electric scallop

[Moonstream]

I would love to get an electric scallop, and I know thye need target feeding, so ahve marine snow on order (will come within the next week) and was thinking about target feeding every 3 days, and dosing marine snow once a week. I was wondering if they would eat thing like frozen mysis? I would make sure it had food every 3 days no matter what (if I was going away it may only be every week until i got back). also, would be sure no one would nip it. is this okay care? also, what is care like for yellow gorg, sponges, and spiny oysters?

[J. Montgomery]

Don't get it, it'll probably die within a month.

[Moonstream]

why?

[erendon]

The feeding requirements for it is a lot. It will survive a couple of days/weeks and die. if you do try to keep it well fed you will have to sacrefice the water quality in your tank unless you do water changes on a regualr basis.

[Chad Vossen]

scallops have a highly specific diet and will not eat what we have available to them. they may appear to eat phytoplankton, but under closer observation, they reject the food.
i kept my flame scallop for 4 months. assuming that your scallop is fat when you buy it, it can take a few months for it to starve to death.

currently i dont think we have any foods available that they will consume, and surely not in a high enough concentration to sustain a scallop. just think of where they come from, where thousands of different foods are available constantly and in great supply.

[Moonstream]

well, no scallop for me.

[650-IS350]

Yeah, had mine for a handfull of months even with direct feeding of live phyto... ( in the wild, they don't live long either )

[icy1155]

In the wild they can live for years as compared to months in the aquarium... best to leave them where they are found...

[Chad Vossen]

most scallops we see in the pet store are only 3/4ths grown. which means they should have alot of life left in them.

[billsreef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10818267#post10818267 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by armagedon48
most scallops we see in the pet store are only 3/4ths grown. which means they should have alot of life left in them.

It has to do with feeding, not natural life span. Marine Snow will not do the trick for scallops. They need lots of constant feeding of the right phytoplanktons. Pulse feeding or target feeding won't do it. They need a fairly constant level of phyto available constantly as they actively expend energy feeding all the time. As for commercially available products that can work, Reeds has a concentrated algae past sold as IA Shellfish Diet and I believe DT's also has a decent blend of phyto's. However, your going to have to keep adding phyto several times a day in order to keep the scallop fed. It takes a lot of steady dedication.

[650-IS350]

and A high nutrient reef...:lol:

[boomsticks]

I was very lucky with mine lived for two years. And surrvied a tank crash! Well probably loved the excess nutrients. I had one before that and I don't think the tank was mature enough only lasted about three months. And the poor things take a long time to starve to death.

[kg4izw]

My buddy has had one since February and it is still thriving. He has a 55 gallon with no skimmer or chemical filtration. He just has a HUGE HOB filter and does LOTS of water changes. He feeds the tank only Mysis shrimp, flake food, and cyclops. Occasionally he feeds it some Reef Chili. It seems to prefer low light. He has since added three more to the tank. He truly loves them.

[seakwon]

mine lasted for atleast a year i fed phyto in the begining then left him alone and he still lived for a long time. it was so funny when he would move across the tank he just flapped himself all the way across the tank like every other week. saw it about ten times total.

[dragonette]

Mine lived for about 6 months.

I was feeding the tank daily with filter food, and subsequently, performing more 'maintenance' to keep the water healthy.

I went back to school and neglected the feeding cycle. He receeded and died.... and I feel horrible.

This is one of the critters that can and will thrive WITH THE PROPER CARE- that they usually wont receive.

Think about your time dedication to your tank before you buy one.


---- they sure are beautiful though.

Good luck
Jessica.