2014-05-05 Keeping Clams under LED

I just curious to see what other reefers are saying about the LED light's effect on keeping giant clams. So I did some research:

http://www.ultimatereef.net/forums/archive/index.php/t-588034.html

http://www.3reef.com/forums/clams/clams-under-leds-growth-130747-7.html#.U2Rq7l5k4y4

I've went through a few different forums but found that these two have the most constructive answers I was looking for. 

In general, the answer is yes. But it depends on how the light was made (home made, cheaply made in China, etc), the total wattage of the light, distance of light from water, distance of clam from water surface etc.

I can definitely attest that clams not only survive, but thrive under LED.

I have had my aqua illumination sol blue for more than 6 months now. And I've kept my three big clams in there for almost 5 months. I programmed my light to mimic the natural sunlight intensity bell curve throughout the day with the highest being 3pm at about 85% and down to 15% at beginning and ending of the day. The largest of the three squamosa grew 2", from 7" to 9", the derasa is a bit more sensitive to fish swim by so grew a bit slower, about 1.5", from 6 to 7.5". The smallest of the three is also a squamosa, grew from 5" to about 7" now. My calcium level was around 500 before these clams were in. And now I am struggling to keep it over 350 when they grow this fast! My tank is 92 Corner and they are all sitting at the very bottom. So yes, you can definitely keep clams happy with LED lights.

2014-05-02 Discussion: pH Level for Marine Aquarium

You might have heard how important pH level is, but you might not have experienced what it can do to your tank if your pH level is really off target- Well, this winter I've battled the pH war and have a lot to share:
Background
The first mistake- probably a success in many other ways- is that I have my fish tank sitting in my finished basement. The reason for this placement made all the senses when I set it up- basement's air temperature does not fluctuate like that of upper levels, it also has the most solid, salt resistant floor surface- concrete underneath carpet to support the weight of the tank. And an easy access to the nearby utility sink. But I forgot one thing- without any open windows, the oxygen level tends to be lower than any other floor levels.

What does oxygen level has to do with pH? There is actually a very useful article on pH by Randy Holmes here: http://www.reefkeeping.com
In summary, pH is the measurement of hydrogen particles in the water, and the concentration of hydrogen particles relays heavily on the amount of oxygen present in the water.

When pH level is low, the water is acidic, and it will become difficult for your invertebrates including snails, corals, and clams to build skeleton as their bodies must allow the use of calcium carbonate (basic) to help neutralize the pH level within their bodies. (similarly, if a person constantly resides in an oxygen deprives environment, this person's body will be more acidic, and hence be more prone to osteoporosis as the body is unable to retain calcium)

So what happens in my basement over the cold-long winter here in Wisconsin is the low oxygen level due to closed window causes the tanks' pH level to drop below 8.0. This almost entirely stops the growth of all my stony corals and my clams.

To solve this problem, I began employee the help of kalkwasser. Each week I mix 1tsp of kalwasser with RO water per 25 gallon of water volume and pour the solution directly into a high flow area of my tank. This maintained the pH level of my tank between 8.0 to 8.2 through the rest of the winter. With the help of higher pH level, my corals and clams resumed growth and are happier than ever.

With my detailed documented water test results- on a spreadsheet- I discovered the dramatic change of pH level once the snow has melted on the ground and that I was able to open the windows of my house- pH level shut up from 8.0 to 8.3/4 within a week without requiring any further kalkwasser dosing.

So if you have noticed a slow to none growth with your coral or clam despite strong lighting and adequate calcium levels, you might want to give pH adjustment a shot!

2014-05-01 Livestock Spotlight

My heart almost stopped when I saw this clam...
Yes, I have a thing for clam. In fact it was when I laid my eyes on the giant clams in display in Waikiki aquarium that made me fell in love with this hobby.
http://www.pacificeastaquaculture.com

maxima clam as seen on Pacific East Aquaculture

This is a 5" Tahitian Maxima clam with golden turquoise leopard spotted mantle.
To keep this claim, please have nothing short of Metal Halide (at least 250W, 400W preferred) or LED. You will also need adequate calcium level (400+), 8.3pH, and slightly dirty water (nutrient rich) so the clam can feed on the nitrate and phosphate in it.
Believe me, if I have room in my tank I would have snatched this up in a heartbeat!
But at the moment my tank is a bit crowded with an 8"Squamosa, 8"Derasa, and 7"Squamosa...
and are all growing rapidly.

2014-04-28: Livestock of the Day 1

From Pacific East Aquaculture- This beautiful Gold Wall Hammer Coral is amazing!

I've been seeing more and more Gold Wall Hammer Corals surface the market recently. If you have always had good luck keeping LPS, please take this before someone else does!

For its color and size- actually not a bad deal at $199

http://www.pacificeastaquaculture.com/Metallic-Gold-Wall-Hammer-WYSIWYG-HP-A2319-Prodview.html

 Some Facts about Wall Hammer Coral-Euphyllia ancora

Hammer Corals are also known as Anchor Corals (the word ancora in its name), it is a large polyp stony coral in the Euphyllia family that includes frogspawn- http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2012/10/corals

To successfully keep this coral happy- you must have:

Temperature- 75-80F (23-27C)- I've found them to be quite tolerable to temperature swings, but they will not open up happily if it's too hot or too cold

Calcium-350-450ppm- I've found them to generally inflate more when calcium level is lower

Alkalinity-7-10

pH-8.0-8.4- Higher pH can induce faster growing as Calcium require good pH level to infuse with carbonate and magnesium. Be sure to have high oxygen level to maintain ideal pH.

Nitrate-No trace- This is a duh~

Lighting- High to Moderate-I've found them to be quire tolerant of wide variety of light condition as well. But in general the brighter the light, the better the growth. Personally I believe they do the best under high output T-5 or LED. They do OK under power compact but not much growth. With Metal Halide you need to move them lower otherwise they will bleach from overexposure. And please do not keep them in normal florescent light.

Waterflow-High to moderate- Because of the elaborate tissue, it does require stronger current to agitate the water column to ensure constant oxygen supply.

Acclimation- Honestly, unless yours or the supplier's water is severely messed up in parameters, I have never need to "drip" acclimate these things. I've always float them, make sure the water temp matches up, then simply open the bag and toss them in. I must say that take caution in mixing the seller's water into your tank as you don't know what kind of disease it comes with. So I generally take the coral out and toss the seller's water away. I also recommend a quick dip before you introduce the coral into your tank-Careful not to use too much iodine