Clams replacing refugium as a nutrient export

[radiata]

The Isognomon ephippium or saddle tree oyster is ultimately what you should try and get.

OK, why?

 

[Aquatican]

OK, why?

They are better equipped for our aquariums. The are found in tropical zones and are common in mud flats that are nitrogen sinks, thus they can handle higher temps and more pollution. In fact, they are used in Japan in refugiums as a form of nutrient export.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

They are better equipped for our aquariums. The are found in tropical zones and are common in mud flats that are nitrogen sinks, thus they can handle higher temps and more pollution. In fact, they are used in Japan in refugiums as a form of nutrient export.

In the usa where can you buy. I can't find where to buy? Thx

 

[GeoSquid]

I bought 4 farm raised pacific oysters 3 days ago. I let them sit on the counter out of the ice for about a half hour, then floated them in a bag in my tank for about a half hour and then slowly added 1/4 cup of tank water at a time over the next half hour or so and put them in my sump. It seems like the oysters released a lot of brown water into the bag during this process. 3 of the 4 oysters, as of this morning, were wide open and non responsive so I removed them. My tank temp is at 79 deg. Seems like a high mortality rate

 

[Aquatican]

In the usa where can you buy. I can't find where to buy? Thx

As I am located in Japan, I can tell you where to buy them here, but I don't think you can get them shipped to you However, after a few cursory searches, I found a site that has quite a few different varieties. Maybe you could ask them to source the saddle tree oyster. If not, they might be able to advise you on what they have available that would be best suited to home aquarium environments. https://www.oysterater.com/tag/buy-oysters/

Another option is buying disease resistant larva and raising them in your sump. Here is an option for those of you who would like to try it http://hatchery.hpl.umces.edu/

 

[Paleozoic_reefer]

Wow! I read this thread on Monday and went to the store the next day to find some Pacific oysters for my 90 gal. I found some on ice at an obscure Albertson's in my town and figured I'd give it a try. So I bought 3 oysters on my way back from work and plopped them in the tank and within 30 minutes not only were all the oysters open but the barnacles were too! Today they're still alive and open.

I'm thinking these oysters would be great to put in my filter floss cups in my sump (without the filter floss of course). I'll post some pics in a bit. Best experiment so far on my tank! Thanks, @Dr. Dendrostein

 

[Paleozoic_reefer]

Wow! I read this thread on Monday and went to the store the next day to find some Pacific oysters for my 90 gal. I found some on ice at an obscure Albertson's in my town and figured I'd give it a try. So I bought 3 oysters on my way back from work and plopped them in the tank and within 30 minutes not only were all the oysters open but the barnacles were too!?! Today they're still alive and open.

I'm thinking these oysters would be great to put in my filter floss cups in my sump (without the filter floss of course). I'll post some pics tomorrow. Best experiment so far on my tank! Thanks, @Dr. Dendrostein

 

[radiata]

In the usa where can you buy. I can't find where to buy? Thx

Dr. D,

Looks like you need to have a trip to Japan on your Bucket List! You can probably buy your tickets now with full rights to change dates later if needed. The ticket prices will never be as low as they are now - when we've all got our Covid inoculations, the ticket prices are going to skyrocket when every would-be tourist is freed from their respective lockdowns.

I spent a week in Japan in 1969. We had just landed on the moon, and the locals were awestruck by anyone from the US. Can't say as I remember much besides the automated sign in central Tokyo that counted the number of people who had died that day in traffic accidents. I also vividly remember a horrific cab ride I took to Yokohama. I was sitting in the rear seat with my feet firmly planted up on the seat in front of me as the driver repeatedly changed lanes, into oncoming traffic, to get ahead of the car just in front of us. I was convinced that he had trained (and failed) as a kamikaze pilot 25 years before.

That said, Japan is really very beautiful. If I didn't already have Marrakech, Andalusia, Barcelona, Genoa, Prague and Budapest on my own Bucket List I'd have no problems going back there on another sojourn.

Bob

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

WOW!!!

