I need HELP!!

[simoncoul]

I had a big problem happen. I was moving around stuff in my tank and a rock fell and knock of my derasa clam that was in the sand. So I went to pick it up and it's foot came off. It's attached by like a hair, should I just take it off and hope for the best of what should I do, will he still be able to live?

[static416]

I'd just leave it, it will reattach. My clam has fallen off rocks and gotten itself reattached numerous times without any problems.

[Jonny]

i heard that if you rip there foot off they die.

[simoncoul]

I was reading that of the foot falls off it's alrite, as long as it's not ripped off. My guess is it was moving around the other day so maybe it was not fully connect why it came off so easily, as the rock didn't hit it that hard.

[Mugster]

How's the clam doing?



Kev

[Detrituss]

The byssus threads that the clam attaches to substrate are dead protein material and cutting or breaking them causes no damage to the clam. I have cut the threads on my clams several times to check for snails. However, if the gland that produces the threads is damaged, the clam will probably die.

[lotus02]

Last clam I lost ripped it's own foot out , it died about 24 hrs later.
Have also been told if your clam has damaged it's foot , moving it up closer to the light can help it heal.
While it is recovering try feeding him with half a pop bottle over him it might help.

[fishboy]

lotus02, can you please explain?
While it is recovering try feeding him with half a pop bottle over him it might help.

[psiico]

I'm not lotus but I know what he meant, I do this for my open brain when feeding it cyclops. Use a pop bottle big enough to fit around the coral/clam in question, cut the bottom off and in my case a bit from the top to make the opening bigger. Stand the pop bottle in the tank with the coral/clam inside it, drop food into the open top. More of the food gets to the coral/clam because the flow doesn't wash it around the tank and your shrimps and crabs and the like can't steal the food.

I know next to nothing about clams though, haven't read anything because I don't plan to have MH lighting and so don't plan to own clams. Don't they only eat filter feeder foods like phyto? If that's the case, it might be better to leave the top of the pop bottle intact and possibly leave the cap on with just a small enough hole to insert an airline hose to inject the phyto to the "feeding chamber." Flow will suck phyto out of the open top easier then it would cyclops is why I'm suggesting this. Here I am breaking my rule and posting about something of which I know nothing. Oh well.

[lotus02]

Thanks psiico didn't get back on in time to reply.
If you feed it like psiico explained then your clam can put all it's energy into healing.
Good luck.

[fishboy]

I am amazed at all the great ideas. :bravo: Thanks for the info.