Flame Scallop Diet

[tava716]

Hey gang!

Does anyone know if Flame Scallops prefer Zooplankton or Phytoplankton? I purchased one and the LFS told me to buy "Kents" zooplankton. Just want to make sure I was giving it the best nutrition (as well as the best for my tank. I have NO corals. The scallop would be the only filter feeder I have except for my Porciline crab who also uses his fanned arms to catch floating food).

Thanks all!

James

 

[Curtswearing]

They are very picky eaters and often starve in captivity. Rob Toonen suggests that they prefer live phytoplankton and rotifers in this article.

 

[NaH2O]

James - let us know how your flame scallop does. Here is another article, that mentions flame scallop care: Okay Clamrades, the Meeting will Come to Order...

Although commonly kept, for a while, by many aquarists, flame scallops, Lima spp., such as this one photographed in the Caribbean, have a dismal survival record in aquaria. They generally starve after a few months. Only in aquaria where phytoplankton is highly dosed, or whose water contains a lot of particulate material, will these beautiful animals survive. Their long sensory tentacles are extensions from the mantle's edge.

 

[Elmo18]

This is one animal...that in my opinion...should stay in the ocean....along with feather seastars....etc etc...

In my opinion, they eat a varied diet, not just of one type of phytoplankton, and i'm not sure if our tanks cannot supply them that...

Sorry for the blabber, nothing is directed at anyone

- Ilham

 

[tava716]

Thanks all. The LFS gave me zooplankton. I will buy phytoplankton as well and feed both.

 

[Aluvion]

I was thinking about getting a scallup, but I don't want something that will compete with my Mandarin Goby. Does anyone know if they eat Copepods?

 

[Curtswearing]

Go read the articles that Nikki and I linked. Most copepods are too big for them to ingest. They do however require copious amounts of phytoplankton.

 

[quibrzif]

Kent ZooPlex and ZooMax are way too big. Only phytoplankton may be not enough.

I have no personal experience with flame scallops, worth mentioning (mine died from sand, blown inside mantle during cleaning), but you may want take a closer look at Fauna Marin UltraClam food, Argent HatchFry, Oyster Eggs, ZoPlan, Garf and mcox33 flake food recipes for fine filter feeders (basically flake food variety, soaked in food additives, added new saltwater, blended. Let sediment settle, and use different fractions for different sizes organisms). Finest blend of grocery seafood, flakes, algae tablets, dried phytoplankton as a last resort.

Reef Central had a post at Invertebrates forum a couple of months ago - one guy had a group of flame scallops, reproducing. Sorry, don't have a link at hand.