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Dr. D,

Looks like you need to have a trip to Japan on your Bucket List! You can probably buy your tickets now with full rights to change dates later if needed. The ticket prices will never be as low as they are now - when we've all got our Covid inoculations, the ticket prices are going to skyrocket when every would-be tourist is freed from their respective lockdowns.

I spent a week in Japan in 1969. We had just landed on the moon, and the locals were awestruck by anyone from the US. Can't say as I remember much besides the automated sign in central Tokyo that counted the number of people who had died that day in traffic accidents. I also vividly remember a horrific cab ride I took to Yokohama. I was sitting in the rear seat with my feet firmly planted up on the seat in front of me as the driver repeatedly changed lanes, into oncoming traffic, to get ahead of the car just in front of us. I was convinced that he had trained (and failed) as a kamikaze pilot 25 years before.

That said, Japan is really very beautiful. If I didn't already have Marrakech, Andalusia, Barcelona, Genoa, Prague and Budapest on my own Bucket List I'd have no problems going back there on another sojourn.

Bob

1968, year I was born....lol

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

I see one dead....bummer

 

[Paleozoic_reefer]

@Dr. Dendrostein I thought it was dead too but when I went to get it, it immediately closed up...I'll keep an eye on it though...

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Proof is in the pudding
This is unheard of, soft corals clinging to oyster. I put both of them in my sump and didn't know this was going to happen. They were close to each other. Separate before coming together. No picture, never happened. But we have the proof.

 

[marklipe]

Question, I live in the middle of oyster country South Carolina. I literally, can get oysters at the end of my dock. Do you need to clean the shells? Qt? Etc. I’d love to add to my 20 gal fug. Ug I’d hate to mess my equilibrium. Thoughts?

I was wondering the same thing. I’m just north of you in NC. I’m on the waterway and planning on paddling to the oyster bed and grab some tomorrow

 

[KennyC]

Hi,

In a video (can't remember which one) Randy said an employee at BRS swears by the use of clams for nutrient export - keep adding clams until the desired nutrient drop is reached.

Is there an experiment planned to prove/disprove this idea?


Thanks and love the videos

What's your lighting set up, I have the 2 light strips in my fluval flex 123 , the 3.0 led strips, 42 watts each, would these be enough to support any type of clams???

 

[Alexopora]

One of my oysters died. Found a Pea crab inside of him. I wonder if that is the cause if his death

Pea crabs are commensal crabs or mildly parasitic. But i doubt that they are the cause of your oyster’s demise since they wont survive for long once their host dies.

 

[Auto-pilot]

Pea crabs are commensal crabs or mildly parasitic. But i doubt that they are the cause of your oyster’s demise since they wont survive for long once their host dies.

They also steal food from the oysters. I bet there wasn't enough food for both and the oyster died. I don't think It directly killed the oyster,starvation did that.

 

[danzig]

They also steal food from the oysters. I bet there wasn't enough food for both and the oyster died. I don't think It directly killed the oyster,starvation did that.

If im not mistaken i heard they work symbiotically although i forget how and where i heard that

 

[Alexopora]

If im not mistaken i heard they work symbiotically although i forget how and where i heard that

A quick read online will show opinions ranging from being parasitism (one benefits and one is harmed) to commensalism (one benefits while the other does not benefit nor is harmed. As pea crabs don’t directly feed on the host but do benefit from taking some of the food being filtered into the bivalve as well as having protection, I would classify it as commensalism rather than parasitism.

 

[sfin52]

That's great you're going to try it, clams I would have gone with as assistance to filtration and of course that means exporting organic nutrients. The number one reason I went with Pacific oysters is they filter more water per day than any other mollusk. Trying to fine-tune it since 2017 at this time with oysters I usually go with one oyster for every three gallons of water( for nps system, SPS alot less). Also oysters produce pseudo feces which will feed the corals and when they spawn they will also feed corals. Some reasons why I went with oysters and these are the ones you can eat. But Pacific oysters can withstand water temperatures regularly up to 95° Fahrenheit. When you acclimate them in the first few weeks you will lose some oysters possibly. But just keep an eye on them. for the first few weeks I would put them in a plastic mesh bag like the video shows.

Where do you get said oysters?