Cleaning macro algae off of a clam?

[RacingTiger03]

firstly since I know I would never be forgiven - my new T. Derasa :D

On to the important stuff. It has a red branching macro-algae on the other side of it's shell. I tried giving it a nice soft brushing with a tooth brush to clean it off to no avail. I wouldn't be so concerned, but this is the same (or similar) algae that took over my tank many years ago and over-ran everything >.< . Same sort of scenario too, it came in on a frag and went nuts... let's avoid part two of that. How aggressive can I go in scrubbing this guy clean? Steel wool? Wire brush? Anything else that might be able to remove ALL of the macro?

 

[brandon429]

Clams are not ultra sensitive to peroxide and peroxide is excellent at removing macro

What I would do is not dose the tank, hit the problem. If he's not anchored I'd lift him up to the top but not out of the water. Emerse the shell area keep the goods just under the surface. Tiny pipette drop placement where it needs, or even a tiny mister spray I'd prob go with targeted drop or two. You do t even have to scrub it off, it w just die. If other options fail I'd do this, and not the whole clam at once. In our peroxide challenge thread here we advice any job to be broken up into smaller jobs, even on the clam man, you could do a one drop test which is practically no peroxide at all.


Universally clams across species are p tolerant in tanks where 1:10 dosing was given to the whole tank. We have no data of people putting it undiluted in the vent lol so keep that part free of it just be creative and hit the shell.

 

[RacingTiger03]

Thanks Brandon, I'll give that a shot. So bring the clam up to the surface but leave it submerged, and hit a drop or two on the shell with the shell just slightly exposed where I want to target the macro?

Should I leave it be for a week or so as to not stress the clam out? It's doing great, but just coming to a new tank I hate doing things like that when new. I suppose it's better than the macro irritating the mantle though!

 

[brandon429]

I would not try to do it all at once or even cover very much, lets go slow. sure let it settle in, all of these treatment options are crapshoots, and so is letting it go untouched you can see. but based on sheer input to the peroxide threads a clam is a good spot treat target

just pick a benthic patch of algae on that clam shell, just a portion, and put a drop on it. hold his mantle underwater while that emersed spot does literally nothing seemingly. in two days that spot is dead, repeat! pls post pics of this if you do, our new thread w be huge in time and it runs on before and after pics


algae section here, pest algae challenge thread.