What exactly do scallops eat?

[nemonick84]

I've got a flame scallop that I recently purchased. I know they basically filter detritus out of the water as their main source of food, but is there any additive I can put in to ensure hes receiving an adequate amount of nutrition? I've also got two sponges which, as my understanding, operate very similarily. Any ideas?

[jent46bow]

they are almost impossible to keep long term...I have kept mine for some time but I spot feed it every other day with DT. Thats the only type of food they eat (DT, marine snow, etc). Good luck and remove it quick once it starts dieing because I have seen them cause huge ammonia spikes.

[Blazer88]

I wouldn't worry about target feeding the flame scallop as it probably won't last very long. I bought a tank and it already had a flame scallop and it lasted about 6 months before it died. I didn't target feed it at all.

[DizziDezi2]

Originally posted by Blazer88
I wouldn't worry about target feeding the flame scallop as it probably won't last very long. I bought a tank and it already had a flame scallop and it lasted about 6 months before it died. I didn't target feed it at all.


hmm...i wonder why :rolleyes:

[Blazer88]

I don't think I'm the only one who had a flame scallop die on them. I was told that six months was fairly long for one to even live. I don't think target feeding it or not would really improve the probabilitly of a successful attempt at keeping one.

[nemonick84]

haha....hmmmmmmmmm. So maybe I should try target feeding it??

[Blazer88]

I wouldn't expect too much, but it's worth a shot.

[BLKTANG]

I have had mine for 6mo now,& its doin great,i feed it 1x a week a mixture of Selcon,& Cyclops -eeze.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b321/1974d/Saltwatertank062.jpg

[km133688]

well, there is lots of reading available online about shellfish in general. It seems certain shellfish are some of the most studied animals known to man. ON the other hand, the particular scallops and Oysters people like to keep in their tanks are not well studied in particular, so any info we apply to them from other studies is only second generation at best.

One thing I learned from the reading is that scallops and Oysters are eating machines. A large Oyster for example can filter 8 gallons of water per hour. A couple of Flame scallops could easily filter a 55 gallong tank every day.

Another thing I learned is that scallops and Oysters are picky eaters. Size of the material is crucial. Wrong size, and they don't eat it, and there is not much room for play here either.

So from these two facts beg two corresponding questions:

1) how do you keep enough food in your tank so that they can eat continuously, without fouling your water?

2) how do you know they are actually eating it?


My experience is, shell fish look great almost till the end. Then in just less than a week, they waste away. You sit dumbfounded trying to figure out what happened. I think the answer is, they just starved till the end.

I hope you do better than I. Good luck man.

[chocolateblnt]

I just bought an electric scallop and began target feeding it phytofeast and am tracking how long it will survive. My friend has been spot feeding his scallop for over 1 and a half YEARS...

[Steven Pro]

You should probably read this, http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/july2002/toonen.htm

I would try DT's phytoplankton and oyster eggs along with rotifers.

[chocolateblnt]

I think phyto feast is some good stuff ... it gives them the correct food both phyto plankton and zoo plankton ... it's also 100% live and seems to naturally be the best! I think it's their best chance and feed my scallop every other day with about a halfteaspoon.