How to judge par lighting for clams...

Congaken

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I have a 65 fowler...lots of live rock, cuc, Kole tang, sailfin blenny, banded shrimp, ff, and a yellow headed jawfish...fairly new...thinking of a clam...The tank is 24" high...lighting is a mostly white,30" LED strip plus a 50 watt actinic...I do not have a smart phone and have no idea how to judge PAR in terms of what a clam will require...have ordered a book on clams, but I'd like to start thinking about it...Thanks...Yo Darryl...:rolleyes:
 

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How high the tank only matters if you are getting the kind of clam that goes in the sand. Maxima clams do not. Also, some clams like Maxima need over 250 PAR where other types can do on less.

Talk to stores in your area and see if any have a PAR meter they rent out. Talk to your local reef club too. You need to test your lighting for PAR. There is no way around this.
 

Daniel@R2R

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+1 on borrowing a PAR meter for checking the numbers. Otherwise, I think you can probably tell by observing the clam as to whether or not it's getting enough light.

@skinz78 is a clam guru. Maybe he can chime in with specific numbers for each type of clam and/or ideas on how to care for lighting needs.
 

Saltine

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Was just about to ask this same question, was hoping to put a Maxima on the sandbed where it says 160. MH 150w, T5, LED lighting.

15138452_1309280019104385_273960741109847051_o.jpg
 

saltyfilmfolks

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I'm guessing 150 par as a bare minimum I would try. 200 would be comfortable. And more is always better.
 

reefwiser

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Maxima clams need a fair amount of light and can be tricky to keep. The clam to pick up is a T. Derasa I have seen many of them over the years in tanks many kept for over 8 years and growing quite well. Clams can be tricky and will die without much warning.
 

mcarroll

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I do not have a smart phone and have no idea how to judge PAR in terms of what a clam will require...have ordered a book on clams, but I'd like to start thinking about it.

U of Hawaii has a lot of clam cultivation info online.

30,000 lux is a number I pulled out of some of their docs. Around 600 PAR.

This was sunlight, so that PAR number is pretty accurate. So you can probably get away with a lower lux # using modern reef lights which are blue-heavy.

In general, this level of light is approximately the "100%" setting for most commercial LED fixtures at their recommended deployment rates.

A $15 handheld lux meter can answer these questions in real time and is a great investment. For example, you can take it with you wnen buying corals/clams in order to get a reading to match for them in your tank at home.

Also, with the typical nutrient levels in home aquariums (high) it's possible those light levels may not be as strictly required as they appear to be in the wild.
 

mcarroll

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Was just about to ask this same question, was hoping to put a Maxima on the sandbed where it says 160. MH 150w, T5, LED lighting.

Your best bet is to cruise other peoples' PAR maps to see what folks have measured at their own clams.
 

Saltine

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Update on my clam, doesn't seem to like the solid surface I put him on...
IMG_4409.JPG
IMG_4410.JPG
 

jda

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Here is the big issue with clams and lighting numbers. ...clams look nearly just fine for months and then all of a sudden can die. They were dying all along, but their owner posted that the clam was happy and people thought that it was. There is perhaps no more of a false positive in this hobby than a clam. They can also look great at the store and have been dying since they imported them.

For long term results, unless you have massive amount of lighting that can penetrate deep, maximas up high in the rock work under 250W halide or 8-10 T5 setup (or the like), derasas and squamosa are fine in the sand for most tanks that have enough lights for a healthy and growing mixed reef. Crocea also need a TON of light, but don't like the rocks too much. If in doubt, get a deresa or squamosa.
 

saltyfilmfolks

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Update on my clam, doesn't seem to like the solid surface I put him on...
IMG_4409.JPG
IMG_4410.JPG

Look for the James feather tree article on clams from advanced aquarist. Some clams are sand clams some need a rock to be on.
Maxima I believe need a rock to be on.
 

Fennel

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U of Hawaii has a lot of clam cultivation info online.

30,000 lux is a number I pulled out of some of their docs. Around 600 PAR.

This was sunlight, so that PAR number is pretty accurate. So you can probably get away with a lower lux # using modern reef lights which are blue-heavy.

In general, this level of light is approximately the "100%" setting for most commercial LED fixtures at their recommended deployment rates.

A $15 handheld lux meter can answer these questions in real time and is a great investment. For example, you can take it with you wnen buying corals/clams in order to get a reading to match for them in your tank at home.

Also, with the typical nutrient levels in home aquariums (high) it's possible those light levels may not be as strictly required as they appear to be in the wild.
Ty
 

MartinM

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The solution is simple: buy a PAR meter. Succeeding in this hobby is a lot more difficult without one. From what you described, it’s unlikely you have enough light for most clam species, but a PAR meter will tell you for sure.

LUX=/=PAR, btw.
 

MartinM

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I'm guessing 150 par as a bare minimum I would try. 200 would be comfortable. And more is always better.

I’d say 300 is bare minimum. I’m not sure there are any/many people with long term success (years) at such low PAR for shallow water species like maxima, noa, croce, etc.
 

GlassMunky

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The solution is simple: buy a PAR meter. Succeeding in this hobby is a lot more difficult without one. From what you described, it’s unlikely you have enough light for most clam species, but a PAR meter will tell you for sure.

LUX=/=PAR, btw.
LOL reviving a 5 year old thread as if the OP is still waiting on answers.
 

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