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"Natural" Filtration

W

Wilson

After seeing a time lapse video of bivalves doing their thing, filter feeding. I've been curious to put of these guys to work.
oysters-clean-water.jpg

Got a couple of quahogs from Barnegat Bay and littlenecks from the asian market. Newest addition, the oysters. Have I noticed a difference? No. Are they hurting anybody? Not that I've seen. Haven't directly fed them at all, wouldn't even know how. Infrequently I do see them sticking their tongue out, or their foot?

Just kinda cool to have. Will have to see how the oysters do.
received_421385795857338.jpeg
 
MadReefer

MadReefer

Vice President
Staff member
NJRC Member
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I have seen similar videos and articles. If I remember they were unable to state how many you need per gallon to be beneficial.
 
Hockeynut

Hockeynut

NJRC Member
I have had (bay tanks) in the past and wasn’t able to keep them alive.
most aquariums just don’t have enough nutrients to keep them going.
I think you will have to feed them to keep them for the long haul. Good luck
 
W

Wilson

Hockeynut said:
I have had (bay tanks) in the past and wasn’t able to keep them alive.
most aquariums just don’t have enough nutrients to keep them going.
I think you will have to feed them to keep them for the long haul. Good luck
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6 months for the quahogs, maybe 4 months for the littlenecks, 2 hours for the oysters haha. We shall see.

Were you feeding the bay tank at all? My dirty af tank got all that detritus, Reef Energy AB+, reef roids, phyto, live brine and Benepets. I wonder if that's helping them at all.
 
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W

Wilson

1 of the oysters definitely didn't make it, but I suspect he wasn't alive when I got him. They're sold on a bed of ice, so it's hard to tell whose alive. But the CuC cleaned him up good.
 
P

paintman27

I got 6 West coast oysters in my tank (3 in tank /3 in sump) about a month ago. All seem to be doing fine, and my water is crystal clear. Although I think the ones in the tank would do better in the sump because they will not open when a crab or snail sits on them.
 
W

Wilson

paintman27 said:
I got 6 West coast oysters in my tank (3 in tank /3 in sump) about a month ago. All seem to be doing fine, and my water is crystal clear. Although I think the ones in the tank would do better in the sump because they will not open when a crab or snail sits on them.
Click to expand...

Not sure which coast my oysters hail from. Would be interested though. If those shells could talk, the stories they would tell.
 
E

ericrodriguez

NJRC Member
paintman27 said:
I got 6 West coast oysters in my tank (3 in tank /3 in sump) about a month ago. All seem to be doing fine, and my water is crystal clear. Although I think the ones in the tank would do better in the sump because they will not open when a crab or snail sits on them.
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What size tank?
 
P

paintman27

ericrodriguez said:
Could this make any difference In such a big system? Because you mentioned the your water was crystal clear.
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Not sure, I'm just going by what my eye is telling me. I do run carbon but it just seems as if the water was clearer after the additon of the oysters. I think the ones in my sump are doing most of the work as the ones in the tank stay closed when the snails and crabs are walking on them. However, all of them do in fact open many times over the course of the day.
 
radiata

radiata

NJRC Member
I got eight Kumomoto oysters two weeks ago from Metropolitan Seafood Gourmet: Metropolitan Seafood (908) 840-4332 | Fresh Fish, Catering & Take-Out They're out west on Route 22 in Lebanon. They had 8 or 10 different types of oysters in stock. All were $2.50@. It was the nicest seafood store I've ever been in, and it was also the most expensive.

I chose the Kumomotos not because they're supposed to be the best tasting, but because they're West Coast and because they're naturally smaller in size than the other varieties. So far all are doing well. I have yet to move them into my DT - I've got an unwarranted worry about bristle worms.

I do have a fresh respect for oyster metabolism - who'd a thunk that any critter could transition from 40 to 80 so easily?

They also had clams for $1@. I brought home some shucked ones for my appreciative wife. Unfortunately I've got a shellfish allergy...
 
W

Wilson

By the end of the week, none of my oysters were alive :rolleyes: but the CuC took care of em. Clams are still alive and well though.
 
P

paintman27

radiata said:
I got eight Kumomoto oysters two weeks ago from Metropolitan Seafood Gourmet: Metropolitan Seafood (908) 840-4332 | Fresh Fish, Catering & Take-Out They're out west on Route 22 in Lebanon. They had 8 or 10 different types of oysters in stock. All were $2.50@. It was the nicest seafood store I've ever been in, and it was also the most expensive.

I chose the Kumomotos not because they're supposed to be the best tasting, but because they're West Coast and because they're naturally smaller in size than the other varieties. So far all are doing well. I have yet to move them into my DT - I've got an unwarranted worry about bristle worms.

I do have a fresh respect for oyster metabolism - who'd a thunk that any critter could transition from 40 to 80 so easily?

They also had clams for $1@. I brought home some shucked ones for my appreciative wife. Unfortunately I've got a shellfish allergy...
Click to expand...
I also got my oysters from Metro Seafood! Probably the same type as mine are also from the West coast. Put mine in about 4 weeks ago and all are doing fine.
 
P

paintman27

Other then water clarity what type of water quality could you test for? Nitrates maybe? I wonder if they can remove pathogen and/or bacterias from the water. Since they are filter feeders I would assume they still produce some kind of waste that has to be processed through the nitrogen cycle. My guess is they just do the same thing as carbon., polish the water.
 
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