Has anyone kept a clam alive WITHOUT a foot?

[Frogspon]

My LFS has a really nice looking clam that was in their display tank for years that they are willing to sell me. it’s very responsive and open, no gaping, etc.

The only problem is it doesn’t have a foot, but they said it never has. I trust them on that

I know everyone says never buy a clam without a foot but I’ve also heard the most important part is finding a healthy clam acclimated to tank life.

Does anyone have success keeping a clam without a foot?

 

[ReefBeta]

For maxima clam, it often has foot when small. As it grow big, to 4~5", it tend to loose the foot hold and will never attach again. Some species of the tridacna clam only live in rock when young, and migrate onto sandbed when grow older.

 

[sergifed91]

I have 2 clams. Had them for a month still haven't attached to the ceramic clam holder. But there alive

 

[Justanano]

Mine doesn't have a foot either..I pick it up all the time

 

[TheDragonsReef]

Big ones dont foot in the rock. Small ones use the foot to hold themselves in place as predators pick at them. Big ones don't tend to have many predators and weigh too much for most fish or stars to move them so they don't need the foot anymore.

 

[hart24601]

I suspect they mean it’s not attached rather than no foot as that is a common mistake - the actual foot is an internal structure many never see. A lot of time when a clam moves and sheds the attachment ligaments we say dropped it’s foot but that’s not true.

Not being attached and having no attachment ligament isn’t a big deal. I have maxima that have not been attached for a year or two.

 

[Alexopora]

One way to know if your clams have a foot is if they occasionally “skip”. I know especially after the weekly tank wall scrubbing, with all this algae floating in the tank my croceas would start vigorously pumping and skip for a few seconds. That’s how i know that my clams have a foot.