Removal of rock-boring Tridacnid Clams

[Macbeth417]

Hey guys,

I was wondering if you could list your methods for removing rock-boring clams from thier current position without damaging thier byssal gland. From now on I will make sure to let them attatch to moveable base and place them from there, but I have one that I would like to move as some colonies are encouching on him a little to much for my liking. So what suggestion do you have? I have heard ice, but could you elaborate some for me?


Many thanks,

Erik

 

[Witfull]

you can try tilting the rock so their weight acts against them. they may release themselves as to get a better footing...when you see the byssal thread stretch to a few threads he can be removed relatively safely. i have done this twice.

any one else care to chime in?

 

[Macbeth417]

Heh, that rock takes up a third of the tank... can't really tilt or move it, but good suggestion.

-Erik

 

[Witfull]

cold chisel and a hammer?

 

[kevinpo]

It's pretty easy. Take a few small pieces of reef rubble and wedge them between the clam and the rock stretching the byssal threads. As it loosens push the rocks further in. When there is enough room you can cut them where they attach to the rock with an exacto knife.

HTH,
Kevin

 

[WaterDogs]

kevinpo said it right, I do prefer a single edged razer blade myself.

 

[reefer]

So what you're saying is that if you cut it cleanly and don't tear it out of the clam it is ok? I've heard this once before but have never had the nerve. I used ice once. It's hard to hold a menting cube under water and then hold it against the foot. It takes alot of time and cubes also.

 

[reefer]

My T. Crocea is attached to a rock. My Squamosa wanders the sand bottom in a couple inch radius. Does a Squamosa normally attach? I also just got a 3/4" C. Maxima. I put a piece of ceramic under him to attach to. Do they attach themselves when they are this young?

 

[Macbeth417]

Your Squamosa is not a boring clam and will not attach like your crocea and maxima. 3/4 of an inch! Holy smokes that is small. My baby T. maxima clam is just shy of 3" now. Do you have any pictures of your maxi. I would be interesteed in seeing such a tiny little clam.

-Erik

 

[reefer]

He's really small. Looks like he'll have some nice color. Here he is next to my T.Crocea.
http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1577&stc=1

 

[MikeS]

wow....that tiny clam is pretty amazing!

I thought my Derasa was small when I got him, a little smaller than a golf ball....but that clam is tiny! The color is amazing for such a small clam also...very cool!

MikeS

 

[Schottman]

nice clam photo....thanks for sharing!

Dave

 

[Elmo18]

Hey, where's the cocktail sauce!?!?



- Elmo

 

[SueT]

Not to get off topic but reefer do remember to feed that nice baby maxima. That size will have to be fed supplementally with phyto. Every other day probably.

Back to the topic, I have removed clams by rocking them back and forth on the rock, gently, til they let go. My old LFS had a nice crocea and I stood and gently moved this clam in a back and forth manner til it let go. I got some really strange looks from other customers but the look of that crocea in my tank was way better.

Good luck...

 

[reefer]

Sue, Delbeek & Sprung do not agree with you on the matter of feeding clams. My tank is a 125Gal with a skimmer sized for a 50 gallon tank. I have had my Crocea and Squamosa for quite some time with no feeding and they thrive. I think that it depends on the system and how aggressively you skim. I tend to skim less and let the clams do the filtering rather than skim more. IMO Biologically balancing a tank rather than mechanically is the better route. BTW my son is a marine biologist. He has a lot of experience in clam research.

 

[SueT]

I would refer you to the book "Giant Clams" by Daniel Knop who is regarded as the godfather of all things clam. His book is by far the best thing concerning clams, til Mr. Knop comes out with further information.

I was referring to the baby T. maxima clam as all know when clams are of that size they do not have the mantle suface area to feed from the symbiotic algae in their mantle. Until the size of 2-3" then they are more able to utilize the symbiotic algae.

Quoting from Giant Clams, page 164, "It is a widespread misconception that clams live solely on their symbiotic algae. Therefore, clams should be fed daily or atleast every second day."

Here Mr Knop does not distinguish between baby and adult size clams but if he is talking about adult sized clams it surely goes to say baby clams without enough surface mantle area would be the same to a more important extent.

I am surely not trying to start anthing but this is my experience in keeping tridacna clams in person for over 4 years now and my time as being on the Clamsdirect forums with Barry.

 

[Barry N.]

was referring to the baby T. maxima clam as all know when clams are of that size they do not have the mantle suface area to feed from the symbiotic algae in their mantle. Until the size of 2-3" then they are more able to utilize the symbiotic algae.

Quoting from Giant Clams, page 164, "It is a widespread misconception that clams live solely on their symbiotic algae. Therefore, clams should be fed daily or atleast every second day."

After keeping and shipping thousands of Tridacnids and observing them I agree with Knop's statement. If your tank is well established and has a fairly large bio-load with lots of nutrients then you might get by without supplimental feeding but the more animals that you have, the more competive they become for food. I won't go into a long winded thread but in 2002 we did some extensive research on feeding and not feeding and today we still feed the juveniles.

Delbeek & Sprung do not agree with you on the matter of feeding clams.

Am sure if we were to put all these people like the above mentioned and Calfo, Fenner, Borneman, Knops and other, they would not all agree on certain topics. There is so much that we still do not know about these Tridacnids, only base MO on some research and a lot of observation.

Bottom line, in any case it does not harm the clam if you suppliment feed but chances are if you don't they will starve. This is not just MO.

Here is a link that is worth while reading IMO.

http://clamsdirect.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=568&highlight=shimek

 

[reefer]

I understand what you are saying.
If you read my previous post, my tank is way under skimmed from what most people do. I have tried what others say to do by feeding phyto three times a week for their coral and clams. The tank and sand bed turns into a fuzzy green and brown mess. I continue to feed once a week with phyto but any more than that turns my tank into a mess. I think I've got a good balance with one day a week feeding and not polluting my tank. The clams and coral have flourished. The clams I have, including the baby, all regularly have a mucous thread coming from them. From what I've read if they maintain a mucius thread and their mantals are extended well beyond the shell everything is good.
I'm listening to you and others as I don't want to lose a beautifull clam. I believe I've read that Knop and Calfo mention that one should watch to make sure that the clam maintains a mucous thread to insure they are getting nutrition that is sufficient.