A few questions about Fire "Scallops"

[MSB123]

Hey Guys!
In relation to my other thread-https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/good-for-me-or-not.340308/unread
I want to know a few things.
1.) How should I QT these guys? I have decided to add two to my 150 and give the other 2 away.

2.) What to feed? I have RG Complete- http://apbreed.com/product_rgcomplete.php#tab_info and I dont know what else I may need to keep these guys in their prime!
Thanks again!
MSB

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

@Yuki Rihwa help us out here

For the qt, live rock and fallow like with coral.
Phyto an Zoo planktons. I bribe I was feeding a reef blend that had some frozen fish clams and planktons.

Like this.

http://m.drsfostersmith.com/product...V0F5-Ch2GPQyzEAQYBSABEgKCa_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[ca1ore]

I think it is very difficult to keep them 'in their prime'. Probably animals best left in the ocean. I kept one years ago for about a year in my NPS tank that got fed small foods multiple times a day, but even there the scallop eventually starved.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I think it is very difficult to keep them 'in their prime'. Probably animals best left in the ocean. I kept one years ago for about a year in my NPS tank that got fed small foods multiple times a day, but even there the scallop eventually starved.

Mine is over two years old

 

[Paul B]

Mine is over two years old

Thats because you are an excellent scallop keeper.
I don't think I ever kept one that long.

 

[ca1ore]

Mine is over two years old

Good for you - are you suggesting they are not difficult to keep and that the vast majority in reefers tanks don't perish in a short period of time? Because if not, your comment isn't particularly helpful and simply encourages the novice reef keeper to try something that they cannot keep alive. Sorry to be lecture-ous it's just a pet peeve of mine.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Thats because you are an excellent scallop keeper.
I don't think I ever kept one that long.

Haha. That always surprised me too Paul. Some folks are fish people some are coral people. Me. I got bugs and I valves.

Good for you - are you suggesting they are not difficult to keep and that the vast majority in reefers tanks don't perish in a short period of time? Because if not, your comment isn't particularly helpful and simply encourages the novice reef keeper to try something that they cannot keep alive. Sorry to be lecture-ous it's just a pet peeve of mine.

Fair point
No, what I suggest is not nay saying with out facts , and to try new things and learn new things and attain skills from those in the hobby who have had success.
Vast majority would be difficult to prove btw.
I don't do anything special for the animals , I've modified my methods only slightly to accommodate my my bivalves.
The op reaching out to the community to find practical success experiences is the point of the forum. Keep in mind ,I started somewhere and am by no means expert, and only by reading and researching those success stories and the science most importantly, I managed to learn how to do it.

My comment I belive can be particularly helpful in that it encourages folks to learn more and enjoy these amazing critters and discourages negative input based solely on opinion and not fact or personal experience.
One of my pet peeves.

 

[keddre]

the RG looks like it should work, granted you feed enough. I'm no expert as mine is only 6 months and 4 months old; however, I feed mine (plus the rest of my tank) Phytoplankton mixed with golden pearls. So my whole mix is <50 microns and 100-200 microns, plus at this point my tank is permanently dyed in a brown haze.

I don't know what they are officially called, but the tentacles on mine have grown, so it appears to me that mine are still "in their prime.."

Flame Scallops are non-photosynthetic filter feeders that will only eat food of the size they prefer (mainly phytoplankton between 5-40 micron and zooplankton that’s under 200 microns). In the home aquarium they need an endless supply of platonic foods in the water at all times; these platonic foods should include but are not limited to, phytoplankton. Copepod nauplii, diatoms, etc.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/flame-scallop-care.322820/
http://www.saltwatersmarts.com/dont-get-burned-flame-scallops-ctenoides-scaber-ales-4449/
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/7/inverts

 

[Yuki Rihwa]

I got 3 flame scallops for couple months, they are still doing fine, I broadcast feed phytoplankton my tank 3 times a week (Careful do not overfeeding phyto since I got algae outbreak if I feed daily, I cut back to 2~3 times and everything under control and happy)
I didn't quarantine them, I just make sure there is no parasite on their shell which easy enough with their smooth shell.
I drip acclimated them for 1.5 hour then place them in my tank.
If you don't want them to hop around a lot then place them at the interface of sand/bottom and rock work, you can dig a hole to create a crevice and drop it in there.
The flow is important too, it will want a mellow flow (similar to torch/hammer coral flow requirement) then soon you will see them attach to the rock work, if it doesn't like the spot it will hop around, climb up the rock until it find it perfect spot and attached to that spot.
*Another thing is everyone tank different so nutrition level in each tank also different, if the scallop like it then it will live long other than that it will perish really fast.
Have fun and good luck and learn

 

[Charles4400]

@Yuki Rihwa help us out here

For the qt, live rock and fallow like with coral.
Phyto an Zoo planktons. I bribe I was feeding a reef blend that had some frozen fish clams and planktons.

