Blue Cryptic Sponge & Red Flame Scallop

Subsea

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As I searched for a Caribbean Flame Scallop that was in tank for 2 months, I rotated a large live rock that was diver collected in the Gulf of Mexico 10 years ago and was rewarded with seeing flame scallop in all his glory. I was very surprised to see a large blue cryptic sponge on the “dark side of rock”.

About 5 years ago @Timfish introduced me to cryptic refugium and the “sponge loop”. Now for nutriment management I use recycling & dynamic equilibrium as I emulate nature with the use of bacteria, algae and cryptic sponges.

The scallop is clouding up the water as it holds himself by his foot on the back glass.

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I love flame scallops - wish they lasted longer in my tank.

When I first starting Reefing, Sea Apples & Flame Scallops we’re readily available. Using an under gravel filter with crushed up oyster shells I kept scallops & apples for as long as 2 years. I don’t know the life span of flame scallops, so I consider 2 years as success. Recently with Electric Flame Scallop from the Pacific, I had dismal result. Recently, the LFS in Austin has found a supplier of Caribbean Flame Scallops and am having good success with them.
Was it spawning Pat?
I don’t think so. I often see them seal off the two halves and expel water from the hinge when they hop rapidly. I also have seen them blow off detritus with is similar behavior.

This picture is 4 hours later. His hinge is down with tendrils holding him vertically against glass. On the earlier picture, scallop foot held him 6” above substrate against back glass.

I am providing shade for this location using Gracilaria Hayi tie wrapped to eductor.
 

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Was it spawning Pat?

@Timfish
As I further thought on scallop spawning, it dawned on me that spawning was a distinct possibility. When I took the picture, I did not pay attention as I was hurrying to meet a friend. Normally, when scallop hops about, I see detritus a-swirling, which I did not see.

When I stir gravel lightly, it feeds sea apple that I have nursed for 2 years. Caribbean Flame Scallop may well have spawned. I saw your post on Instagram about clam reproduction in your tank. Would you describe that better here.

These pictures are of my newest tanks: 55G on bottom is 7 days mature, top 55G is 18 months mature and was set up to cure 100 lbs of diver collected rock. About an hour ago I transferred a flame scallop from a 30G macro algae tank of sea grapes from IndoPacific SeaFarm.
 

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Timfish

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Not much to say about the 2 species of clam succesfully reproducing in my system, it just happens. The adults came in on GulfLiveRock rock and grew in the system. Tank gets weekly water changes totallying about 25% monthly. No skimmer, dosing for calcium and alkalinity is sporadic. Unlit sump with some sponges. Mag 7 for a return pump. Additional circulation in hte tank is provided two airlines. Feeding is an autofeeder dropping New Life Spectrum pellets, maybe a 1/8 tsp, 8 times daily. Keep in mind I've had less than a handfull show up.
 
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Not much to say about the 2 species of clam succesfully reproducing in my system, it just happens. The adults came in on GulfLiveRock rock and grew in the system. Tank gets weekly water changes totallying about 25% monthly. No skimmer, dosing for calcium and alkalinity is sporadic. Unlit sump with some sponges. Mag 7 for a return pump. Additional circulation in hte tank is provided two airlines. Feeding is an autofeeder dropping New Life Spectrum pellets, maybe a 1/8 tsp, 8 times daily. Keep in mind I've had less than a handfull show up.
I guess I have a similar scenario with cryptic blue sponge.

I recently invested in phytoplankton culture system to enhance diversity of micro inverts. yesterday, I read a thread on this site about carbon dosing phytoplankton culture. Considering that thru photosynthesis we are carbon dosing using carbon dioxide to produce alkalinity that becomes glucose during photosynthesis.

last night I transferred flame scallops from 30G macro lagoon into 55G mixed garden lagoon.
 

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Not much to say about the 2 species of clam succesfully reproducing in my system, it just happens. The adults came in on GulfLiveRock rock and grew in the system. Tank gets weekly water changes totallying about 25% monthly. No skimmer, dosing for calcium and alkalinity is sporadic. Unlit sump with some sponges. Mag 7 for a return pump. Additional circulation in hte tank is provided two airlines. Feeding is an autofeeder dropping New Life Spectrum pellets, maybe a 1/8 tsp, 8 times daily. Keep in mind I've had less than a handfull show up.

I like using air bubblers. Kudoes to GulfLiveRock:

@Timfish
In a recent thread on phytoplankton culture, a scientific paper was brought up that added a carbon source along with Guillard f2 nutrients. Someone else brought up the point that carbon dioxide from air bubbler feed alkalinity that thru photosynthesis became glucose. I prefer “natures way” to carbon dose.

Dana Riddle said it this way, “Photosynthesis combines the inorganic with the organic world.
 

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Hey Pat, just a FWIW post, found clams in another of my systems when I had to move it. Filtration was an old retrofit DAS system but the skimmer wasn't working. Nothing had been added in years and quite a few were found in nooks and crannys of the dark sides of rock, at least several dozen. Here's a picture of some on a filter cap.

Clams 20230125_092354.jpg
 
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Neat. A friend from years back showed me baby flame scallops In his system.

I am starting to get serious about the bottom of the food chain with phytoplankton cultivation and Reef Actif for bacteria management. Bug reprogramming.
 

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