Hammer Coral not opening

[TonySpumoni95]

Hello All! 

 

I recently purchased a 2-headed hammer coral frag from a local LFS that I thought would be a perfect addition to my tank. I've had poor luck with hammer corals in the past, as a frag I purchased months ago died within the first 48 hours of purchase. My parameters and every other coral in the tank were fine at that time, so I thought I was just dealt a bad hand. With regards to the frag I want to talk about in this post, I've had this frag for roughly 5 days, and it just doesn't want to open. The flesh doesn't appear to be deteriorating, but the mouths of the coral are agape and just doesn't appear to be in good health. Any help with regards to possible insight and solutions would be greatly appreciated. Tank specs and other inhabitants listed below. Thanks everyone!

 

Tank: JbJ 28 gallon LED nanocube

Flow: 2-266 gph pumps (connected to wavemaker that alternates pumps every 30 seconds)

Light: 25W of 14K LEDs w/ 4W moonlight LEDs (meant for low-moderate light specs)

 

Parameters:

Salinity - 1.026

P.H - 8.2

Calcium - 430ppm

KH - 170ppm

Nitrate - 0

Nitrite - 0

Ammonia - 0

Phosphates - between 0 and .25 ppm

(All parameters except salinity were measured with API kits)

 

Fish:

1 Percula clownfish & 1 Photon Clownfish (Bonded)

1 Male Mandarin Goby

1 Yellowtail Damselfish

1 Purple Dartfish

Coral/Invertebrates:

Toadstool Leather

Elegance Coral

Red/Green Trachyphyllia 

Kenya Tree Coral

Pink-tip green bubble anenome

various polyps and zoanthids (honestly don't know all of the names)

green-tipped pocillopora (hitchhiker frag with green-star polyps, has grown well)

 

I also have a few photos posted of the tank itself and the hammer coral in question

 

 

[markalot]

It should be doing fine in there.  Did you dip the coral?  Can anything reach it to sting it?  Have you tried lower light?  It's in the dead middle of the tank where PAR will be the greatest.  Not a good spot for Hammers or Frogspawns IMO.

[TonySpumoni95]

Nothing should be stinging the coral where it is currently located, but I'll try moving it to a lower corner of the tank to help with the lighting possibility. As far as the dip goes, I did not do a dip of the hammer when I purchased it. I personally have never had any gains, and if anything, only negatives have come from when I've dipped corals.

[burtbollinger]

nitrates should not be 0.

 

just IME, giant leathers and LPS not something I'd do.

 

that said, I'd just be patient if everything else is going fine, which appears to be the case.

 

[Nelson]

Leather bothering it? Change out filter media? Otherwise raise nitrate, decrease flow, less light. 

[A Little Blue]

They certainly can take light after some acclimation period. I would place it on the sandbed for now to see how it does. 

It doesn’t look good at the moment.