Noob clam question

[rev138]

I've done as much reading as I can on the forums about what clams need, but often things are described in relative, rather than absolute terms. I was hoping to get some opinions on whether my setup is adequate for a crocea.

 

I have a 5.5gal pico/nano with 70w 14000K HQI lighting. The tank is well established (1+yrs). Ideally I'd like to place a clam at the bottom, which is only about 8" deep, and a total of 17" from the light source, but I could put it as high as 3" deep if necessary.

 

Thoughts?

 

Thanks in advance.

[WhiteShark]

Everything in the aquarium world is relative. You'll get two completely opposite answers at times with 2 completely different opinions where both people claim what they did worked for them and the other way is completely wrong.

[rev138]

Well, yes, but let me put it this way: I think most of the stuff I've read re: clams and light presumes either bigger tanks, stronger lights, or both. I wasn't able to find a "guide to tiny tanks with 70w MH", so I'm seeking opinions.

[holdorf333]

Assuming your water is pristine, I would imagine your first issue will be keeping calcium up in such a small volume. Assuming that issue is solved, it will only get worse as the animal grows. Good luck, but I would say its a bad idea.

[Psychosis]

+1. You'd need to dose calcium regularly, the clam is going to suck it from the water column like it was no ones business.

[SmittyCoco]

Assuming your water is pristine, I would imagine your first issue will be keeping calcium up in such a small volume. Assuming that issue is solved, it will only get worse as the animal grows. Good luck, but I would say its a bad idea.

 

False Bad idea !

 

+1. You'd need to dose calcium regularly, the clam is going to suck it from the water column like it was no ones business.

 

True Dose calcium regularly !

 

Two questions .

 

1. Can you dedicate yourself to it's needs ?

( I.E water changes and dosing )

 

2. Do you have a passion for clams ?

 

 

If you anwsered yes to these questions then I say go for it ! I am curently keeping a crocea in a 3 gallon pico under a 70 watt sunpod. I have been doing so for 7 months. I know not all that long ,but I have kept its parameters rock solid for its duration of stay. Dosing daily and at least 1 water change per week has been my regiment. It has had very considerable growth ! And imo the colors are absolutely gorgeous under my 70 watt bulb ! Even more so than when I bought it ! So what 70 watt fixture are you using ? A diy , ? A 70 watt sunpod ? A k2 ? Other ? Get your test kits and a two part solution lined up and ready for the up keep and get that clam ! Make sure to test daily after addition to see what it is using up. And adjust by dosing accordingly ! I personally tested twice a day for two weeks to see what it was using before getting the exact amount down. It's up to you. I wanted My clam to live though. So Gl ! and keep us posted.

 

My pride and joy !

 

 

 

Scute Growth

 

 

Fts

 

[rev138]

Wow, nice pics. I have a JBJ Viper K2. Stock 14000K bulb.

 

Of course, I'm planning to go into this carefully. I don't have any idea what my calcium levels are currently because I don't have any livestock that are especially sensitive to it. I plan to get a test kit and keep track of it for a while, because at best, this theoretical clam is weeks away.

 

I get all of my water from an RO system that supposedly supplements the water with trace amounts of calcium and magnesium after filtration, but I have no hard data on what the levels are. I do a 1 gallon water change once per week, and due to evap I generally add about 8-12 oz of fresh RO daily.

 

Does anyone have info on a particular salt mix that has elevated levels of calcium? I think Reef Crystals is supposed to, yes? Any others?

[basser1]

Here's link I found on RC. It lists Calcium, Alkalinity and Magnesium levels in synthetic salt mixes. Hopes this helps. And good luck with your clam!

 

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthre...hreadid=1287118

[rev138]

As a followup question: What are the ramifications of the calcium levels dropping due to the clam?

 

Will it simply slow growth of the clam and my LPS, or will it actually have delterious health effects?

[skh]

False Bad idea !

 

 

 

True Dose calcium regularly !

 

Two questions .

 

1. Can you dedicate yourself to it's needs ?

( I.E water changes and dosing )

 

2. Do you have a passion for clams ?

 

 

If you anwsered yes to these questions then I say go for it ! I am curently keeping a crocea in a 3 gallon pico under a 70 watt sunpod. I have been doing so for 7 months. I know not all that long ,but I have kept its parameters rock solid for its duration of stay. Dosing daily and at least 1 water change per week has been my regiment. It has had very considerable growth ! And imo the colors are absolutely gorgeous under my 70 watt bulb ! Even more so than when I bought it ! So what 70 watt fixture are you using ? A diy , ? A 70 watt sunpod ? A k2 ? Other ? Get your test kits and a two part solution lined up and ready for the up keep and get that clam ! Make sure to test daily after addition to see what it is using up. And adjust by dosing accordingly ! I personally tested twice a day for two weeks to see what it was using before getting the exact amount down. It's up to you. I wanted My clam to live though. So Gl ! and keep us posted.

 

Wow, nice pico! I'm a clam noob myself but I've read that seeing scute growth (fresh, white scutes at the outer edge) is a good sign that all is well.

[Urchinhead]

You can keep a clam with the lighting and size tank you have. Keep in mind though that they get up to about 6" or so.

 

Water does not need to be pristine. Clams actually like a bit of nitrate in the water and I like them for use as natural filters of it.

 

The big thing is going to be salinity swings due to evaporation.

 

Lack of calcium just means the clam isn't going to grow. You still need to keep up on it though. Over time (a week to 10 days of daily testing after the clam is acclimated and happy then every few days after that) will tell you how much you are going to want to add in terms of Ca and CaCO3 for the clam. I would recommend B-Ionic. For example a huge Derasa I had took up about 30 ml of Ca daily and about 15 of CaCO3.

 

DD Oceanic seems to be at or near the top of the list for Mg CaCO3 and Ca.

[corallineadam]

Well, yes, but let me put it this way: I think most of the stuff I've read re: clams and light presumes either bigger tanks, stronger lights, or both. I wasn't able to find a "guide to tiny tanks with 70w MH", so I'm seeking opinions.

I kept a derasa in a 2.5 g happily for a lonnnggg time and she's still alive n happy... Do it!

[rev138]

Thanks for the info

 

The big thing is going to be salinity swings due to evaporation.

 

Nothing else in the tank seems to care about the current levels of evap. Are clams especially sensitive?

[spazizz]

www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=164200

 

here clam in a pico. maybe it will help you decide what you wanna do.

[dsr]

I have two clams in my AP24. It is a mixed reef with a good amount of SPS as well. I use RO/DI premixed water in mine and couldn't figure out why my calcium levels would never get above 380. Finally tested the water from teh store and it was at 320. Point being, salt mix is really important if you want to avoid super heavy dosing. Right now I have mine to the point where I am dosing around 10ml of calcium a day and it is staying at 430. Which seems to be working for both my clams and my sps. Good luck on the clam. They are great to have in the tank.

[Urchinhead]

Thanks for the info

 

 

 

Nothing else in the tank seems to care about the current levels of evap. Are clams especially sensitive?

 

Not necessarily especially sensitive but a major swing can and will hurt everything in there if it is a rapid swing. Better to keep things as stable as possible. For example from 1.023 to 1.030 is possible in such a small volume of water and that much of a swing rapidly will kill allot of stuff.