Anyone keep clams with PC lighting?

[kcinminni]

I'd love to keep clams in my tanks, but I need some feedback on lighting. I have a 46gal bowfront that's 20" deep. I have about 65 lbs. of live rock, and the lights are about 6 inches above the water's surface.

Will 3 96-watt PCs (2 daylight + 1 actinic) be sufficient to house clams, or is a MH absolutely necessary?

 

[Tybond]

I don't know if that amount of light will do it, I have been successfully keeping a squamosa and a 2nd grade maxima in my 55g aga for a few months now. My lighting is 8X55w pc's. 4 actinic, 2 50/50 actinic and 10,000k and 2 10,000k.

If you are going to try, be sure to place the clam as close to the top as possible. I still am not sure if your lighting will work but at least I can answer you yes that clams will do fine under PC and that MH is NOT an absolute must have.

Both my clams reside in the substarate and are doing quite well in their home.

I don't want to start a major discussion on this topic but IMHO please do not take peoples word for gospel when it comes to your reef.

I have a doomed reef in the "experts eyes". My tank mates include a year old mandarin that is quite happy and eats frozen and live foods, and a cleaner wrasse that has been in my tank for about a year and a half that eats flake foods, nori, and what ever else drops by.

You might want to consider adding more light to your tank but if you stick with a hardier species of clam, it will give you a better chance to see if it will work. I'm not saying buy a clam and if it dies, upgrade your light. I mean to say, buy a clam and if he's happy your happy, if he looks stressed by another light. You can pick up a dual 55w ballast kit pretty cheap from online and that will take you up to 398watts. My total is 440 with 5 total bulbs of actinic only.

I hope this helps in some way.

ty

 

[xKEIGOx]

well... I have a clam in a 25gal with 4 x 18watts pc and 2 x 10watts FL. there are still doing find. I feed them with planktonic food twice a week. One of them are in the middle of the tank and another is in bottom which is 18inch deep.
Try to put them higher. :roll:

 

[Anonymous]

I had good success with clams in my 50 gallon (36x18x18) with 4x96W PC's (2 67K's 2 Blues). In the 46 gal bowfront, if the daylights are 6700K's then you should have some reasonable success. Especially with a DSB. I would be prepared to try to add an additional bulb but I think you will be fine.

 

[INNOVATOR]

The lighting: 3x96 (1) 10k, (1) 8800k, (1) 7100 or 03, should be more than enough light to house clams.

 

[kcinminni]

BTW--the 3 96-watt bulbs I currently have are 1 x 7100K, 1 x 10,000K, and 1x actinic.

 

[TurboRook]

I would definitely recommend feeding with a live phytoplankton food like DT's. Feeding with phytoplankton will let you hedge your bets if the the lighting isn't quite enough (although I think it is probably just fine).

Mike

 

[Merkur]

I kept my 5" maxima for over 1 year half way up in my 90 gallon with 2x96 6700k and 2x96blue's. i've scince upgraded to 2x96blues and 2x400iwasaki's. i've not noticed any changes with the clam. everything else sure is doing better though! from a moral perspective i would say clams DISERVE metal halide lighting, and you are probobly doing them an injustice with any less. having that clam was a good excuse to upgrade! i felt bad for him under such inadiquate lighting, dispite the fact that he was doing quite well and still is today!

 

[Cracker]

from a moral perspective i would say clams DISERVE metal halide lighting, and you are probobly doing them an injustice with any less.

If you want a truly moral perspective, the clams deserve an ocean where people don't harvest them. Let's not fool ourselves. We are only maintaining life in our tiny ecosystems. We haven't the technology or means to reproduce their natural environments, yet. However, I doubt anyone will be able to so sufficiently replicate the ocean that their captives will act truly natural.
If you can sustain a clam and keep it growing, which I'm sure you can, go for it. Just choose a hearty species and a healthy specimen that is acclimated to tank life. Be good.
Whitey
[/b]

 

[leftovers]

from a moral perspective i would say clams DISERVE metal halide lighting, and you are probobly doing them an injustice with any less.

I dont think there is anything amoral about it clams like other ocean animals live in a variety of lighting and nutrient sources. Using PC or VHO for clams has been successfully done for years. Will your clam be as colorful? Possibly not, but bright color doesn't denote or imply a happy or successful animal. As long as you continue to see scute growth and mantle expansion I wouldnt worry about it.

left

 

[Anemone]

Are people really arguing the morals of keeping clams (a farmed human food)?

In any case, I've kept both derasa and croceas under 2x96 watt PCs in a 40 gallon tank, so 3x96 in a 46 gallon tank should be more than enough.

That being said, I also suggest that you feed phytoplankton. Smaller clams must filter feed to survive - they can't get enough energy from lighting alone to stay alive. This dependency on filter feeding seems to decline as clams get larger, but they're still filter feeding animals - so feed them!

Kevin

 

[primerate]

I have a 72gal bowfront with 210watts of PC lighting and currently have a 12 inch deresa clam and a 6 inch maxima. both clams are on the bottom of the tank and have grown well for 3 years. I have to remove the deresa because he is too large now. You absolutely can grow clams with PC lighting. The key is to have a well established tank with live rock and good flow.. :wink:

 

[esmithiii]

If you want a truly moral perspective, the clams deserve an ocean where people don't harvest them. Let's not fool ourselves. We are only maintaining life in our tiny ecosystems. We haven't the technology or means to reproduce their natural environments, yet. However, I doubt anyone will be able to so sufficiently replicate the ocean that their captives will act truly natural.

You are obviously ignorant about the farming of giant clams. Many clams are captive raised from gametes obtained from captive clams and reared to adulthood in man-made farms. These farmed clams are not collected, but bred in captivity.

 

[dvb]

I have a derasa clam in my 55 tall. He is on the bottom of the tank and I have had him for about 2 months. He is growing well and I can see the new growth on his shell. I feed DT's phytoplankton every three days.

I was told that Derasa clams were really all that I could keep with my lighting setup. I have 2 dual bulb 96w PC, one white, one blue. My lights are on from 7:30 am to 8:00 pm.

My LFS told me that to keep Maxima's WELL, that I should have MH. Eventually I will upgrade because the Maxima's colors are just too pretty to go without!

 

[toptank]

I will not say that you can not keep clams under PC lighting as I know a lot of my customers do with great success. I personally keep all my clams under MH in my display tank and in the holding tanks.

I have been doing some feeding experiment for the past 3 months. With all my clams 2" and less are taken out of the tank everyother day and placed in a warm container which I pour some tank water into the container and pour just a little Dt's just enought to turn the water light green. After 20 minutes back into the tank. I have lost 3 out of 37 in the past 3 months.

The more intense lighting that you have over your clams the more brillant the clam will appear as the pigments will turn a bighter color. IMO & IME

Barry

 

[sally1]

I have kept a derasa in my 72 for several years now. I had one that got so large I had to trade it in and got a smaller one. I have 4 x96 watts PC. I believe the derasas do not need as much light as the others so if you do decide to get one get a deresa. They also need to be placed on the substrate.