Maxima Clam Bleaching / Gaping?

Miles.P

New member
Hello, I have a Maxima that does not look good, and she started to look that way about a week ago. Her intake siphon is widely open, the mantle is out and reacts to shadows quick, but she's loosing some color especially between the mantles. And the two shells have a bigger opening gap than normal for a 3" clam.

She is about a foot away from the light (150w MH 14K), attached to a liverock.
No signs of pest or bad water. The water quality is perfect, never been better.

Here are some pictures attached:

pt4s


oage


Any ideas?
Thanks!
 
It looks like it may be getting shaded by the other clams.

What are your params?
What fish and inverts do you have?
What do you dose and how do you add it?
How old are your bulbs?
 
My params are clean, 0 Nitrates, 0 Nitrites, 0 Ammonia, Ph at 8.1, Calcium at 490, Gravity at 1025, Temp. at 78ºF, and Alk at 3.

The clam is not shaded at all by the others. I have as inverts two Peppermint shrimps, one Fireshrimp, a few blue-legged hermits and 4 Turbosnails.

I do not dose anything as I do a 10 Gal. water change every week in my 30 Gal tank.

I have one 150 watts MH at 14,000K that is two months old.

Everything else is running smoothly and I never had any problems before.
PS: She is now detached and refuse to open, and my Derasa starts to show signs, as she's not opened fully.
 
Update: Okay, I saw one of those ugly little grey starfish with 5 - 6 arms crawling on the shell.. Could that do them harm?

Other thing: I spotted 5 min ago while the lights were off a small translucent skin of a shrimp moving with the flow, probably a shrimp that shed. Thing is, I do not have a 1" long shrimp, mine are at least 2" I fear that I have one of those species that could attack clams. But I did not added any new live rock since the beginning of my tank, and everything was doing great before.

I'm going to try to spot that think with a flashlight. Any ideas? Suggestions?

Thanks!!
 
I do not know the mag, unfortunately.

I have one sand-sifting goby, one tomato clown, two skunk clowns (paired) and two red firefish.
 
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