Golden Scallop

Pectinidae - Golden Scallops are a beautiful and rewarding, active addition to the right tank. A filter feeder that helps polish your water while showing off constant motion and personality. They do need daily, hands on feeding rather than a "set it and forget it" approach, but paired with consistent Easy Reefs EasyBooster target feeding, they're absolutely achievable for an NPS tank or dedicated reefer.

Non Photosynthetic

Unlike clams, scallops don't host zooxanthellae and can't derive energy from aquarium lighting. They're obligate filter feeders that rely entirely on a steady supply of suspended micron sized particles in the water column. Because of this, they do best in a true NPS style setup or a section of the reef dedicated to regular target feeding.

A Bonus Perk: Water Clarity

One thing hobbyists and marine biologists alike appreciate about scallops: as active filter feeders, they're constantly straining fine particulate matter out of the water column. This can visibly make water clearer and cleaner, they're doing real biological filtration work while they eat.

Golden Scallops need a steady diet of phytoplankton and micro-particles suspended in the water. Easy Reefs EasyBooster is a fantastic option for this. Its blend of Isochrysis T-ISO, Nannochloropsis, Tetraselmis, and Phaeodactylum sits squarely in the particle size range scallops naturally target.

For best results, don't just dose it into the general system flow. Use a pipette or dosing pump and tube to target feed directly, releasing EasyBooster right at the scallop's siphon/mantle opening. This ensures the food actually reaches the scallop before it's diluted, skimmed out, or grabbed by faster competitors in the tank. A little daily attention goes a long way here.

Standard protein skimmers and fine mechanical filtration are efficient enough to pull some of the same particles scallops rely on out of the water. If keeping scallops, consider reducing skimmer run time or use a timer to turn off the skimmer around feedings, or dedicating a lower flow zone nearby to help maintain food density where they live.

Water Parameters
Temperature: 72–78°F
Specific Gravity: 1.023–1.025
Calcium: 400–450 ppm, important for shell integrity

Scallops anchor themselves in rocky crevices and do best with low to moderate light and a shaded spot to settle into. They're capable of "swimming" short distances by rapidly clapping their valves together when startled, so give them lots of open space nearby. Avoid predatory fish, large crabs, or nipping invertebrates that might pick at their exposed mantle tissue.

Reef Safe? Yes

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Current Size: 2" - 3"

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