Hammer coral help.

[ians pico]

Any advice on hammer corals? I picked up a two headed hammer and a two headed frogspawn from the same tank, and one of the heads of the hammer immediately started to look like it was dying. The tentacles deflated and started to lay flat, the mouth started to open and the flesh on one side started to recede. The other head looks ok, and the frogspawn looks great, along with everything else in the tank. Parameters are posted in the photos. 6 month old tank, 20 gallon AIO running chaeto in the back. Stable phosphates and nitrates for the last month. Dosing calcium to maintain 440-460. Moved it from next to the frogspawn to the bottom of the tank last week but haven’t noticed any improvement.

 

[Duncan62]

Any advice on hammer corals? I picked up a two headed hammer and a two headed frogspawn from the same tank, and one of the heads of the hammer immediately started to look like it was dying. The tentacles deflated and started to lay flat, the mouth started to open and the flesh on one side started to recede. The other head looks ok, and the frogspawn looks great, along with everything else in the tank. Parameters are posted in the photos. 6 month old tank, 20 gallon AIO running chaeto in the back. Stable phosphates and nitrates for the last month. Dosing calcium to maintain 440-460. Moved it from next to the frogspawn to the bottom of the tank last week but haven’t noticed any improvement.

Has it been in the shade all the time? Is your tank new or just very clean? Lol

 

[ians pico]

It was up above the arch with the frogspawn, so I moved it to the shade to see if the light was too intense. The tank is 6 months old and I’m starting to see GHA slowly grow. I had a diatom bloom but that went away the week I added the chaeto.

 

[Jekyl]

Was it acclimated to the new lighting? What about magnesium?

 

[FiddlersReef]

All my hammers/torches have been super picky about flow. Like an inch one way or another, up or down, would make a massive difference. The only one I lost was the one I waited too long to move. I was also told they won't like it if the flow is always the same direction.

My guess would be that down on the sand is too sheltered?

 

[Lividfanatica]

What light is it under? It does indeed look very upset. Give it some time in low light/low flow and see if it improves and then slowly move it up the rock so it can get used to the light. My only other thought... is if it looked bad from day one... is how was it acclimated? It could be severely stressed by a sudden change in parameters.

 

[ians pico]

Was it acclimated to the new lighting? What about magnesium?

I have a kessil a160 and at the time I got it I didn’t have a controller, so it was just on at the lowest settings. Magnesium is the only one I haven’t tested

 

[ians pico]

What light is it under? It does indeed look very upset. Give it some time in low light/low flow and see if it improves and then slowly move it up the rock so it can get used to the light. My only other thought... is if it looked bad from day one... is how was it acclimated? It could be severely stressed by a sudden change in parameters.

It’s under a Kessil a160, when I started to see the decline I moved it to the bottom of the tank under an arch to limit light and flow. At the time I got it I didn’t have a controller for the light so I couldn’t acclimate it to light but I drop acclimated it for about an hour with the water.

 

[Lividfanatica]

l a160, when I started to see the decline I moved it to the bottom of the tank under an arch to limit light and flow. At the time I got it I didn’t have a controller for the light so I couldn’t acclimate it to light but I drop acclimated it for about an hour with the water.

Oh cool! I actually run an A160 on my 24 gallon and the lowest setting is not enough to tick off a coral, even at the top of the tank... so that isn't the issue. I run mine at 100% (once coral are acclimated) and fimbriaphyllia do well with that off in the corners or at the bottom of the tank.

I hate to say it, but if everything else is doing well... the coral was either sick/injured prior to you acquiring it or didn't like your acclimation... Keeping things stable and giving them time is my advice here. I would not keep it in the shade, but I would keep it in low flow at the bottom of the tank - don't move it around for a couple of weeks and see what happens.

 

[Jekyl]

I have a kessil a160 and at the time I got it I didn’t have a controller, so it was just on at the lowest settings. Magnesium is the only one I haven’t tested

Magnesium is big with euphylia

 

[ians pico]

Oh cool! I actually run an A160 on my 24 gallon and the lowest setting is not enough to tick off a coral, even at the top of the tank... so that isn't the issue. I run mine at 100% (once coral are acclimated) and fimbriaphyllia do well with that off in the corners or at the bottom of the tank.

I hate to say it, but if everything else is doing well... the coral was either sick/injured prior to you acquiring it or didn't like your acclimation... Keeping things stable and giving them time is my advice here. I would not keep it in the shade, but I would keep it in low flow at the bottom of the tank - don't move it around for a couple of weeks and see what happens.

When do you decide a lps is dead before it contaminates anything else.

 

[FiddlersReef]

When do you decide a lps is dead before it contaminates anything else.

Not sure about LPS, but I had an Stylo that was nothing more than a smear on a frag plug after it broke off, and a few months later it is 1.5” tall with a half dozen branches. So definitely give it a chance. Life likes to win.

 

[Lividfanatica]

When do you decide a lps is dead before it contaminates anything else.

The polyps will either fall off or rot off (turn into a brown jelly) of the skeleton. Post updated pics if you want us to chime in on the status of the coral.

 

[Duncan62]

When do you decide a lps is dead before it contaminates anything else.

I keep them till they melt.

 

[ians pico]

Well I moved it out from under the arch and After about 5 days the tissue is still receding. I can see the skeleton on about 1/3 of the head reaming tissue on 1/3 and I’m now noticing a white crust forming. Almost like calcium build up or dried toothpaste looking on 1/3. The other head seems to be doing just fine and my frogspawn is also thriving. Not sure if I should cut this head off, or cut the hood head off and mount it to a new plug. Any suggestions?

 

[Shirak]

The white is probably bacterial film on the dead flesh. I think that one head is gone and I would cut it off so it doesn’t infect the other.

 

[ians pico]

The white is probably bacterial film on the dead flesh. I think that one head is gone and I would cut it off so it doesn’t infect the other.

Would you recommend cutting the dead head off, or cut the living head off and mount it to a new plug?

 

[Shirak]

Would you recommend cutting the dead head off, or cut the living head off and mount it to a new plug?

Well I think it would depend on what you have to cut it off. If you have a saw or blade then I would probably cut the healthy head off at the red line. If you are using cutters then best to cut off the bad head at the yellow line. Either way I think it's just aesthetics as long as getting rid of the dead/dying tissue.