Will my clam do well with pc's.

mandrin13 · #1 10/27/2006, 02:45 PM

OK,for a long time Ive been looking into clams,and have read alot about them,my problem,i have pc's.
So I was in the lfs the other day,and they had this small maxima(2.5-3").He was only $30.

A while ago,my tank leaked,so I had to get a new one,and that gave me a chance to rearange al the rocks.I made it so I had a few areas that were like 3-5 inches from the surface.

I have 260 watts of pc lighting. The clam is about 5 inches from the surface.He seems to be doing well,he is opened up,and doesnt seem to be stressed.

Do you think I will run into any problems???any advice would help.

thanx

Lagger · #2 10/27/2006, 04:14 PM

Most would say you're doomed, however, never having any experience with a Maxima, I have been keeping a Crocea under PC's over the last month and have already noticed new shell growth. Of course mine is pretty high up also, so, as long as it appears happy, just keep it up and it should be fine. GL!

stewymaroon · #3 10/27/2006, 04:17 PM

I had a 4" Squimosa under 260 watts of PC. Everything was great, it looked gorgeous for about 6 months then I woke up one morning and irt was dead. No tears in the mantel or anything. I have no idea what actually killed it because there was o sign of disease or anything so my guess is it was the lighting. But I hope it wasn't and good luck to you. Just thought I would share my input.

a4twenty · #4 10/27/2006, 05:27 PM

im not gonna say your doomed but ........

there are better choices for a lower light tank. crocea and maxima clams like a lot of light. that doesn't mean it can't / won't survive under lesser light but i always try to let my inhabitants thrive rather than survive.

Peabody · #5 10/28/2006, 10:27 AM

stewymaroon gives a very good example. That's how clams often die. They give no signs of being unhappy and right around the 6 month mark they are suddenly gone. Every person I have known and personally seen who tried a max under PCs lost the clam after about 6 months. I'd personally either upgrade lights or give it to someone with MH bulbs. For every one person who gets really lucky with a clam under PCs there are countless more who have dead clams, IME.

RFC · #6 10/28/2006, 09:08 PM

How many clams die right around the 6 month mark under metal halide ?

Absolutely none............I dont think so.

jbittner · #7 10/28/2006, 09:57 PM

absolutely none???

jmchzn · #8 10/29/2006, 10:08 AM

I may be the first one to keep a clam under LED Solaris light from PFO
48' WE'LL SEE!?

Peabody · #9 10/29/2006, 10:39 AM

MH or a good set of T5s is still not a guarentee....I've seen clams croak before 6 months do to insufficient chemical conditions or stability. But, the mortality rate between PCs and MH with identical chemistry is HUGE.
LEDs will be interesting....

mandrin13 · #10 10/29/2006, 07:00 PM

I might try some T-5's,I can get a fixture for around $55 or so. Ill add some T-5 lighting eventually.

But what arer some absolute nescesary things for clams,well maximas.Mine seems happy,He is about 5 inches from the surface,and I just replaced the bublbs on the PC fixture.There is barely any flow around him,and the closest coral is about 8+ inches away,and its a toadstool mushroom.Well unless you count a mangrove shoot about 4 inches away.

Ive been keeping the calcium levals up with kalkwasser.

Theres more Ive been doing,but im supposed to be doing homework,and my mom will be home soon,so ya.

Peabody · #11 10/29/2006, 07:58 PM

Not all T5s will be good. You need the good ones with individual parabolic reflectors, and plenty of them. A $55 fixture wouldnt' even be close.

Kalkwasser may not be sufficient. You need to regularly monitor ALK and CA. (ALK is even more important than CA sometimes)

Also, be careful, there is no good way to tell if a clam is "happy" unless you've had him for a long time. As stated above...many look perfect right up until they die. IME, after about 6 months of an unacceptable tank.

RFC · #12 10/30/2006, 09:38 AM

Here is my crocea clam which I have had for 4 months under 195w of PC lighting. It sits around 4 inches from the top of the tank. If you believe what others have to say, I guess its going to die in another 2 months from now. Gee, Im such a total noob

Top down view

New shell growth after 4 months

Full Tank view

Regards

RFC

jbittner · #13 10/30/2006, 10:05 AM

nice tank RFC

cristhiam · #14 10/30/2006, 12:32 PM

Nice tank RFC, keep us updated on that clam, my was supposed to die let see.... 2 years ago

Peabody · #15 10/30/2006, 03:39 PM

Not all clams die under PCs, but their mortality rate is quite high. Too high for me to try.

RFC - Be VERY careful, that crocea, while beautiful, is hyper extending it's mantle, a reaction to low light.

mandrin13 · #16 10/30/2006, 09:58 PM

RFC,really pretty clam,mine looks simaler,except its a maxima,but the colering is almost the same.

ll try to find some cheap metal halides on the selling forums,but I dont have enough money to buy them new.I mean,look,my occupation is "8th grade". Good news is in like 4 months when Im 14,it will be leagal for me to get a job in florida,and ya,ill probably be able to afford more stuff for my tank,and all those clothes from hollister,and abercrombie.lol.

But in 4 months will still put me at like 5 months,so ill end upo cutting it really close.And ohhhhhh,I just rememebred,I need to finish paying off the extra $50 in extra cgarges to my phone.I didnt know that I had unlimited minutes ONLY after 7 o clock,and weekends.

Oh well,hope they do well under pc's for a few months.

RFC · #17 10/31/2006, 01:43 AM

Hi Mandrin13

Thanks for the compliment. I am a total noob at reefing, but I must say I am very happy thus far with my crocea under my PCs

As to peabody's predictions of morbidity.......this doctor will take his views under advisement.

Regards

RFC

Peabody · #18 10/31/2006, 10:58 AM

Don't get me wrong, dude...best of luck, seriously

You're just talking to a dude that has kept a lot of clams and seen a lot of clams croak in people's tanks over the years.

mbbuna · #19 10/31/2006, 11:32 AM

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...=clams+and+pcs

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...=clams+and+pcs

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...=clams+and+pcs

reefkoi · #20 10/31/2006, 10:15 PM

RFC you are very good at photography that is one of the Clearest most true coled photos of a reef here on RC I have seen in a long long time. Good luck with ther Crocea, i could never keep them for more than a couple months with PC's
Chris

mandrin13 · #21 11/01/2006, 08:40 PM

Ok,I have officially realized that I cant afford the metal halides that were made specifiacally for a reef,unless anyone has any for under $100.But then again,my reef has to stop being so expensive and the phone bill has to stop being really expensive because of my phone,lol.

But I did find this metal halide light online from lowes,its an outdoor metal halide light,I forget the link,but its only $70 for it.I think i5ts either 100 or 150 watts,that might work.I think.

Has anybody ever tried this???Or do you think I would have to switch the bulb that it comes with to a bulb made for reefs???

mbbuna · #22 11/01/2006, 09:13 PM

it wont work, if it did we would all be using them

mandrin13 · #23 11/01/2006, 10:05 PM

Or maybe it does work,and everyone likes to spend the extra like $400???lol

Omar H · #24 11/02/2006, 11:29 PM

No, really, it won't work. Very few would be spending so much money on lights if the cheaper ones could work.

mandrin13 · #25 11/03/2006, 03:19 PM

Well what if you changed the bulb to a bulb made for reefs???I think that might work,its worth a shot,but maybe it might help to google it first.