Q about Squamosa and Deresa clams...

[icebear]

When Premium Aquatics lists light requirements for the two types of clam (Squamosa and Deresa) as:

Low to High Lighting (Standard FL, VHO, compacts, Halide)
Low to med water current
No aggression
Recommended to beginner through advanced hobbyist.
Photosynthetic, no direct food required

it makes it sound like i could keep them in my tank...the "standard FL" (i assume is short for *standard flourescent*) part i'm taking as my 3, 30 watt NO bulbs and recommended for beginner- no direct feeding etc.


Is this misleading to some degree or have i just been reading wrong that all clams need higher than NO light and won't really live very well unless they do have some direct feeding?

I'd LOVE to keep clams, but am i just liking what i'm reading and losing touch with reality?

Why was i thinking all large clams need really bright light, more than NOs or even ODNOs...?

am i a dummy?





Cause, i'm serious, i'd get some of theirs if they can thrive in my tank as it is right now (even though lighting upgrade is in the plans)........

Stop me if i'm being stupid and getting my hopes up for a misunderstanding....

[coralkeeper]

All Clams need high light IMO, Florecent just isn't enough, but it is true that squamosas and derasas can be in lower light than Maximas and Croceas but they still require alot of light

I guess that it is possible to keep clams in ALOT of Normal Output bulbs but you've also got to remember that they lose their spectrum very fast.

cheers

[PaintGuru]

No of course you are not being stupid. Yes both Squamosa and Deresa are what are considered "low light clams". I have kept a Squa using PC lighting, to be specific, 4-55W PCs on a 90 gal. I consider that pretty low light. I do not know specifically if one can keep them using NO fluorescents, but I would not be surprised. What is the size of your tank again? I would suggest, if you do get one, to keep it up pretty high to maximize the amount of light it gets. Personally, I would not consider it irresponsable if you did get one to try in your system. Of course the other requirement of clams is calcium, do not forget that.

[icebear]

its a 46 bow.
i think i will allow myself to consider the idea of getting one or two *sometime* but most likely won't untill after i try the overdriving upgrade and switch my substrate to SD....


i think while reading up on the more difficult ones, i just filed large, pretty clams away in my mind as "unattainable" on my budget....


spark of hope?

[PaintGuru]

I'm not sure what your "budget" is, but you can get those lower light clams for pretty good prices, and some of them are darn spiffy, even though they are not bright and colorful. If it is a 46 bow, then yes I would do a lighting upgrade before you ventured into the clams. VHO would do you well I'm sure. Or one MH pendant (not sure how long a 46 is). Sounds like you have a good plan though.

[cyberchef]

It depends more on your system/tank than anything. If you had a "clam only" tank, say 48"W x 24"D x 6"H with 8 NO bulbs hanging in a fixture 3" above the top of water and the clams were at least 3" (they are more photosynthetic when larger and don't "require" supplemental feeding), you might be ok... With your current steup, I wouldn't do it. I have clams and until 1 1/2 months ago, they were strictly under PC's... When I went up to 320W pc the derasa and squamosa did well, after I bumper it up to 520W PC they did very well... Of course this was over a 55 RR with a DSB/Plenum (read as 5"- 6" of substrate) where the water depth is only 12"... Not a lot of water depth and a lot of light... I now have 260W PC and 500W MH and my Squamosa is doing even better. I lost the Derasa after it lost it's hinge for some unknown reason. I had the Derasa for over a year and it had grown almost 2" during that time. Shortly after adding the MH lights, it lost it's hinge and died about 1 1/2 months later.

[Mrs Smith]

We waited until having MH before adding clams... once you get into them, it's awfully hard to quit drooling over maximas and croceas.

Personally, I wouldn't think about using NO fluorescents long term... they are demanding, and feeding is a debatable replacement. (As in, it works for some; not for others.) The clams that get the most benefit are small - 3" or less.

In any case, it's your call. Personally, I'd do the lighting upgrade first.

Danielle

[Casey]

upgrade your lighting first please to keep the clams healthy and colorful