luck
jon
good luck
jon
krishj39
Active Member
Nope. Near as I can figure, my LFS and DT's couldn't get along, so DT's stopped supplying the LFS, or the LFS said they wouldn't carry it anymore, depending on which you talk to. I miss that product terribly, and have been meaning to talk to the manager or whoever at the LFS to see about getting it in again.
BUT, have any of you had success with synthetic phytoplankton? Such as Marine Snow or whatever Kents version is called? What's the best kind? I still dose this stuff (Marine Snow at the moment), but I can't help but wonder if I'm just throwing my money away.
BUT, have any of you had success with synthetic phytoplankton? Such as Marine Snow or whatever Kents version is called? What's the best kind? I still dose this stuff (Marine Snow at the moment), but I can't help but wonder if I'm just throwing my money away.
spsfreak100
Active Member
Originally posted by jonthefb
the brwn ones can be kept in lower light conditions.....however they are also the fastest growers and can easily outgrow a tank in 1 to 2 years
The clams coloration has nothing to do with species or Hardiness. Any clam could be brown, such as ReefNut's T. Crocea (The Crocea is naturally found in shallow waters receiving ample amounts of lighting) to a Brown Derasa (Normally found in deeper waters). The clams hardiness (and lighting requirements) usually has to do with the species (ORA Aquacultured is another story), the species depends on the Mantel and Shell.
krishj39,
If you had to buy a clam (which I strongly do not recommend), you should get a T. Squamosa. These are not boring clams and shouldn't be placed in the rockwork. Good luck.
Take Care,
Graham
PS. I attached a picture of my T. Crocea (taken with flash). It's grown around 1" since I first got it 7 months ago.
spsfreak100
Active Member
Can't forget the T. Maxima (Carlos) 
Graham
Graham
sammystingray
Active Member
Months are not success at all.....I read the word "months" several times....please don't think 1, 3 or even 8 months is success with anything. I personally believe that a maxima would do OK....they will attach up on the rocks and you can get one high up close to the 660 watts. I kept one without change of color for over a year under 440 watts VHO. Sandbed clams did horribly, and changed color in my 90, but they still lasted over a year as they grew browner and browner. VHOs don't have the "punch" to get to the bottom of a 90 gallon in my opinion. The light near the waters surface is much more intense.
VHOs don't have the "punch" to get to the bottom of a 90 gallon in my opinion. The light near the waters surface is much more intense.
aileena
Member
Wow so much has been said. I am happy to see that the hardline rule regarding clams and MH's seems to be easing up at least somewhat and alternatives are being discussed. This thread seems much more realistic with the reality of keeping marine animals in tanks and not the ocean.
As for the amount time I've ever kept a clam or any other coral for that matter, I've never been able kept one for over a year or more because of constantly moving and taking down my system. The only thing I've really kept for over a year is Live Rock and green chromis. I hope that this time I will be able to keep the 60g and experiment a little...
One thing that troubles me SPSfreak100 is that you don't express as much zeal and protective prowess for your fellow humans as you do clams. I often make this analogy because one who loves marine life so much as to assert that some species should not be kept under the aforementioned conditions should be at least as concerned about children in foreign countries who die of malnutrition. Yet I don't often see these people having sleepless nights regarding starving children. Then again I don't think anyone here would have sleepless nights regarding a clam under vho lights either, but you get my point.
Not to get crazy like Bob or nothin, but like already mentioned our tanks our not the ocean and keeping any marine life at all is against nature since we cannot provide the most pristine conditions. The reasons why some hobbyists defend marine life with such zealousness seem to be often self-serving at best. In order to advance their animal rights conservation stand points. The latter leads me to inquire about the starving children inquiry. I just think that some have had success stories regarding clams under such lighting. Maybe the reason is that they feed a bottle of DT's every other day (come to think of it thats what I did when I kept my clam).
Either way the gf is yelling that breakfast is ready and as much as I love swf a farmers omlette sounds very good right now. To be continued....
As for the amount time I've ever kept a clam or any other coral for that matter, I've never been able kept one for over a year or more because of constantly moving and taking down my system. The only thing I've really kept for over a year is Live Rock and green chromis. I hope that this time I will be able to keep the 60g and experiment a little...
One thing that troubles me SPSfreak100 is that you don't express as much zeal and protective prowess for your fellow humans as you do clams. I often make this analogy because one who loves marine life so much as to assert that some species should not be kept under the aforementioned conditions should be at least as concerned about children in foreign countries who die of malnutrition. Yet I don't often see these people having sleepless nights regarding starving children. Then again I don't think anyone here would have sleepless nights regarding a clam under vho lights either, but you get my point.
Not to get crazy like Bob or nothin, but like already mentioned our tanks our not the ocean and keeping any marine life at all is against nature since we cannot provide the most pristine conditions. The reasons why some hobbyists defend marine life with such zealousness seem to be often self-serving at best. In order to advance their animal rights conservation stand points. The latter leads me to inquire about the starving children inquiry. I just think that some have had success stories regarding clams under such lighting. Maybe the reason is that they feed a bottle of DT's every other day (come to think of it thats what I did when I kept my clam).
Either way the gf is yelling that breakfast is ready and as much as I love swf a farmers omlette sounds very good right now. To be continued....
bang guy
Moderator
2 years & counting...
