Kessil

How to safely relocate a clam?

Galoot

Galoot

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I have a small clam on a rock that I’d like to move to another location in the tank. I can’t move the rock. It’s being shaded by other coral.

Any tips on getting it to release from the rock? I don’t want to injury it. Worst case I trim back the corals near it.

Thanks
 
Galoot said:
I have a small clam on a rock that I’d like to move to another location in the tank. I can’t move the rock. It’s being shaded by other coral.

Any tips on getting it to release from the rock? I don’t want to injury it. Worst case I trim back the corals near it.

Thanks
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If you have access to it and it hasn't bored into the rock, you can use a thin sharp blade or flat screwdriver to separate the byssal threads from the rock. It's important not to pull on the clam so you don't damage the byssal organ, just disconnect the threads from the rock. I've done it a few times without issues.

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It's probably best to keep it trimmed. If you have to move it though, you can rock it to the side, which stretches the byssal strands enough to cut. Those are just proteins and not tissue

Do be careful not to nick other parts though
 
Thanks for the advice! I’ll weigh these options and proceed carefully. I never thought this would become a problem because I’ve never been able to grow sps. Well now a tiny stick I got at a swap a year ago has exploded in size and growing like crazy!
 
Galoot said:
Thanks for the advice! I’ll weigh these options and proceed carefully. I never thought this would become a problem because I’ve never been able to grow sps. Well now a tiny stick I got at a swap a year ago has exploded in size and growing like crazy!
Click to expand...
Maybe consider getting get a clam cradle to put it on once moved. Easier for future moves.

It's basically a clam frag plug how I see it lol
 
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