Flame Scallops

[Aphyosemion]

I purchased a flame scallop the other day and was wondering the best food to feed them. They recommend something like Marine Snow or Kent Zooplex, but I wonder if they might eat larger particles than that. I was thinking of something like that Zooplankton that comes in the little jars of liquid or possibly frozen rotifers or brine shrimp.
Who has scallops and what do they seem to do best on?
-Aphyosemion

[flashardy]

have one..really have not worried about feeding it...I think they are filter feeders so you cannot go wrong! I maybe wrong...wait for the others!

CLH

[DSB]

They eat Phytoplankton. I never fed mine it lived for a year then died in my new tank, I think the water was to clean. I just ordered a new one I'll have it next week. They are cool.

[Aphyosemion]

Well, my tank isn't very big, so I will have to feed it. I have a DSB, but it is only a 40 gallon tank. I have little wormies swimming around all the time, but not nearly enough to sustain him. I will be looking for something that works, though he tends to pull back his filter pads when I try to feed him.
-Aphyosemion

[DSB]

That's the size tank mine was doing GREAT in. When I moved up is when he died.

[ChrisPrusha]

They have a poor survival rate. Having one in your tank for even a year should be considered a success. It's a shame.

[DSB]

Yeah, I was pretty bummed when it died.

[Aphyosemion]

Is it possible that they are slowly starving in the tanks? In a tank with a surface skimmer most of the plankton would be sucked out of the tank, leaving very little for them to eat. That would seem to make it necessary for individual feedings. That is my plan. Since this is going to be an invertebrate tank, the scallop deserves special attention. It sounds like that might be what is lacking in some other tanks, in my opinion. I'm not an expert yet, so I am just guessing.

-Aphyosemion

[ChrisPrusha]

Several feedings a day with the skimmer off sounds like a good plan.

[wharyat]

Originally Posted by Aphyosemion

Is it possible that they are slowly starving in the tanks? In a tank with a surface skimmer most of the plankton would be sucked out of the tank, leaving very little for them to eat.

That's exactly why they don't have a good success rate.

THey need downright dirty water to thrive, dirty enough to raise some substaintial algae problems in a lit tank.

Treating it like a baby tridacnid clam might work (taking it out in a small bowl and feeding it in that).

[DSB]

Originally Posted by wharyat

That's exactly why they don't have a good success rate.

THey need downright dirty water to thrive, dirty enough to raise some substaintial algae problems in a lit tank.

Treating it like a baby tridacnid clam might work (taking it out in a small bowl and feeding it in that).

That's what I'm going to try, I just need to keep it out front and unattached.

[Geoff]

maybe if you can get it to attach to a small rock you can remove easily. they are difficult to keep long term. i am also not sure if anybody knows exactly what sized food particles they prefer. you might need to try several. it might be a good idea to mix them together. i might just be easier to make a specific tank for them. that way you can keep the water quality as poor as you need. that way you can keep several at a time. a lagoonal tank you might have a chance of keeping one. i would not even try to keep one in a reef top biotope.

G~

[tims]

hehe, they are really cool looking, i have had a few of them. all are gone now. i have played with differnt things to keep them healthy. in the long run you might be able keep it going for a short time. one thing i did find that helped was making a feeder box that i could put over themand squirt for in to it for them. i use phyto and reef gold, good luck with them/it

[Zergling76@aol.com]

Some say 1-100 micron foods...i believe it is narrower (about 5-40 microns).

[Loverotties]

Like all said they don't live long in tanks.