oyster reef?

[decal]

Any experiences with oysters/other bivalves in a temperate biotope setting? Most folks on the web opine that oysters are hard to maintain in the aquaria, but it seems like they might be well-suited to a heavily fed temperate setup. The ones down here (Gulf coast) live in nutrient rich bays that experience wide swings in temperature and salinity, so they're obviously tougher than their tropical counterparts. Some species can utilize DOCs and nitrates, thus it seems like they might be a good source of biological filtration. I suspect that they generally don't work in reef tanks because of the high temperatures. Warmer temperatures trigger spawning, and that constant state of catabolism is likely incompatible with low nutrient setups. So I think they'd work better between 55-65 deg F.

 

Thoughts?

[fullmonti]

Only thing I have to offer is a heavily fed tank is a very tricky thing to balance. Finding just the right amount of food, filtration & WC can be more trouble than it's worth. Speaking from my experience with NPS filter feeders.

[awpong]

Any experiences with oysters/other bivalves in a temperate biotope setting? Most folks on the web opine that oysters are hard to maintain in the aquaria, but it seems like they might be well-suited to a heavily fed temperate setup. The ones down here (Gulf coast) live in nutrient rich bays that experience wide swings in temperature and salinity, so they're obviously tougher than their tropical counterparts. Some species can utilize DOCs and nitrates, thus it seems like they might be a good source of biological filtration. I suspect that they generally don't work in reef tanks because of the high temperatures. Warmer temperatures trigger spawning, and that constant state of catabolism is likely incompatible with low nutrient setups. So I think they'd work better between 55-65 deg F.

 

Thoughts?

 

 

Maintaining a live oyster reef is a lot of work. I currently maintain one for my research, and you need to feed them constantly and be extremely vigilant about the water quality. In my opinion, I wouldn't try it recreationally. They're expensive and not worth the trouble.

[decal]

Maintaining a live oyster reef is a lot of work. I currently maintain one for my research, and you need to feed them constantly and be extremely vigilant about the water quality. In my opinion, I wouldn't try it recreationally. They're expensive and not worth the trouble.

 

What species do you work with? I'm assuming you observe growth and proliferation in your colony?

 

Only thing I have to offer is a heavily fed tank is a very tricky thing to balance. Finding just the right amount of food, filtration & WC can be more trouble than it's worth. Speaking from my experience with NPS filter feeders.

 

No doubt. And I would be looking to minimize WCs... haha.

[awpong]

What species do you work with? I'm assuming you observe growth and proliferation in your colony?

 

I keep C. virginica. I only use them as food for my animal experiments.