Hammer coral is dying?!

[Greenebean04]

But he has ammonia....

This would had been helpful to mention before but my shrimp did just recently die and days before he wasn’t interested in eating

 

[45ZoaGarden]

Yes, that’s a tell tale sign of ammonia or high nitrates. I do wonder if the decaying flesh from the hammer is causing the ammonia spike.... I had an ammonia spike 2 years after my mixed reef was fully established caused by a mass amount of dinos dying. Everything was upset for awhile then it corrected itself over a week or so.

This would had been helpful to mention before but my shrimp did just recently die and days before he wasn’t interested in eating

 

[45ZoaGarden]

The mini cycle also killed off my 7 year old coral banded shrimp which was larger than my hand. Here’s a picture of him in his glory days in my 24 gallon nano cube before he moved to the 45... RIP Jacques

 

[Greenebean04]

The mini cycle also killed off my 7 year old coral banded shrimp which was larger than my hand. Here’s a picture of him in his glory days in my 24 gallon nano cube before he moved to the 45... RIP Jacques

I’m going to test my ammonia again, and do a water change for sure. My shrimps name was Jacques too, he was one of my favorite parts of my tank and it’s weird because he died in between the branches of my hammer

 

[45ZoaGarden]

Aaahhhhhh. I wonder if the hammer grabbed the shrimp and the shrimp tore the hell out of the hammer. That might be the problem...

I’m going to test my ammonia again, and do a water change for sure. My shrimps name was Jacques too, he was one of my favorite parts of my tank and it’s weird because he died in between the branches of my hammer

 

[45ZoaGarden]

I watched a RBTA at my lfs grab a peppermint shrimp and while the anemone was in the process of trying to kill the shrimp, the shrimp tore apart a couple of the BTA’s tentacles... shrimp can be pretty destructive, my coral banded ripped a beautiful rock nem to shreads moments after I put it in the tank... I’m starting to think this was damage from the shrimp, not the water...

 

[Magellan]

Green bean, the rotting hammer could be the source of the ammonia and cloudy water, and as others have said it could be an infection or parasite (something that could spread to the other heads).

take the hammer out of the tank, clean out that dying head, do a water change, and take some water to your LFS and have them test. If you have something to dip it in, that’s great, otherwise your LFS will have a dip you can buy or possibly will just dip it for you. If you have a bucket or large Tupperware it should be fine for a couple hours or so, just like it would be in transport.

also test your new water first before adding it, in order to make sure that’s not the source of the issue.

 

[45ZoaGarden]

Green bean, the rotting hammer could be the source of the ammonia and cloudy water, and as others have said it could be an infection or parasite (something that could spread to the other heads).

take the hammer out of the tank, clean out that dying head, do a water change, and take some water to your LFS and have them test. If you have something to dip it in, that’s great, otherwise your LFS will have a dip you can buy or possibly will just dip it for you. If you have a bucket or large Tupperware it should be fine for a couple hours or so, just like it would be in transport.

also test your new water first before adding it, in order to make sure that’s not the source of the issue.

+1 but I think it’s shrimp damage, not an infection or parasites...

 

[Greenebean04]

Green bean, the rotting hammer could be the source of the ammonia and cloudy water, and as others have said it could be an infection or parasite (something that could spread to the other heads).

take the hammer out of the tank, clean out that dying head, do a water change, and take some water to your LFS and have them test. If you have something to dip it in, that’s great, otherwise your LFS will have a dip you can buy or possibly will just dip it for you. If you have a bucket or large Tupperware it should be fine for a couple hours or so, just like it would be in transport.

also test your new water first before adding it, in order to make sure that’s not the source of the issue.

Gotcha, thank you for the advice!

 

[Greenebean04]

I watched a RBTA at my lfs grab a peppermint shrimp and while the anemone was in the process of trying to kill the shrimp, the shrimp tore apart a couple of the BTA’s tentacles... shrimp can be pretty destructive, my coral banded ripped a beautiful rock nem to shreads moments after I put it in the tank... I’m starting to think this was damage from the shrimp, not the water...

Hmm, maybe because my shrimp was pretty much stuck when I tried to remove him from the tank

 

[Jared's Little Reef]

Check all equipment and magnets to ensure no damage is on them that could allow to metals to be leeching into the water. Especially if the tank is over 1 year old this is a possibility unlikely but always a chance

 

[Magellan]

+1 but I think it’s shrimp damage, not an infection or parasites...

Quite possibly! Always better to be safe than sorry though, and either way it’s an issue that can be fixed

 

[Greenebean04]

Check all equipment and magnets to ensure no damage is on them that could allow to metals to be leeching into the water. Especially if the tank is over 1 year old this is a possibility unlikely but always a chance

My tank is only 5 months old but I will check

 

[Greenebean04]

I dipped the coral and there was a pretty large worm inside could this had been a factor as to why my a piece of the coral died?

 

[Magellan]

I dipped the coral and there was a pretty large worm inside could this had been a factor as to why my a piece of the coral died?

Yes! Glad you caught it in time. Post a picture of the worm if possible

 

[45ZoaGarden]

What did the worm look like?

 

[Centerline]

definitely test the source. I had an issue a while back where i didnt get the normal color changing resin for the RODI, and it exausted early, which was leaching Ammonia back into my source water.....

Dang!

 

[Centerline]

I dipped the coral and there was a pretty large worm inside could this had been a factor as to why my a piece of the coral died?

Absolutely, maybe just cutting of that head would be best.

 

[Centerline]

Are you looking at the right picture? Not receding? It’s rotting out of the skeleton in pieces....

A microscope would most likely reveal flat worms AND philaster.

 

[Greenebean04]

What did the worm look like?

Bristle worm (light pink)