wanting to get a clam

My tanks been up and running about a year with good stable parameters for over 8 months. I am finally getting my lights upgraded , and I think I can finally get the clam Ive been wanting...but I wanted to check an opinion.

I am upgradeing to 4 48" t5 on icecap 660 ballasts, so if im correct thaey overdrive to 80 watts each...over my 55. we plan to get a squamosa, but may get a crocea if we cant find a squamy we like for the right price.

that will be nearly 6 watts per gallon(5.8) these lights should work, right?

 

yes, clams would be happy. how deep is the tank?

 

Should do Fine, My Clams are higher up in my 120g, and the wattage is way different then yours, I run 4x54w T5HO and they are doing amazing, Same with mine in my 46g which are under 150W MH and 72W T5HO

 

clams will be no problem. Crocea and Maxima clams are rock boring clam and will need to be on your rock.

 

sweet, the tank is a standard 55, 20 or 24" I think.
I had heard that a standard 4x54 wasnt enough for a clam in that tank unless it was way up toward the top, but hoped the extra from the overdriven bulbs would help

 

With the Crocea or Maxima it helps to find a piece of rock that they can attach to but is small enough that you could move it higher or lower if needed.That way there's much less risk of damaging they're threads.With a Squamossa it's good to use a flat piece buried under the sand that they can attach to rather than the bottom glass,which they will do.

 

thats not entirely true . . . I have a maxima and a crocea that both prefer to be on the sand. I have tried putting flat rocks under them (both burried in the sand and directly under them) to get them to attach too but they always move away from them.

your lighting sounds OK, but how long has your tank been setup? what are you doing for calcium supplementation?

~Will.

 

I just got a crocea and I placed him on a rock midway up in my tank under 2x 150w HQI's and 4x54w T5 Actinics. He/She (IT) loves where it is at. The only thing that it has done was turn from being perpendicular to the tank length to parallel with the length of the tank.

 

The tank has been up right at a year. As for Calcium Supplentation, nothing yet as there has been no need , water changes have kept it in line for the current inhabitants.
With the clam I will be supplementing as needed

 

Before you get the clam I would make sure you have calcium, alk and mag test kits. If you go with salifert ones it'll prob cost more than the clam but at least you will know 100% how much your clam needs to stay happy.

good luck!

~Will.