From 2.5" to over 8" now.
krishj39 - One thing (of many) that I agree with SPS on is that a Squamosa is the only logical choice for you if you want a Clam. Looking at your tank you don't have the space for a Derasa, Giga or Hippopus and you don't have the lights for Crocea and Maxima would be iffy (but possible). You have the same light I do (6 VHO bulbs??) except your sandbed is significantly closer to your lights so a Squamosa could actually do better for you.
SPS - I beleive the vast majority of Clams these days are aquacultured.
From 2.5" to over 8" now.
krishj39 - One thing (of many) that I agree with SPS on is that a Squamosa is the only logical choice for you if you want a Clam. Looking at your tank you don't have the space for a Derasa, Giga or Hippopus and you don't have the lights for Crocea and Maxima would be iffy (but possible). You have the same light I do (6 VHO bulbs??) except your sandbed is significantly closer to your lights so a Squamosa could actually do better for you.
SPS - I beleive the vast majority of Clams these days are aquacultured.
krishj39
Active Member
Great thread guys! Thanks again for all the replys.
Bang Guy, yup, I have 6 VHO's. Are those clams squamosa? They are beautiful, in any case. As to space, things can always be re-arranged or given away, as neccessary. With my latest additions to my tank, I find myself at a new milestone: to add anything else means either a lot of re-arranging or getting rid of something I already have. I have a lot of xenia and capnella taking up space, as well as encrusting gorgonians. So, all that to say, I'm sure I could make the space for just about anything. I'd actually like to move my aquarium slowly from many many small corals to fewer but bigger corals. I've spent the last year gathering all the runts, broken corals, etc I could find to gain the experience with different corals without having to spend a fortune to aquire them. Now I want to get some "show piece" corals. Anyway, that was a tangent. Ultimately, I don't care what kind of clam I get, I just want the most colorful kind I can keep alive, your vote still for the squamosa?
I'm actually considering getting MH, but that would mean a lot of alterations to the canopy and existing lighting. The big problem for me though is that I refuse to buy a chiller (too too expensive). What kind of MH would be best? 2 175watters? I'm not looking to blow my corals out of the water with MH light, just give my lighting a significant boost. How far off the water would I need to have MH bulbs to avoid having to get a chiller?
Bang Guy, yup, I have 6 VHO's. Are those clams squamosa? They are beautiful, in any case. As to space, things can always be re-arranged or given away, as neccessary. With my latest additions to my tank, I find myself at a new milestone: to add anything else means either a lot of re-arranging or getting rid of something I already have. I have a lot of xenia and capnella taking up space, as well as encrusting gorgonians. So, all that to say, I'm sure I could make the space for just about anything. I'd actually like to move my aquarium slowly from many many small corals to fewer but bigger corals. I've spent the last year gathering all the runts, broken corals, etc I could find to gain the experience with different corals without having to spend a fortune to aquire them. Now I want to get some "show piece" corals. Anyway, that was a tangent. Ultimately, I don't care what kind of clam I get, I just want the most colorful kind I can keep alive, your vote still for the squamosa?
I'm actually considering getting MH, but that would mean a lot of alterations to the canopy and existing lighting. The big problem for me though is that I refuse to buy a chiller (too too expensive). What kind of MH would be best? 2 175watters? I'm not looking to blow my corals out of the water with MH light, just give my lighting a significant boost. How far off the water would I need to have MH bulbs to avoid having to get a chiller?
bang guy
Moderator
Yes, both of those are Squamosa. If you're looking at odds then your chances are significantly improved by using MH. Light isn't the only parameter to keeping clams though. I really suggest you not try Maxima even though it's possible they could do wekk at the top of your rocks.
One note with clams is that the lower in the tank the better they look. This is strictly viewing angle though. Strong MH allows the clams to be kept lower in the tank in addition to bringing out the irridescent colors.
One note with clams is that the lower in the tank the better they look. This is strictly viewing angle though. Strong MH allows the clams to be kept lower in the tank in addition to bringing out the irridescent colors.
S
starfishjackedme
Guest
personally, if I was going to put down the dollars for a clam i would go through the effort physically and financially to ensure the best odds of survival. Actually, for them to flourish is the goal, not to just keep them for a few "months" like mentioned above. There are no shortcuts in this hobby. I personally wouldn't even attempt clams under anything but my 400 watt MH butt burners.
jon-paul
Member
Okay
I'm wayyyy too tired to read this today so can someone give me the jist of this story. I also want to keep a clam in my tank (37 Gallon 4x75 watts VHO [8 watts per gallon]). I have not done it yet because it is a very touchy subject and I feel as though I am not experienced enough. Would I be able to keep a clam in my tank with excellent water conditions? Or would i not have aenough room for a clam to grow anyway I'll attach a pic just to see if it is big enough. I don't think I will run out and get one anyway for two reasons: #1 I'm not experienced enoug and #2 The LFS is 5 hours away .
Anyway thanx for any replies and this is probably a great thread
I'm wayyyy too tired to read this today so can someone give me the jist of this story. I also want to keep a clam in my tank (37 Gallon 4x75 watts VHO [8 watts per gallon]). I have not done it yet because it is a very touchy subject and I feel as though I am not experienced enough. Would I be able to keep a clam in my tank with excellent water conditions? Or would i not have aenough room for a clam to grow anyway I'll attach a pic just to see if it is big enough. I don't think I will run out and get one anyway for two reasons: #1 I'm not experienced enoug and #2 The LFS is 5 hours away
.Anyway thanx for any replies and this is probably a great thread
coralcollector
Member
Mh all the way baby!