Lighting for Clams

bluegoose972

bluegoose972

Member
I'm still struggling with the lighting issue. Here is my deal...Can someone help?
I want to be able to stock hard corals and clams, so I know that my lighting requirements are going to be high.
I have narrowed my choice to either a 58 gal or a 75 gal tank. Typical depth is 21", less a 4" sand bed...So 17" deep to bottom.
I'm shying away from MH due to their expense and their tendency to heat up the water.
For a 58 gal, I can install a retro kit with 4 @ 95 watt VHO.
For a 75 gal, I can install a retro kit with 4 @ 110 watt VHO.
The 58 will have slightly more light intensity, but I like the size of the 75.
Will either unit work for clams or SPS?
 
spsfreak100

spsfreak100

Active Member
I agree. I would not put any scleractinians into that setup. Your lighting is not anywhere near the amount of lighting these creatures will need to thrive. The slceractinians and tridacna clams do best under metal halides. I would strongly urge you to upgrade to metal halides if you wanted to keep SPS and clams.
The 58 will have slightly more light intensity,
I have to disagree. The wattage is less with the powercompacts than it is with VHO's, no matter which way you try to split it up. 380wts is 380wts. There's no "added" wattage when the lighting gets put on a smaller tank size.
For instance,
380 watts over a fifty eight gallon tank appears much better than that same 380 watts over a 75-gallon tank, but the intensity is lacking in both cases._ 380 watts is still 380 watts. The more the intensity, the better. Here was a recent post by Eric Borneman, “if a coral, for example, requires 15,000 lux to saturate, it needs to get that amount of light regardless of tank size._ So, if a 175 watt metal halide puts out 17,500 lux at the water surface and 8,000 lux ten inches down, it’s enough light for the coral at the surface but not at the bottom.”_
Regards,
Graham
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
I have the greatest respect for Dr. Borneman but I can't see where lux makes any sense when discussing reef lighting setups.
To answer the question, hands down HID lighting is the most effective for SPS and Clams.
It does NOT!!!!! put out more heat than any other high performance lighting system. This myth is just wrong.
The initial cost is slightly more, the long term cost is the same or even less. Are you looking for a long term solution or are you going to quit after a couple years?
 
rkm

rkm

Member
I would go with the MH also. I had a clam with my pc it lasted for about 6 months. I will not buy and clam or coral any more until i update to a MH system. My pc's do good for my soft corals like grees stars polyps and shrooms. thats it. thats just me though. I'm sure others have done well.
 
kyaney

kyaney

Member
I can only give my opinion on what has worked for me. Each of my three tanks (120, 90, 75) has three clams in them. I have some on the bottom of the tanks and some in the middle. They are all thriving. I have not lost a single one in 6 years. So, I would have to say that , in my case, MH IS NOT required.
 
spsfreak100

spsfreak100

Active Member

Originally posted by Bang Guy
I
It does NOT!!!!! put out more heat than any other high performance lighting system. This myth is just wrong.

I would tend to agree with this statement. Halides have a small output which lets off the heat. In a nut shell, all the heat is centered in a single area. In flourecent lighting, the whole bulb gives off the heat, therefore, there's less amount of heat in a single area. Make sense?
Graham
 
saltwaterdave

saltwaterdave

Member
I believe the Squamosa and Derasa clams require a little less light than the Maximas and Croceas. I would personally only use MH for all of them.But I know of a few people that have kept Derasa under vho's and they thrived under that light.
David
 
aileena

aileena

Member
I do agree with the person who said that VHO's are just as much as MH setups...so if you have not bought it yet just go with the MH setup....HOWEVER
I honestly believe that VHO can be used with clams including maxima in a smaller tank...I have only had my maxima for about a month and a half, but it has grown in that time significantly, at least a half inch...but I have a 29 gallon with 3 vho lights on a icecap 440....thats a lot of light on a little tank...with a 75 or a 58 much more water and space....I am almost certain the tank is deeper than a 29 gallon too??? either way its your tank your choice as someone on this board has said often....just be aware that if you do the maxima or ultra under the vho's its important to feed phytoplankton and keep a close eye on it...a squamosa would do great under the vho's...all I can say is that IN MY 29 WITH MY LIGHTING SO FAR THE MAXIMA IS GOOD AFTER A LITTLE MORE THAN A MONTH...
if I didn't already have the vho's I would get MH, but since I have a small tank and already have vho and the maxima is growing I am happy....
 
rook

rook

Member
I have a sqausmosa, which is arguable the least light needy clam of the popular clams. I have it in 29 gallon tank on the dsb, which is 14" from the water surface. I have three 55 watt pc's.
I have had this clam for around a year and a half. It is still alive. It opens good, has good mantle extension, is not gapping, and has grown quite a bit. So, I would say it is happy. BUT, I would not say it is thriving, and I would not say my light is the proper light for the clam. It has keep it alive, which is good, but it really needs and deserves better light than I have, which is why I am upgrading to MH.
After watching this clam very closely for over a year and a half I think I can honestly say that any clam deserves good MH lighting to thrive. And we should all, as responsible aquarist, put our inhabitants in situations that they will thrive.
IMO.
 
jim672

jim672

Member
bluegoose,
Initial set-up coast is one thing. Replacement cost is another issue to consider. MH bulbs only need to be replaced, on average, once a year. VHO and PC, I believe, are about every 6 months. MH bulbs cost more but have to be replaced less. Over time, that can mitigate any set-up cost differential...if there is any.
MH is the way to go for clams.....IMO.
Jim
 
jim27

jim27

Member
Just thought I'd throw this link in to show you all what kind of success a member over at nano-reef.com had with SPS in his 10g, lit by 2x28w PC's. There is even a before pic for disbelievers.
Deezreef's old 10 gallon
 
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