New Lighting, I Am So Excited

midgetwaiter · #1 05-26-2006, 08:43 PM

Well no offense Scott but have you ever tried keeping a clam under anything but MH? It can be done and done well if some prior conditions like water quality and calcium availability are met. Unfortunately most people that try to keep a clam under PC are people that are newer to the hobby (haven't heard the MH ranting over and over again) and probably are not doing a very good of keeping the rest of their house in order.

You can keep a crocea or blue maxima with that setup you just need to maintain the intensity, like asmodeus said. I'm not directly familiar with the ballast used in that fixture so I can't give a really solid opinion but I'd bet you would have to change your bulbs about every 4-5 months to maintain the output. If that is a really good electronic ballast, and it probably is, that period would be longer but you can't get a good idea of how long without a PAR meter. As the bulbs age their output diminishes an tends to shift spectrum a bit. The phosphors that do actinic blue wear out especially quickly.

So you could do it, but it would pretty much be stupid expensive to replace the bulbs all the time. If you haven't used the thing yet maybe try returning it and getting a T5 fixture or something.

OCDP · #2 05-26-2006, 08:49 PM

I am sure it can be done, I don't doubt that..and no I haven't tried keeping clams under anything but MH, and that's the way I like it! But I have done enough reading on clams to know that they shouldn't be kept under PC's long-term.

The thing is, sure you can keep the clam alive under PC's, but will it thrive? I doubt it, it's just not the same intensity no matter what. I have no experience no, but I could make an assumption that higher light loving clams like crocea and maxima won't be too happy long-term under PC's.

Also, how often do you hear of people having a nice thriving beautiful clam collection under PC's ? If you do know of someone I'd love to hear about it. I have seen it with the T5's obviously.. but never PC's (and I am talking specifically about crocea's and maximas)

There's no sense in debating it really.. it's just my opinion. It's not fair to the clam really. But, I don't have experience so that's enough from me hah.

Fishguy52 · #3 05-27-2006, 01:13 AM

Ok, thanks everyone for the in put I never actually wonted to keep clams in this set up any way. I was just thinking aloud, but it would be cool if you could. I herd about some kind that does ok under a lot of pc once.
I think I will stick to the LPS and softies idea it will look just as cool.

StirCrazy · #4 05-27-2006, 03:52 AM

simple answer... you can keep anything under PC's.. I have had several different LPS, SPS, Anemone, and yes a maxima clam (lived over a year and died as a result of a tank over temp, along with most of the tank) but and I mean a big BUT you have to position them properly in the tank, ie clam and SPS as high as you can get them.. I think I had them 8 to 10" under the surface at most. and I did notice a slight improvement in the SPS when I added a 175 watt MH, and a huge improvement when I went to 250watt SE on HQI ballasts. so it all comes down to how much rock you have to get them up where they need to be. Oh and as a side note some LPS do better under intense lighting also, My Brain loves MH, my mushrooms went nuts and spread all over under MH, ect...

Steve

midgetwaiter · #5 05-27-2006, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OCDP

Also, how often do you hear of people having a nice thriving beautiful clam collection under PC's ? If you do know of someone I'd love to hear about it. I have seen it with the T5's obviously.. but never PC's (and I am talking specifically about crocea's and maximas)

You made my point for me. There is almost no difference between T5s and a PC on a good ballast. Everyone is all gaga over T5s but fail to realize that the same electronic ballasts that make T5s useful can run PCs just as well. Everyone tries to apply experience gained with PCs ten years ago against current technology, it isn't the same thing.

I've seen it work just fine with croceas. I have a maxima under el cheapo T5s right now as a mater of fact, it works great.

The only way T5s are considerably more powerful than PCs is the individual parabolic reflectors used in high end fixtures. At that point you are actually spending much more than an HQI MH setup anyway, I've never even heard of them being used much in North America.

Skimmerking · #6 05-27-2006, 03:03 PM

I run my T-5's on a ice capp ballast overdriving them the bulb is 58 w now with the ballast they are 85W. So i have an extra 160 w of lights for supplment for viewing at night. You just need to keep them cool that is all.