How long have you had or did you have your scallop?

[Reefing102]

So I figured I’d make this a poll as I’m aware there are conflicting feelings regarding these creatures. I realize I’m over generalizing here but I’m assuming my scallops are flame scallops however I honestly don’t know. The one in the below pic started out as a minuscule hitchhiker I didn’t even notice on KP rock added about 1.5 years ago and is now about an inch (he likes to hide in that cave and I also spotted a hosting Lima Shrimp nearby (no pics as it ran away quickly).

My wife’s 32 gallon also has at least two scallops of similar size I noticed at about pinky size and then grew from there (also KP rock) and is about a year old.

I broadcast feed live phytoplankton (also pellets and frozen mysis) in both tanks and honestly, this is the longest I’ve ever kept one and only about half the size of the “store bought” flames.

Many say they’re impossible, and until I’ve seen mine thrive, I’d agree. And perhaps the “adults” we are getting in stores, aren’t truly as difficult as we make them out to be but are just nearing the end of their life cycle. I have no clue what they’re full lifecycle is but it seems they max about 3” or so and that’s about the average size I see in stores. Who knows. Anyway, how long have you had yours?

 

[Rmckoy]

So I figured I’d make this a poll as I’m aware there are conflicting feelings regarding these creatures. I realize I’m over generalizing here but I’m assuming my scallops are flame scallops however I honestly don’t know. The one in the below pic started out as a minuscule hitchhiker I didn’t even notice on KP rock added about 1.5 years ago and is now about an inch (he likes to hide in that cave and I also spotted a hosting Lima Shrimp nearby (no pics as it ran away quickly).

My wife’s 32 gallon also has at least two scallops of similar size I noticed at about pinky size and then grew from there (also KP rock) and is about a year old.

I broadcast feed live phytoplankton (also pellets and frozen mysis) in both tanks and honestly, this is the longest I’ve ever kept one and only about half the size of the “store bought” flames.

Many say they’re impossible, and until I’ve seen mine thrive, I’d agree. And perhaps the “adults” we are getting in stores, aren’t truly as difficult as we make them out to be but are just nearing the end of their life cycle. I have no clue what they’re full lifecycle is but it seems they max about 3” or so and that’s about the average size I see in stores. Who knows. Anyway, how long have you had yours?View attachment 2931536

I’ve tried a few times in the 90’s shortly after I started but have never had success at all . Perhaps as you said they are close to the Rod of their life as mature adults .
perhaps my inexperience at the time . But I have never tried another. .

I haven’t seen them in many lfs over the last 10-15 years . Perhaps they finally stopped stocking them for sale as we all avoided them

 

[Reefing102]

I’ve tried a few times in the 90’s shortly after I started but have never had success at all . Perhaps as you said they are close to the Rod of their life as mature adults .
perhaps my inexperience at the time . But I have never tried another. .

I haven’t seen them in many lfs over the last 10-15 years . Perhaps they finally stopped stocking them for sale as we all avoided them

Definitely agree, haven’t seen them in store in years. I know, irresponsibly so, when I ran the fish department at our local LFS, I tried my hand at them in the stores tanks and they always died. Not to make it sound bad, while beautiful, I have no issue with anyone saying they belong in the ocean. I’ve seen a few pop up online but they do seem to be a rarity nowadays compared to the early 2000’s when I started

 

[xjiang7]

Only have one in my 50 gallons but it has been doing well for almost 4 years, I broadcast frozen food once or twice a day, each time with one brine shrimp cube and one mysis shrimp cube

 

[Enderg60]

they last until something annoys them and they swim away to the back of the rocks to die.

 

[xjiang7]

They will hide in a cave

 

[michael_cb_125]

We collect these in South Florida all the time.
They live in very large aggregations. They are constantly hiding under rocks and caves, but are easy to find since there will be hundreds of empty shells exposed. They seem to be somewhat gregarious, as I never see them singly. Each color variant (white, red, orange, mixed) seems to congregate together.
I have never purchased one from a shop, but the wild harvested one I have kept seemed very hardy.
It could be that by the time an aquarist picks them up at the shop they are already starving?
They are a constant feeder....

 

[Reefing102]

Yep, mine hide in a cave all day long.

 

[Reefing102]

We collect these in South Florida all the time.
They live in very large aggregations. They are constantly hiding under rocks and caves, but are easy to find since there will be hundreds of empty shells exposed. They seem to be somewhat gregarious, as I never see them singly. Each color variant (white, red, orange, mixed) seems to congregate together.
I have never purchased one from a shop, but the wild harvested one I have kept seemed very hardy.
It could be that by the time an aquarist picks them up at the shop they are already starving?
They are a constant feeder....

That’s what I’m thinking, is they need a regular food supply.

 

[michael_cb_125]

Like most bivavles, this species is a perpetual feeder. It is amazing how much water these animals process in a single day.