Moving an attached Clam??

[jackson6745]

I have had a Derasa under PC's and VHO's for the last 4 years. It has attached itself to a rock near the top of the tank. I am finally upgradng to MH's and I don't want to shock it with too much light. I would like to place it on the sandbed, how can I do this without harming it?

 

[derrikd]

some people say that you can cut the threds on him with a sharp rasor. as close to the rock as possible. i have not tryed this. but they say it works.. good luck..

 

[jackson6745]

Thanks for the reply

 

[Easily Distracted]

A second slightly strange solution may be to partially shade the clam with either something in the tank or something you made and then slowly acclimate it to the light.

 

[LauraBay]

I also think you should leave it where it is and find a way to shield it from the light until it is acclimated. Why take the chance with cutting the threads if you don't have to?

Good luck! I bet you'll love the MH.

 

[Jimbo327]

Definitely shade your whole tank because everything in your tank will need to be acclimated.

Here's some good advice:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=119061&highlight=newkie+acclimate

I like the idea of using screens from the previous post.

And once you go MH, you will go back. Kinda like getting high speed internet, you can never go back to modem. :lol: And look at all those purty shimmering lines on the sand....wooooo....aaahhhhh.

Jim

 

[THE GIMP]

Hi !

sorry to jump on your post, but I new some one would ask this question .

I have two maximas that I placed in my sandbed on top of abaloney shells. The have both attached to the shells as well as the substrate. They mave moved next to each other and have dug a bit into the sand. Now that they have grown alot, thier mantels are overlapping. I tried to move them apart, but I am not sure what is best or how to go about it. I was thinking about digging down and getting them up that way and moving them with the abeloney shells onto the LR.

A thumbs up? not to do's? Thanks, Brando

 

[AQUAN8TOR]

First, I don't think it is all that dangerous to cut byssal threads if you are very careful. Just cut them as close to the byssus opening as possible without cutting the byssal tissue. The threads are analogous to fingernail keratin---they are protein, and the clams aren't 'hurt' by the cutting. Just be CAREFUL. IME, clams will re-attatch within a few days after being severed. Also, IME, give a few days without moving around; be sure of your position beforehand. My clams haven't seemed to like being moved over and over again. Put it somewhere and leave it.

to 'the gimp': I think moving the clams on the abalone shells is a great idea. I have shells or chunks of LR under all my clams so that if need be I can move them off the LR.

As with the light acclimation, I agree you'll never go back to no halides again!!!!. Just take the adjustment slow, like the link says.

Happy reefing!!!

 

[THE GIMP]

Welp, I moved them.....

They were attached only to the abeloney shells. I moved the larger of the two, ~4", in a perfect spot that fitted both the abeloney shell as well as the clam...perfect. The smaller, ~3.5", I had to cut from the other abeloney shell that the larger was conected to as well. It was not as dificult as I had expected. The smaller clam was a little more difficult to place. Having had been partially cut, it was not attached to the abeloney shell as well as the larger, and it kept moving in the current. After alot of adjusting, I think I found a good place for it.

They are huffing a bit, trying to test thier footing, I suspect. Its lights out for now, we'll see how they are in the morning.....