Clam Placement

MuralReef

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#1
So we’ve had a Durasa for 6-8 months and we cannot get it to settle. We have it on the sand bed in a pretty high flow area but it keeps falling over and moving. Any recommendations for placement or how to keep it sitting upright?
 

Visualsnow

Cleaner Shrimp
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#2
Typically they are self righting so I would say let it move around and eventually the byssal threads will attach to a rock assuming it still has a byssal opening. Once they reach sexual maturity they lose the byssal attachment and some don't even have one to begin with.

That said, the byssal opening itself is irrelevant because the base of the shell is innately the heaviest part of the clam so they can open and close their mantle to face the sun as needed, and then use their foot to bury themselves deep enough such that it's a non issue.

If the clam is moving around, if might just be that it's in too high flow. Because Derasa tend to lose their byssal threads and or opening as they age, these are often clams that are found detached from the reef on the sea floor in slightly less well lit areas, sometimes.

If the flow is causing it to fall over, it's too much flow. They won't fall over voluntarily unless it's to move to what they think is a better place to grow.
 

MuralReef

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#3
Alright I will try a different location. It doesn’t seem to have any byssal threads or an opening that is easily identifiable.
 

jda123

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#4
Put two small rocks flanking it. See if that keeps it upright. Mine can sometimes turn to catch rays that bounce off of the front glass- my large blue squammies liked to be parallel to the front glass no matter how I positioned them.
 

MuralReef

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#5
Put two small rocks flanking it. See if that keeps it upright. Mine can sometimes turn to catch rays that bounce off of the front glass- my large blue squammies liked to be parallel to the front glass no matter how I positioned them.
That actually makes sense the way that it is moving! We also get a blast of natural sunlight every afternoon so it may be positioning itself to face that too.
 

SynDen

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#6
My durasa likes to move it self onto it side too, despite my best effort to keep it upright, and generally points it self at the closest MH light
 
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