Hammer coral drooping/sucked in

[WhiskeyCoffee]

I've had this hammer for about a year and it was about the size of a golf ball and growing new heads and now there is no polyp extension and they are drooping, what do you think could be wrong? My fish and other corals are all happy.

Ammonia: 0
Nitrate: 0
Nitrite: 0
pH: 8.2
KH: 8
Ca: 460
S: 1.025

Here's a picture of it last month:

 

[Michael Montgomery]

Nitrate = 0 ?

 

[WhiskeyCoffee]

Nitrate = 0 ?

Yes, always has been 0 or .5

 

[LbulletM]

They like a little bit of nitrate in the water. If you're under 10-15, you're probably fine. The corals will let you know.

 

[WhiskeyCoffee]

Sooo how do I get more nitrates? lol... Feed more? Less water changes?

 

[B_Dawk5]

Sooo how do I get more nitrates? lol... Feed more? Less water changes?

How often are you preforming them and what percentage?

 

[WhiskeyCoffee]

How often are you preforming them and what percentage?

5 gallons / 13.5% on average once a month, sometimes a little longer. I have 2x clowns, 1x flame hawkfish, 1x royal gramma, 1x yellow watchman goby. 2 snails and like 4 hermit crabs.

 

[LbulletM]

Man! You're doing something right to have low nitrates with that stock level and water change schedule. Is it a large system?

I wouldn't stop doing water changes if it's been working for you. It replenishes other parameters and trace elements aside from just being a means of export. Lots of options including reducing skimmer usage (if you have one), increasing feeding, or even adding another fish!

 

[MaiReef]

my torch did that and I moved it and it thrived even more. Not sure if it was the more light or more flow I gave it though.

 

[WhiskeyCoffee]

Man! You're doing something right to have low nitrates with that stock level and water change schedule. Is it a large system?

I wouldn't stop doing water changes if it's been working for you. It replenishes other parameters and trace elements aside from just being a means of export. Lots of options including reducing skimmer usage (if you have one), increasing feeding, or even adding another fish!

*shrug* After I cycled my tank I never really had any ammonia, nitrites, or nitrates haha. I'm a light feeder so that's probably why.

 

[ahiggins]

what test kit do you use? I feel like its very possible that youre getting a false reading. How big of a tank do you have?

 

[WhiskeyCoffee]

what test kit do you use? I feel like its very possible that youre getting a false reading. How big of a tank do you have?

29g with 10g sump. I'm using a Red Sea test kit.

 

[ahiggins]

It could be right. Basically 40 gal...what filter media do you have?
For the hammer you do want it a bit higher. I keep mine right around 5 and mines about football size when it puffs up

 

[WhiskeyCoffee]

It could be right. Basically 40 gal...what filter media do you have?
For the hammer you do want it a bit higher. I keep mine right around 5 and mines about football size when it puffs up

My only media would be my rock and my filter sock, that's it.

 

[ahiggins]

interesting.....have you checked it using any other brand?

 

[LbulletM]

Do you have Chaeto or anything in your sump? Lots of macro algaes?

 

[WhiskeyCoffee]

interesting.....have you checked it using any other brand?

A couple weeks after starting the tank with live rock, I didn't have a test kit so I had my LFS test it and they were around 0.

Do you have Chaeto or anything in your sump? Lots of macro algaes?

I did for a while but I just took all the chaeto out in place of a DIY skimmer.

 

[LbulletM]

Sounds like your DIY skimmer is working! Options sound like either putting your skimmer on a timer, feeding heavier, or adding that new fish you've been looking at!