maxima clam localized bleaching

[0rangeFish]

Over the past few weeks my clam has slowly been bleaching. The original spot was very very small but now covers two ruffles of the mantle. Also the parts that are bleached are pulled in. After reading a bunch there was only one article that seemed to have an answer, the cause being an infection, but didn't go into depth about it, stating that there was nothing that can be done. I've looked everywhere for how to fix this and there doesn't seem to be any method out there. Has anyone ever encountered this and stopped the progression of the bleaching? I read a forum post where it has been stopped before but didn't say how it was stopped.

The first signs were five weeks ago. The photo is what it is now and what it looked like at the beginning. I did a fresh water dip for 25 minutes and the clam re-opened 15 minutes after placing her back in the tank. The dip was four days ago from the picture, so the pulled in mantle isn't changing. The clam still fully opens and reacts to change in light. The clam has been in the tank for a year and a half, and is roughly 5-6 inches.

46 gallon tank with 20 gallon sump
2 - 16" 165W LED reef boxes (whites-20% blues-70%)
Light 15 inches above tank
Clam 8 inches below surface

Phosphates: 0.02
Nitrates: 0
Calcium: 390
Alkalinity(dKH): 6.4
Magnesium: 1300
pH: 8.2
Salinity: 1.025
Temperature: 78F

5 weeks ago (note: I flipped the clam around because it was safer to sit like this since I pulled her rock off the rock work for the dip):

Articles:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2010/8/inverts
http://www.tfhmagazine.com/details/...-what-to-do-if-it-occurs-in-your-aquarium.htm

 

[RamsReef]

Yeah it looks like infection of some sort, I hope you find the fix.
#ReefSquad

 

[1Clown]

Alk is low. Get it to at least 8 slowly.

 

[0rangeFish]

Alk is low. Get it to at least 8 slowly.

Alk is definitely not the problem. It's been around that amount for a long long time. I shoot for 7 usually, no higher than 8.

 

[Tahoe61]

I have seen this in others tanks and threads and the one common denominator was LEDS. There has been some speculation that the issue is associated with hot spots.

 

[Rubblereefer]

sorry to dig up an old thread but I’m having the same issue, any chance you cured your clam or at least figured out the cause? I’ve searched everywhere and can’t seem to find anything except this thread

 

[0rangeFish]

Sorry, I wasn't able to figure out what it was. The clam eventually turned fully white over the following month or so, then lived for a few more months, then died. The entire process took about a year.

 

[Rubblereefer]

Sorry, I wasn't able to figure out what it was. The clam eventually turned fully white over the following month or so, then lived for a few more months, then died. The entire process took about a year.

Thanks for the update. Sorry to hear It didn’t work out, hoping mine will pull through.

 

[JoshH]

@DSC reef Any thoughts on this?

 

[MERKEY]

Or @OrionN may know...

 

[OrionN]

I don’t know the cause. However the cause is unlikely due to surface infection and is unlikely response to FWD. surface infection would not cause complete bleaching of the area involved as above.

 

[DSC reef]

I agree. I've seen localized bleaching from too much light and even from clams being shaded to much in one area.

 

[Katrina71]

sorry to dig up an old thread but I’m having the same issue, any chance you cured your clam or at least figured out the cause? I’ve searched everywhere and can’t seem to find anything except this thread

@DSC reef may be able to help.

 

[DSC reef]

I thought I've read that certain infections could do this to a mantle but it's been a while so I will have to do some digging. Most likely though, due to over/under lighting.

 

[Rubblereefer]

I thought I've read that certain infections could do this to a mantle but it's been a while so I will have to do some digging. Most likely though, due to over/under lighting.

Interesting. It would be low light in my case then, he gets at most 125 par in my tank. I got him as a rescue from a friend who moved to California temporarily and the only place I could fit him was the sand bed. He did have pinched mantle when I got him as well, not sure if that is related. He actually looked healthier under lower par but Perhaps it just took a matter of months under low light for him to show those symptoms He has been getting progressively worse over the last few months. I have tried feeding zooplankton and upping the lights but I’m at the point where if I turn the lights farther up I’m going to burn corals Up top. My friend just moved back to jersey so he will be taking him back and putting him under his radions again so hopefully he bounces back.