Blue Rock Oyster ?

jhoop · May 8, 2017

I am setting up a new tank. I have some dead rock in a tub in the basement. Just a pump and a heater. Well today I was at the grocery store and got a Blue Rock oyster for $.99 cents. He was in the seafood section. Put him in the tub with rocks. He is alive. He started to open just a bit. I poked it with a tie wrap and he clamped it down.

Has anyone ever had one ? What kind of luck did you have ? Kind of a pretty shell.

Just thought I would try it for $.99 cents !!!!!!!!!!!

alex.mccann99 · May 8, 2017

Never heard of anyone have long term luck with that. I would assume they're a filter feeder and have some requirements that are hard to maintain long term is why.

jhoop · May 8, 2017

I have been throwing my dirty filter socks in the tub, hoping some nitrifying bacteria will go on the rocks.

saltyfilmfolks · May 8, 2017

yea its the dissolved solids in the super clean tanks. I had two large .99c oysters that lasted me almost a year but got nuked by a sponge dying.

I have indonesian mussels that are doing great. The oldest I have had for about 4 + years now. (and a dozen other nps bivalves too)

saltyfilmfolks · May 8, 2017

Oh many are from temperate waters too. so they like cold. Cold fish are tastier I guess.

Labridaedicted · May 9, 2017

saltyfilmfolks said:
Oh many are from temperate waters too. so they like cold. Cold fish are tastier I guess.

Mostly this. Blue rock oyster could mean one of 2 things: it is from an oyster farm in NC called blue rock oysters, or it is a true rock oyster (Saccostrea sp.). Either way, they come from temperate waters.

To my knowledge, Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) and 2 other species of Crassostrea are the ones most commonly raised and consumed in the US (C. virginica being most common in the Atlantic and C. gigas being ost common in the pacific)

I don't know of any tropical species that are raised for consumption. That being said, C. virginica is the one that can tolerate the temps of our reefs best for a short period, but long term, it stresses the animal. This may not directly kill the animal, but will certainly shorten it's lifespan as the average temperature for the water these oysters occur in is much lower than our sustained higher temps.

To maximize success with the oyster (or any filter feeding shellfish) a regular dosing regimen of phytoplankton is required.

Any pictures of the oyster in question? Will help with positive id.