JabaReef Posted May 17, 2015 Share Posted May 17, 2015 New to the forum couldn't find a intro place or I would've posted there too, but I was wondering if my Hammer Coral looks normal to others, just had my water tested all parameters are within normal limits. I do water changes about ever week to a week and a half. I use instant ocean reef crystals. So far in the tank I have a BTA, 2 clowns, a cleaner shrimp the Hammer coral, a Kenya Tree that is splitting and growing everywhere, two separate Zoas and just a basic clean up crew. All corals and livestock are doing well. I did have some issues with my hammer about two weeks ago (I think too much flow) so I moved them and they have opened more, but this is how they are opening now and it doesn't look like they used to. I am running a reef breeders LED light, the tank is a NUVO 30l I have a protein skimmer set up... Not really sure what else I'm missing but ask and I will let you know. Again my main question is if my hammer coral looks normal to others or if it is having issues Thanks again Link to comment
rone_kevin66 Posted May 17, 2015 Share Posted May 17, 2015 Looks pissed to me should be more open. Of u just moved it might take a little time to adjust Link to comment
JabaReef Posted May 17, 2015 Author Share Posted May 17, 2015 Well it's been moved now for about two weeks it seems like it should have adjusted by now so not really sure what to do next Link to comment
alex07 Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 How's the flow in the tank? You should have it in low/ med flow. Link to comment
thecoralbeauty Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 How's the flow in the tank? You should have it in low/ med flow. mine likes lower flow and lower-medium light. same with my frogspawn. i had to find a place where the current just barely moved the tentacles. Link to comment
ajmckay Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 So did it look different before you last moved it? If where it was before the coral looked better maybe move it back or try to match those conditions better? Any changes to the tank lately like new livestock or equipment? All in all I don't think it looks particularly bad, just looks different right now. If it's always looked like this then I would start looking at water parameters, and experimenting with different light and flow combinations. Link to comment
JabaReef Posted May 18, 2015 Author Share Posted May 18, 2015 I'll get you guys my parameters tonight, talked to one of my buddies who owns a LFS and he told me I had it in too much light and needed to move it lower in the tank, did some rock rearranging to find a good spot for it so we will see how it looks over the next couple of days. The only thing I have added since the coral is a BTA but they are not near each other. I did have a phosphate issue after one of my fishes buried itself under a rock and died but now everything has gone back to normal. The only other thing I have noticed is on the skeleton part of the coral there are I would assume some kind of worm and when I moved the coral yesterday they shot out this snot string and I had to manual remove that string like thing off the coral. Link to comment
alex07 Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 It can be if it wasn't acclimated correctly and you have a lot of light. What type of lights do you have? Link to comment
JabaReef Posted May 18, 2015 Author Share Posted May 18, 2015 Like stated before I have a reef breeders light blues on 80% power whites on about 40% Link to comment
alex07 Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 I think your whites are too strong so it is a possibility that it can be your lights. I suggest lowering your whites to 25% and work from there. Link to comment
JabaReef Posted May 18, 2015 Author Share Posted May 18, 2015 The only thing I was concerned about is that I have had the lights on the same level the entire life they have been in the tank (2 months or so) and they just now started to look this way. Link to comment
alex07 Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 So what are your water parameters? Link to comment
JabaReef Posted May 19, 2015 Author Share Posted May 19, 2015 pH: 7.9 Phos: <0.2 ppm Nitrate: about 0.25 ppm Nitrite: near zero Alk: 7 Ammonia: undetectable SG: 1.025 Temp is right at 78 Here is what it looked like up until about 3 weeks or so ago before I moved it and also before I noticed again like almost like tube worms on the skeleton portion. Link to comment
Rwyatt Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 Hi I would keep an eye on the worm you mentioned. The hammer doesn't look unhealthy, just unhappy/irritated and I suspect the worm may be the issue. Watch your tank at night, late, and see what is going on then. Those worms are pests and spew proteins (snot) that will irritate most corals. I've been doing it for 15 years and occasionally you get a pest or two, despite pre-dipping corals, etc. I have numerous hammers and torches (DReefs HellFire, Orange, and banana, as well as a marbled hammer that's yellow with blue/purple tips, and a few others) and sometimes they look like yours when they're splitting too. Just try to watch that worm and also look to see if your hammers branching. Hope this helps. Ray Link to comment
JabaReef Posted May 19, 2015 Author Share Posted May 19, 2015 Thanks Ray any suggestions on the worm problem I would assume some kind of dip? Link to comment
ndrobey Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 The vermetid snail spewing snot all over the hammers could be the problem. Get rid of it. Link to comment
JabaReef Posted May 19, 2015 Author Share Posted May 19, 2015 The vermetid snail spewing snot all over the hammers could be the problem. Get rid of it. Wow that's actually exactly the info I was looking for any ideas on getting them off? My understanding that I have read is to manually remove them but being on my coral maybe like an sharp razor and getting them off? Link to comment
alex07 Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 Do you see a long web extending when you feed the hammer? You can snap it off just be careful it can cut you. Link to comment
ndrobey Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 Wow that's actually exactly the info I was looking for any ideas on getting them off? My understanding that I have read is to manually remove them but being on my coral maybe like an sharp razor and getting them off? Use superglue to seal the opening of the snail's shell. It will croak. Link to comment
markalot Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 Looks like a torch coral to me. Euphyllia's grow out so I doubt the snail is going to be an issue, but if you decide to take care of it be careful not to do more harm than good. It wants light and moderate flow, but a healthy torch or hammer can do well with a lot of light and a lot of flow, just make sure there's some food in the water for it to eat. In a newer tank it's probably best to spot feed, lightly, with a nice fine food. In a pinch crushed up pellets seem to work. A couple of other thoughts. I think you need to up your game on the testing. KH, Calcium are critical, followed by magnesium, nitrate, and phosphate. I like Salifert kits, API aren't good enough for a reef. Since you aren't running a high end reef the 7 KH is alarmingly low. 7 is good for a mature low nutrient SPS tank but for tanks like this, and like my 29 gallon, 9 to 10 KH makes a lot more sense. I am worried you're falling below 7 between water changes which might or might not be stressing the corals. Good luck! Link to comment
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