lighting periods...

Ok we'll i'm looking into getting a fewclams in the upcoming year although I'm doing some research and i'm wanting to know how long should your clam be under the halides...
I'm running a 83 gallon 40x24x20 and i have a aqua medic HQI 250 watt single halide unit...
i'm currently running a fairly new 25000k HQI bulb...
I also will be installing 2 strips of T5 HO actinic and 2 strips of fiji purple to acompany the nice coloration...
but besides that addition,Do I have enough halide lighting and how long should I have the fivture running...

 

should be fine with that lighting, i would run the MH anywhere from 7-9hrs. actinics 10-12hrs.

 

thanks.

 

no problem, just make sure you have your clam placement right. and enough flow for them.

 

what clam should I start off with...
also from you opinion my dimensions of my DT are 40x24x20
I'm running 1 250 watt aqua medic ballast with a 25000k HQI double ended bulb.
for flow I have on eah side 2 koralia's.
both sides have one nano and one #2.
as the same with the right..
for my return it's firing between probably 300 gph because it's split into 2 plus are valve'd for a pristine solid filtration...
I've read up on having most of my water driving up and down from both tanks should be as relaxed as it should be...
Is this true and also I sould rely using my koralia's as my main flow/water movment in my system...

 

I would get a tridacna crocea, those clams are my favorites. They need powerful lighting which you have and prefer to be placed on rock, where they will attach. I didn't do this with my clam as i was afraid he was gonna fall so I put a piece of live rock on the sand let him attach to it then bury it in the sand. They like flow but nothing direct. As they get larger they filter feed.

 

I would start out with a 2 inch or larger Derasa clam. Great coloration, one of the hardier clams IMO

Saltwater Aquarium Clams for Marine Reef Aquariums: Derasa Clam - Aquacultured

 

is it healthy even If I run my halide for 6 hours max
and then the actinics 1 hour before and 1 hour after...
I want to cut down on energy billing as we'll