Thinkin about some clams

[Shorty5198]

I'm thinkin about gettin a clam or two in my 29 gallon. I've got a 150 watt HQI on it. I know the basics but does anyone have any tips or tricks for keeping them or for anyone that does have a clam, what do you do to care for them? I'm thinkin some kind of Tridacnid like Maxima or Squamosa? Thanks in advance

[Travis]

go witha crocea, the other ones get realy big.

[SaltyDawg]

Agreed the giga clam can get 3 feet across!!!!!!!

Mximas get over 2 feet.

crocea's get around 1 foot at their absolut largest.

(IE 20 years! LOL)

I kept a blue max for 8 years from 89-98. until it got larger I would take it out off the tank and place it in a bowl of tank water with phyto plankton. Just enough to turn the water a tint of green . When the water was almost clear I would place him back on the sand. BTW: contrary to popular beleife They do like a fair amount of current on them. I'm not talking about blasting'em out of the water now. Just enough to make the mantel sway a bit.

They are filter feeders and enjoy the water comming to them.

[Shorty5198]

I like the croceas, the only reason i am hesitant is that i heard they are one of the most light demanding clams. Would a 150 watt HQI be sufficient lighting on a 29 gallon?

[phergus_25]

for a crocea i dont think so, go maxima and if he gets too big sell him and buy 2 more, you might be able to pull a socea if you bowl fed him

[bladze]

Should be enough.

[Undertheradar]

A 29g is 18" deep, I doubt that a 150wattDE is enough for a crocea, even if it were in shallower water. Croceas are the highest light clam available. In nature they are in sometimes water that is inches deep under full sun. That is why they are so colorful. Those pigments that make the clam so pretty and colorful are special UV blocking colors to keep the clam from burning. So the prettier the clam, the more light it needs. A maxima might like that light however, until it gets too light-greedy and large for the tank anyways, as most clams are more phyto dependant when small, and light exclusive when large. A squammy or derasa would be fine...

[Travis]

Uchila is keeping a crocea(s) 18" away from his 150w MH...Crocea Clams LOVE being placed in the rockwork. They secreate acid to "melt" the rock so they are a perfect fit into the rock, just place it on a flat rock and he will do the rest.

HTH

[Shorty5198]

So travis, it doesn't matter really on how many gallons, just on how far away it is from the light? Could anyone else second that?

[Shorty5198]

also, if i were so sqeez my 130 watt compact on my tank, would that help?

[tinyreef]

Originally posted by Shorty5198

So travis, it doesn't matter really on how many gallons, just on how far away it is from the light? Could anyone else second that?

seconded. (spectrum and lumens also count tho)

 

get a calcium supplement/process (e.g. calcium reactor, kalk reactor, 2-part supplement, CaCl, etc.). the clam (whatever the type) will suck up all the calcium available.

[Shorty5198]

Does it matter what kind of color the crocea is compared to the light it needs? Like do blues need more light than others?

[phergus_25]

the PC and the MH woulc be perfict you could get any light combo you wnated 20K a 10K and a 50/50 a 10K and 2 actinics anyhin git would be awsome

[fungia]

......"So travis, it doesn't matter really on how many gallons, just on how far away it is from the light? Could anyone else second that? seconded. (spectrum and lumens also count tho)".......

 

 

Thirded...but what REALLY matters is PAR, (light in the photosynthetic range, 400-700nanometers) measured in microEinsteins per square meter per second. I would think that a 150w HQI would be more than enough, given that I have kept T. crocea for years on the bottom of a 70g with VHO's, and am currently keeping several of them in a 600g with 4x400w 10,000k mogul MH's....

 

FWIW, most people on this site seem to prefer really blue bulbs- e.g.>10,000K. Those bulbs generally have less PAR output than "whiter" bulbs. I prefer the 10,000K + supplemental actinics if you wish, and will even be putting a 175W, 6500K mogul + 2x28W actinic pc's over my up-and-coming 20 gal tank....and it is intended to house primarily T.crocea and T.maxima!

[BKtomodachi]

A crocea should do well with higher light provided its put higher up in the rocks.

[Kogut]

For what fungia said at the bottom... The lower range K bulbs (6500K, etc.) do seem to produce better growth in most everything, but I (like many others here) prefer the higher temp bulbs. Mine is a 250watt 20K XDE. I love its color. It's really a matter of personal preference, I think...

[Shorty5198]

So the lower or higher(10k, 20k) the bulb is does not really make a huge difference?

[Kogut]

10K is a very crisp white. 20K is a blue tint. Quite blue with some setups. The lower K ranges are better if you want to grow a lot very fast. The higher ones bring out the colors. IMHO, a nano doesn't need the fast growth so higher is better.

[Dr. Saltwater]

True ... just make sure the color is never under the 10.000K line. Those colors (8000K) are more yellow than white and don't have very positive consequenses in our tanks. Also avoid red colors.

 

I agree with Kogut about the growth.

[SLOreefer]

shorty, the lower temp bulbs 65 and 10k tend to have more PAR which for this purpose we will call useable light. the higher k bulb you get the lower the PAR rating...so as far as "useable light" a 65k bulb would be better than say a 20k. as far as looks, the 20k would obviously be better. anyhow i agree you should be fine keeping a crocea as long as it was in the rockwork, i would say keep it within 10 inches of the surface of water. i have kept them 24 inches from 250w 10k withought a problem