Clam moved and...

JustinReef · 12/20/2008, 02:01 AM

...left his foot behind? LOL. Sounds kind of funny but I noticed one of my clams moved spots in the sand (was attached to the glass) and left a large white, almost fuzzy looking chunk of its foot I guess behind.

Is this normal at all? It seems fine and happy still today. Obviously something upset it to make it move but why leave the foot behind?

plyr58 · 12/20/2008, 02:29 AM

I believe they actually shed their foot a couple of times per year, or have the ability to do so. Mine have done it before and they are fine.

JustinReef · 12/20/2008, 03:28 AM

Yeah ok. I checked through the bottom glass and it has a new one that has reattached and looks healthy. The clam was actually very nice looking today too after shedding the foot. It was just kind of a weird thing to find in the sand this morning. I thought the clam would be dead for sure but when I loved my hand close, it closed up and acted normal.

Good to know.

crvz · 12/20/2008, 07:09 AM

Pretty normal, I've seen this happen in my tank regularly enough. I wouldnt be worried.

WrinkleFreeZone · 12/20/2008, 07:21 AM

I couldn't find my clam book this morning. But the fuzzy stuff sounds like Bissell (sp?) threads. These are secretions that the clam uses to attach it's foot to a surface. If it moved itself, it should be fine. If you were to try to move it and it tore a big chunk off that's a different issue. These threads are what you would have to carefully cut, avoiding injury to the foot to move your clam.
-B

JustinReef · 12/20/2008, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by WrinkleFreeZone
I couldn't find my clam book this morning. But the fuzzy stuff sounds like Bissell (sp?) threads. These are secretions that the clam uses to attach it's foot to a surface. If it moved itself, it should be fine. If you were to try to move it and it tore a big chunk off that's a different issue. These threads are what you would have to carefully cut, avoiding injury to the foot to move your clam.
-B

Thanks. Yeah it moved itself. I think it moved for more light because a monti that is on a rock above it is starting to grow quite fast and shade it a little. I wanted to move the clam but wasn't sure how. Im glad it moved on its own!

12/20/2008, 02:01 AM	#1
JustinReef Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 3,715	Clam moved and... ...left his foot behind? LOL. Sounds kind of funny but I noticed one of my clams moved spots in the sand (was attached to the glass) and left a large white, almost fuzzy looking chunk of its foot I guess behind. Is this normal at all? It seems fine and happy still today. Obviously something upset it to make it move but why leave the foot behind?

12/20/2008, 07:09 AM	#4
crvz Team RC Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: houstonia Posts: 7,989	Pretty normal, I've seen this happen in my tank regularly enough. I wouldnt be worried. __________________ -Chris- You don't win friends with salad. "Look! They're trying to learn for free!" ... "Use your phony guns as clubs!" Current Tank Info: rectangluar? wet?

12/20/2008, 07:21 AM	#5
WrinkleFreeZone Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 168	I couldn't find my clam book this morning. But the fuzzy stuff sounds like Bissell (sp?) threads. These are secretions that the clam uses to attach it's foot to a surface. If it moved itself, it should be fine. If you were to try to move it and it tore a big chunk off that's a different issue. These threads are what you would have to carefully cut, avoiding injury to the foot to move your clam. -B __________________ "Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, not those who know much, who so positively assert..." Charles Darwin Current Tank Info: 220 g display, 60 g planted display refugium, 50 more behind the scenes, and now a 60 gallon H. magnifica recovery tank

12/20/2008, 02:29 AM	#2
plyr58 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 747	I believe they actually shed their foot a couple of times per year, or have the ability to do so. Mine have done it before and they are fine.

12/20/2008, 03:28 AM	#3
JustinReef Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 3,715	Yeah ok. I checked through the bottom glass and it has a new one that has reattached and looks healthy. The clam was actually very nice looking today too after shedding the foot. It was just kind of a weird thing to find in the sand this morning. I thought the clam would be dead for sure but when I loved my hand close, it closed up and acted normal. Good to know.