Clam tank lighting

[Barry N.]

Ok light experts.

My new tank will be ready in a few weeks so I need some advise on lighting.

The tank will be 72" x 24" x 12" As you can see very shallow as this will be a clam holding tank.

Thinking about going with th 72" Aquaspacelight 3 x 150 DE HQI with actinic. Any other idea's?

Barry

[scubadude]

sounds like a great idea for lighting barry! Have you looked into the T-5's yet? Im not sure they are available in actinic yet though. Also im loving these new radiums and wat I think would be absolutely awesome would be the radiums w/some Lumenarc3 reflectors which really came out w/great results w/ sanjay joshi, its 12 facets produce a much better even spread than any other reflector

[Barry N.]

Will have to check them out. Thanks.

Barry

[Ninong]

I think the 72" Aquaspacelight with 3 150w 10,000K HQI DE's and 4 24w Osram actinic PC's would be ideal for clams in that size tank. Because you are keeping clams, I wouldn't go any higher on the Kelvin rating than 10,000K.

[scubadude]

Originally posted by Ninong
I wouldn't go any higher on the Kelvin rating than 10,000K.

care to elaborate on that Ninong?

[zhenya]

I have to agree with Ninong on this.Most clams are found in shallower waters and Kelvin of 6.5-10K is ideal for them,atleast acording to Daniel Knop.I thing 20K bulbs simulating much deeper parts of the reefs
JMO ofcource.Rocky,where would one find a Lumenarc reflectors?Could you post a link or the name of the place?
TIA.

[scubadude]

Originally posted by zhenya
Most clams are found in shallower waters and Kelvin of 6.5-10K is ideal for them,atleast acording to Daniel Knop.

I thought that was why and I have read most of Knopps book, I must have breezed right by that part...but after thinking about this so are most SPS in shallow water, but look at the outcome of that (we throw radiums at them, and IMO the outcome is awesome)? Just food for thought.

Originally posted by zhenya
where would one find a Lumenarc reflectors?

I should have them within a few weeks, I believe Brian from atlantis aquatics has them too. They arent cheap though, I will be selling them for $150 each

[Ninong]

Originally posted by Scubadude:

Care to elaborate on that Ninong?

Sure, but Zhenya beat me to it.

The most natural lighting for T. crocea and T. maxima would be 6500K, just as it is the most natural lighting for most Acropora spp. of corals.

But... 10,000K would look better and be a better choice IMO for a wide range of clams. Even Knop mentions that the "new" 10,000K metal halides would be OK in place of his recommended Daylight metal halides (10,000K was new when he wrote his book).

The reason I wouldn't go with just 20,000K over a clam tank is because it doesn't provide the proper lighting for croceas and maximas. We're not talking about what might look pretty, we're talking about what best duplicates their natural environment.

...but look at the outcome of that (we throw radiums at them, and IMO the outcome is awesome)? Just food for thought.

Yes, but don't confuse a colorful coral animal with a healthy coral animal. If I lie out in the sun for 12 hours straight in the middle of July, I will be very colorful but not very healthy. When we throw 20,000K at shallow water Acropora corals we are doing it mainly for aesthetics. I'm not knocking it, I'm just pointing out that they would be just as healthy and grow just as fast with 6500K. The more UV-A and -B you throw at me, the redder I will get. Same thing goes for corals, except they don't necessarily get red. The topic of coloration in SPS could fill a book all by itself. There are whole chapters on it already in many sources that I have read. But suffice it to say that in addition to intensity (lots of 6500K Iwasakis for example), you can get quite a bit of coloration with 20,000K because of it's higher energy/shorter wavelength spectral output. Which is why many people pass on the 6500K (which they don't care for) in favor of 10,000K/20,000K.

[zhenya]

Rocky,
Thanks for the info.Brian lives about 10 min. away from me and I will give him a call when I return from my trip to Nevis.it sure sounds great by your description .

Ninong,
That wat I call an elaborating on something,thanks.

[Barry N.]

Has already decode what K rating I was going with as I keep my clams under 10K now. but I was thinking why go the 250 instead of 150 DE HQI with that shallow dept. (12")

Barry

[Claude Pool]

Does anyone have a link to Sanjay Joshi's latest research or is it not published yet?

Thanks

[PerryinCA]

If you are looking to get natural light levels the 250 is the way to go. With the AB fixture, you will get good light output nearing daylight levels out to about 7-8" from the lamp.

The 150 will do fine....and I only mention the 250w if you are looking to get as close as possible to tropical surface light levels.

-Perry
Sales & Developement Mngr
Sunlight supply