moving a established clam?

[Nina51]

<a href="http://s6.photobucket.com/user/Ninapearl/media/TANK/clam_zps6tojzqh6.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/Ninapearl/TANK/clam_zps6tojzqh6.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo clam_zps6tojzqh6.jpg"/></a>

i honestly don't know what kind it is. i have to use cuticle scissors every couple of weeks to cut the darn polyps off its shell.

i got this clam when it was about 1.5". it is now, after 2 years, almost 7" and gorgeous! i'm thinking about upgrading to a 120g. the clam is firmly attached to the bottom glass. is there a good way to remove it if i decide to go to a bigger tank? i'd rather stay with my 75g if it means losing this clam!

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

Nina,
Looks like a Derasa, you could also inject the polyps with vinegar to kill them.

 

[MondoBongo]

a couple of things you could try:

point a powerhead at him for a bit, see if it irritates him enough to release and move around a little bit.

it might be hard to get ice to stay in place around his foot, i've used that in the past to great effect, but since he can't be removed from the tank that might be difficult. i froze salt water, not fresh water.

you can attempt to use a razor blade to cut the filaments connecting it. you want to make sure that you cut the filaments, not the actual foot (byssus). cutting the byssus can end up killing the clam, but cutting the threads wno't cause long term damage.

i agree that it looks like a T. derasa

one final thing that might be worth a try: attempt to shade one half of him. my clams like to line up with my lights. so if you shade just the top half of the clam, he might try releasing himself to rotate and line up with the light source. i've never tried this before, but it might be worth a shot. it would be least invasive, maybe take a couple days to see if it was going to work.

 

[Nina51]

thanks so much for the replies and suggestions and i.d.! i'm still in the thinking stages. called a place in st. louis that has a 120g reef ready marineland tank/stand combination for right around $700. sounds too good to be true. everything else i have...lights, skimmer, etc., would work so it's just the tank/stand i'd have to buy plus a little more live rock. hrrmmm....

vinny, i'll try the vinegar. these polyps have spread to quite a few places in my tank. i'd love to get rid of ALL of them but they are on some huge pieces of live rock and if i tried to move it, everything would come crashing down.

 

[David MC Lee]

Nina51 have you ever thought about putting the clam in a look down tank? I'm thinking about building one as an add-on for my new Derasa clam.

 

[Nina51]

nope, never really considered a look down tank. they are pretty cool, though. lfs has one. i live in a mobile home so space is very limited. i had to have the floor reinforced from under the house when i upgraded to the 75g. he did go all the way across one wall and out about 3' so i could conceivably have a ginormous tank.

oh the temptations!