moving a clam

hey how do you guys and gals get a clam to release its foot after it is dug in... i placed my croeca on the rocks...and since i redid my aquascaping it has positioned himself in primes sps area....so i want to move him... i tried the rock slowlt back n forth method but that didnt work and after 15-20 min i gave up... any ideas or sugestions

[Stoney Reef]

You have to slowly rock him back and forth, until you get a little play in his connection, then you have to use a brand new razor blade, and cut the byssal threads that are attached to the rock. You have to be careful and not cut the foot, only the threads, then you can move him and the byssal gland will re-secrete the threads to attach again.

there is no way of doing it with out harming the threads......

[ruhspolostar]

I have a 150 gallon tank with #1 sand and live rock, it currently has 10 blue-green chromis and I have 2 perculas, and 6 cleaner shrimp already paid for waiting to be added in about 3 weeks, the tanks been cycling for a little over a week, should I add coral and anenomes first or the clam, I also saw a clam ion my LFS, it was huge, when it openned it was red and had white spots, does anyone know what that is

[Stoney Reef]

the threads are just a secretion, much like a spiderweb. It does not harm the clam to cut the threads!

[Casey]

yep cut the threads not the foot go slowly

[Sue Truett]

The last clam I got was from my LFS, a T. crocea. The owner I have known for 10 years. Anyway, he will on ocassion get nice clams in and he had a awesome crocea. He set the clam on part of his rock structure in his sps system at the shop. I wanted the crocea but it was attached to the rock. It took me about 30 minutes to rock the clam back and forth to get it to release. I had several weird stares from other customers but I just whistled while I worked. I was scared to cut the threads plus I doubt he had anything I would use to cut the threads.

I think if you don't want to literally cut the threads just continue to work the clam back and forth gently and I bet it'll let go. Just give yourself some time.

[Sue Truett]

ruhspolostar, I would wait to add any clams to a new system. Daniel Knop who wrote the best and only book out there about the giant clams says a well aged tank is best for clams. A well aged tank even more than a mature tank for sps corals. The tank has got to be absolutely stable before clams and sps can be added. I would add, slowly, anything other than the clam for now.

The clam you describe may be a T. squamosa as they are usually the species to have spots in their mantles but do grow huge.

[ruhspolostar]

thanks for the advice