Another Clam Separation Problem

[rayjay]

I have a squamosa clam that I've had for a lot of years that has grown from 3" to it's present 12" in length, and almost as high.
Unfortunately due to health reasons, I am not able to look after all the tanks I have so I am shutting down four of them, selling off most livestock but moving some to my other six tanks. What I haven't sold off, I intend to keep, but my squamosa is in a tank I've already removed everything from but the clam, and I can't get it off it's too large a rock to move it to it's new home.
I laid it and the rock on it's side for 3 weeks hoping that it would release, but all it did was appear to be dying so I moved it upright again and it has since recovered over a couple of weeks now.
I have tried to force the clam up enough to see the "connectivity area" but it has fastened itself solid and I cannot see anything under it at all.
I tried to force a knife under hoping to cut enough to see what I would be doing and hope not kill the clam, but again, I can't get the knife between them. I think if I force it any harder I will tear the foot or break the shell.
I guess I'm not really expecting a miracle answer, but I can always hope.

 

[MarineTeng]

you could just break the rock, live rock u can chisel out pretty easily, i do it often to move/make frags

 

[rayjay]

Unfortunately, the rock is too large and too solid to chisel it apart. Also, I was afraid of fracturing the rock in the wrong way so that the foot would tear. It's not like its a smaller clam like my crocea and on a smaller rock.
I scored the rock about 1/3" deep with a die grinder and cutting wheel, and tried to break it on the score line but that didn't work. I'm afraid to hit too hard for fear of breaking the tank bottom. Also, with the combined size of rock and clam, it is unwieldy managing chiseling and holding the clam to protect it from tearing off the rock.
At this time I think I will try getting a long masonry bit and use the battery screwdriver to bore a continual line of holes just below the clam and hope I can lift off the top layer of rock with the clam after drilling enough around the whole rock.. Hopefully, the clam hasn't "chemicalled" into the rock too deep so that I drill the foot. I've heard that they secrete chemicals to eat a recession into the rocks which may also answer why I am having so much trouble getting a knife under the clam.

 

[chris&barb]

i wouldn't chisel or drill in the tank. take a long fillet knife and tip the clam to one side as far as you can and then slide the knife along the rock under the clam. if you cant do this while the clam and rock are in the tank then remove both and do it out side of the tank. a little pressure on the byssal gland wont be of much harm. a Squamosa of about 12" is about to stop using its byssal attachment anyway so it shouldn't have a very strong hold.

 

[rayjay]

i wouldn't chisel or drill in the tank. take a long fillet knife and tip the clam to one side as far as you can and then slide the knife along the rock under the clam.

The clam cannot be tipped sideways as it is fastened like it has been fused to the rock. I have not been able to get a knife under the clam more than about 1/2 inch in most places and about 3/4 inch at best. I am afraid of severe chiseling in the tank but why would you be concerned about drilling? I don't see any down side to that proceedure

if you cant do this while the clam and rock are in the tank then remove both and do it out side of the tank. a little pressure on the byssal gland wont be of much harm. a Squamosa of about 12" is about to stop using its byssal attachment anyway so it shouldn't have a very strong hold.

I am unable to lift the rock and clam out of the tank. That is why I have to work within the tank. There is not enough room between the tank and the ceiling for the size of the rock. It just made it putting it in there many years ago before the clam came to be there.
I have exerted much MORE than a little pressure on the attachment and as I mentioned, the clam doesn't move at all. It's as solid as if it was fused to or a part of the rock.
I also don't know how long the clam can be out of the tank before damage occurs. It can't close up completely like a food clam at the supermarket can.
As I see it at this point, drilling would be the easyest method I've come across so far, with the only down side is finding a bit long enough to go through at least half way through the rock under the clam.

 

[chris&barb]

rayjay

i think your making a lot more work for your self then you need. a 12" clam shouldn't weight more then 5 or 6#. you only need to tip it a little to get the knife under it. dont be afraid to put some pressure on the threads as long as your not a bull in a china closet. the byssal gland in inside the shell and as long as the knife blade is pointed towards the rock you shouldn't have any problems.

 

[rayjay]

An update now on my progress.
I noticed this morning that when the clam expelled it's waste, that one side of the clam moved and the other side didn't. Don't know why I never saw that before, but anyway, I looked for a reason and found an area about 1" long where I'm assuming calcium build up was going from the rock to the clam shell. I never noticed this before as there was a coating of algae over much of the rock and clam. I tried prying it off but was afraid of breaking the shell so I dug out a tile cutting blade from when I did the bathroom, broke one end off, and used it to "file" through the calcium. After that, I was able to tip the clam and get a knife under it. While I couldn't see what I was cutting, I tried to cut right along the rock and eventually the clam separated.
I removed the clam to a 20g container for acclimation to it's new tank and noticed a very large glob of clear mucus emanating from the area I cut. Hopefully this is normal for that operation. Also, the clam halves move together when I pick it up, and spring back out when I release it, like it didn't have any muscle left. However, it is pumping water through so I'm hoping everything is ok.
The white gland residue remaining on the rock is about 2" in diameter and length of the strands varies from virtually nothing up to about 1/2"
Would that be normal or did I cut too close to the clam?
Also, thank you to those who replied to my query.

 

[chris&barb]

whats left behind on the rock in normal

 

[rayjay]

Thanks again!