Like this.

http://m.drsfostersmith.com/product...V0F5-Ch2GPQyzEAQYBSABEgKCa_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Salty what's your feeding schedule like for them? Target or broadcast? How often?

Wondering if they can last with target feeding once a day with pumps off.

I think it' great that you (or anyone) can keep them in the main tank with success! Please share how you do it.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Salty what's your feeding schedule like for them? Target or broadcast? How often?

Wondering if they can last with target feeding once a day with pumps off.

I think it' great that you (or anyone) can keep them in the main tank with success! Please share how you do it.

I feed at night at 7pm broadcast feeding with the pumps off. If I'm late the fish tap on the glass. Literally the Mandy will tap his beak on the glass.
I have a large refugium too.
I switch out foods, baby brine shrimp with spirulina , fish eggs from LRS, nutrimar ova,PE mysis , or mysis , PE mysis pellets , reef nutrition phyto blend. So that's basically what's in the larder , I don't feed em on a set shcedule , more like I feed the family (the human ones ) and try to maintain a baldness diet during the weeks.
I have a tunze skimmer rated for the size of the tank, and don't over use mechanical filtration. I don't run carbon gac save passively (bag next to return) as a reactor will strip the water too hard.
My 30 gal is sumpless and the 55 is sumped with fuge btw. That's where the scallop lives.
The 30 has a dozen bivalves and my Christmas tree rocks with feather dusters. It's also my sps tank.
The 55 has two dsb, one in DT one in sump w fuge. So there's a lot of bugs and bacteria.
And no, I don't get cyano often and my water is crystal clear. My oldest mussel was 6in tall and I had it for about 5-6 years. Lost it during the time this year when I found a rusty razor blade in the 55 tank sadly.

Some folks opt to feed constantly and skim hard , my system is designed to provide food constantly.
Both work.

 

[keddre]

My oldest mussel was 6in tall and I had it for about 5-6 years

curious on what this was?

 

[BlueCursor]

I feed my verts and corals twice a week. Keeping these alive isn't the problem. The problem is keeping them where I can see them. They like to move, and keep moving until they get stuck. That is usually back behind rocks for my tank.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

curious on what this was?

It's an Indonesian razor mussel.
I lost the link to the scientific name with the last phone crash.
From the front it's kinda shaped like an L.
I still have a couple more.
Some old pics.

 

[keddre]

It's an Indonesian razor mussel.
I lost the link to the scientific name with the last phone crash.
From the front it's kinda shaped like an L.
I still have a couple more.
Some old pics.

Nice clam. Looking at the mantle is it photosynthetic? Also does Solen sp. sound familiar?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Nice clam. Looking at the mantle is it photosynthetic? Also does Solen sp. sound familiar?

I belive it is a mussel. Look up Mediterranean giant mussel.

No, not photosynthetic . Both are shaded almost completely, accident really its a good lower flow spot. I have a couple others much much smaller. That appeared "out of nowhere"

 

[keddre]

I belive it is a mussel. Look up Mediterranean giant mussel.

No, not photosynthetic . Both are shaded almost completely, accident really its a good lower flow spot. I have a couple others much much smaller. That appeared "out of nowhere"

Don't know why I said claim. Sorry, lol. Anyway, +1 to my research list

 

[Brew12]

I don't think I ever kept one that long.

I couldn't keep a scallop that long. They taste too good. ;Happy

 

[Charles4400]

Awesome thanks for that salty!

It's great to hear success stories with hard to keep species and how it's done.

So do you think the key to success with flame scallops is the diversity of microorganisms from the dsb's or the type of feeding your doing. I'm sure its a combo of both but what do you think is more important?

Wondering for those (like me) with just a cheato fuge and no dsb and pretty clean water, if spot feeding with some concentrated good food mix like phyto feast live with oyster feast every day or every other day might lead to long term success.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Yea there's a lot to be said for diversity for sure. But a lot of that can be substituted in a way by feeding the right stuff.
Def check out Reef mariculture. And
Current farming practices. Both are a means to the same end really.
A lot of spot feeding is actually a waste kinda of. If you pee in the pool ... etc. and a skimmer doesn't really take out a lot of particulates. (A lot of folks think they do or want to think they do) so once it's in the system its there for a while.

In the feed skim (fast in fast out) the trick is to not over concentratit the amount in the water and also not under concetrait, if that makes sense.
In some nps research facility's. , they use carbon dosing and a skimmer to make sure the water doesn't get fowled(Ie rotten food =ammonia +bad bacteria and viral populations)
It's not really pulling the food , it's bacteria eating the extra food and the waste from the food rotting.
Def google mat weingard at the Steinheart and NPS

As we look deeper into the biology of filter feeders, all of them , they eat zoo and phyto yea , but a lot of bacteria and waste.