Clams + VHOs = ??

Reefer94 · 09-12-2001, 09:53 PM

I was thinking about a clam. Not right away of course, but I'm in the studying process. I just got a 440watt VHO setup for my 55gallon tank. Does anyone have experience keeping clams under VHOs? Also, any other input about hard corals and their hardiness under VHO would also be much obliged. I'm just wondering what corals I can keep without running into "intensity" problems. I figured when I bought the lights that I could keep anything.

[help]

Demogarr · 09-12-2001, 10:19 PM

As you know Ree Fer, my montipora,while looking great, is growing very slow(VHO's). Maybe it is a slow grower anyway. I read somewhere where a guy had been keeping a clam under vho's and had growth. He also had it for a long time( still has it as far as I know) He had it very close to the top of the tank. I too am interested in any responses to Ree Fers question.

vulkum · 09-13-2001, 12:01 AM

i also have been thinking about a clam and have looked into it a few people told me you can keep the squamosa clams under vho but most others will not do good. but on the flip side a LFS in town said the squamosa won't make it. the squamosa clam is a cheaper clam to try and i was also told to get one of at least 3-4" as the smaller ones are mainly filter feeders and harder to keep alive. just a little info i wanted to pas on.
aaron

DennisW · 09-13-2001, 12:53 AM

I think that clams could be sustained under VHO's. Especially a T. derasa. Take a look at some of Knop's articles and study up.

I am of the opinion that a lot of stuff can be grown under VHO's. Does the animal THRIVE under VHO's????????? Im not sure. It wasnt very long ago that reefkeepers celebrated the fact that a coral stayed alive in a captive system for a month. Not grow or reproduce....just not melt down and turn to jelly! Now a days, with huge advances in the hobby (due a lot to bullitan boards like this), our charges do not just exist. They THRIVE! They GROW! They REPRODUCE!! This was unheard of a few years ago!!

I guess what Im trying to say is that if you just want a coral or clam or whatever to just....exist then you can go with the very least minimal of it's requirements. But if you want an animal to THRIVE....then you may need a little more. It is my opinion that light in a reef tank is NOT the place to scrimp. Get good light!!!!......it dosent necessarily have to be metal halide...but get good light.

Dennis

tmncali · 09-13-2001, 03:02 AM

Hello,

My friend has a clam under power compacts. i know that doesnt answer your question but i thought i add it.

HTH

tony

[ 09-14-2001: Message edited by: tmncali ]

REILLY13 · 09-13-2001, 09:55 AM

I visited saltwater heaven in pennsylvania, whose site is down for some reason, and he has a 700 gallon tank covered with vho's and he's keeping clams in 36"+ of water! It's one of the most amazing tanks I've ever seen, so I have to believe that vho's are sufficient for everything except maybe SPS corals. In my opinion the tank has much more color with vho's, metal halides tend to make the tank look a little dull without the addition of actinics to brighten it up.
Just my 2 cents!

Brooke · 09-13-2001, 10:55 AM

I think light is a very important factor in keeping clams, but it's not the only consideration. I would only attempt maybe a derasa or squamosa under VHO's. Just as important for growth is calcium. I think a calcium reactor or Ca supplements are a must with clams. Also, adding phytoplankton like DT's could also help with their feeding.

HTH-
Brooke

rochelleryan · 09-13-2001, 05:47 PM

I have 1 T. Maxima and 1 T. Crocea clam that are growing and doing well under PC lights. I have them about half way up in the tank. Your clams should do even better with VHO. If the fluorescent colors on the mantle start fading and turning brown, that means the clam is getting too much light and you should place them lower in the tank. The only bad thing about putting the clams higher up in the water column is that you may not be able to appreciate their full color unless you view them from above. Good luck.

Reefer94 · 09-13-2001, 06:58 PM

Thank you all tons... I appreciate the feedback. I think I'm going to give it a shot... does anybody know a good site where I can get some clam information? Calcium has never been a problem, I've got great calciferous growth, and I believe that 440watts will probably provide enough light in my tank to sustain life.

rochelleryan · 09-13-2001, 07:17 PM

There is a good book called "Giant Clams" by Knop. You can also search on-line for more info. Be sure to dose with strontium because the clams use strontium and calcium to expand the growth on the shells. You dose strontium the same ml's as calcium.

Doug1 · 09-14-2001, 09:45 AM

Careful dosing Stronium, it is a minor trace element, and should be found in adequate levels in a good 2 part calc/alk supplement or the media used in a calcium reactor

bill-e · 09-14-2001, 11:47 AM

Can clams be kept under VHO, certainly some people have had some success with T. Derasa.

Most people who claim to have success with clams under less than MH lighting have that success because they have small clams. young clams derive most of their nutrition from food in the water, not from light. So most people can keep all types of clams under VHO or PC's until they get to be about 4" in size, provided you are supplimenting with of DT's or cryopaste.

Small clams are very Photo adapative, meaning they can readily adapt to different lighting conditions. Adult clams lose most of this photo adaptive ability and do very poorly under less than optimal lighting.

I have a Derasa which I had under 4x96w PC's for 1.5 years. it did very well until it matured, which took about 6 months, then it stopped growing. It got darker and didnt grow a bit for almost a year. I then upgraded to HQI lighting and the clam grew 1/8 inch within 30 days.

Daniel Knop's Giant Clam book is great, and I have email corresponded with him on many ocassions. He does not recommend anything but MH lighting, and from my experiences, I have to agree.

toms · 09-17-2001, 11:44 AM

I have had a green T. Crocea (I think)in my 55 for about 2 years. It started out about 1 1/2 inches and now is about 4 inches. It attached itself to an old pagoda skeleton that is wedged in the rock about 7 inches from the surface. I run 4 vho bulbs, 2 actinic; 1 aquasun ; 1 actinic white and don't intentionally feed. It seems happy so I don't mess with it.

canadawest · 09-17-2001, 05:55 PM

I have a small (1.5") T. Maxima in my tank under 440watts of VHO lighting (2 actinic, 2 aquasun). I've had it for about 3 months now, and it has grown about .5" in that time.

It has a fully open mantle and seems quite healthy and happy. It has attached to a rock that is placed about halfway up that tank (~10" from the lights)

Check out the pictures at:

My Inverts

I also do not directly feed it.

It is my understanding that T. Maxima and T. Derasa clams can be kept under VHO or PC lighting, but to produce or even maintain the truly vibrant colors it is best to have MH lighting.

toms · 09-18-2001, 05:33 PM

Hi bill-e,
You seem to be right about the clam's growth slowing down. It probably has grown about a quarter inch in the last couple of months. I thought it might be related to the low alk readings I discovered. I am in the middle of trying to lower my calcium (all of 500+ ppm)and up my alk to about 4 meq/l. I have not added calcium to my tank via kalk or supplements for almost 2 months yet it still remains high. I tested my Seachem calcium test kit with the 450 mg/l sample and it only showed 400. Something is not quite right somewhere.

By the way, you are probably the only reefer out there who did not have to look on a map to find Wolcott CT.