Green Hammer Loosing Color

huttoreefer · Mar 20, 2023

Hello guys,

I bought this hammer coral from a LFS. It was pretty green when I saw it at the store, but now most the hammer heads start fading color in my tank, I'm not sure what's going on with it, yesterday I noticed thing coming out from it, it looks like a slime coat thing.

Feeing Red Sea AB+ 15ml/day.
Radion g6 xr15 deep blue.
Currently running at 25% intensity with LPS/Soft CoralLab profile ( 9 hours duration ). 8" from water surface level to the light, tank is 20" deep.
Salinity: 1.027
Phosphorus: 9 ppb ==> phosphate : 0.03
Calcium: 438 ppb
Alkalinity: 157 ppb
Temp : 78F

KrisReef · Mar 20, 2023

Looks like the coral is trying to adjust to your parameters, or just bleaching?

These lps like more nutrients and drift feedings and a "dirty" tank with more nutrients, in general.

Lots of corals will go through these times of adjustment and once they hit the groove they often color up and start to grow. How old is the tank? Do you feed the corals? The sand looks pristine, suggesting that the tank was recently set up or is routinely scoured with cleaning.

But I am rambling. Lets see what other folks have to say.

vetteguy53081 · Mar 20, 2023

huttoreefer said:
Hello guys,

I bought this hammer coral from a LFS. It was pretty green when I saw it at the store, but now most the hammer heads start fading color in my tank, I'm not sure what's going on with it, yesterday I noticed thing coming out from it, it looks like a slime coat thing.

Feeing Red Sea AB+ 15ml/day.

Radion g6 xr15 deep blue.

Currently running at 25% intensity with LPS/Soft CoralLab profile ( 9 hours duration ). 8" from water surface level to the light, tank is 20" deep.

Salinity: 1.027

Phosphorus: 9 ppb ==> phosphate : 0.03

Calcium: 438 ppb

Alkalinity: 157 ppb

Temp : 78F

Light is likely the main issue. With these corals, you want to avoid the extremes- Extreme flow and extreme light. Too much flow and you risk tearing the flesh off the skeleton and too much light and they will expel their color and energy source known as zooxanthellae. They are not picky where they are placed within tank but best is lower third whereas torch higher where it is.
Hammers can survive with low par and subtle to moderate lighting is adequate.
AB is not a good source of energy. I feed mine mysis shrimp and also assure calcium does not fall below 400 as their skeleton requires calcium for growth.

Here is my location: