Hammer coral

[sascoaquatics]

Hi all I was just wondering if after time this happens and if it is normal. The branch of my hammer is brown. I’m not worried abt pests or anything just if that’s normal

 

[KQuillan]

Do you have a pic under white lighting? Also, what are your water parameters?

 

[sascoaquatics]

Do you have a pic under white lighting? Also, what are your water parameters?

Hi sorry can’t get a pic under white light but I was wondering if just after time the “stalk” goes brown? And if it’s only white when newly fragged?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Hi sorry can’t get a pic under white light but I was wondering if just after time the “stalk” goes brown? And if it’s only white when newly fragged?

No. This is not normal. The white is healthy tissue. When it recedes, then you see the brown skeleton. If tissue is receding, then something is wrong and the coral is slowly declining.
Hammers are sensitive to rapid swings in Alk as well as changes in other parameters, including light and flow.

You can try an iodine dip in case there is a possible infection, but otherwise, try to move the coral as little as possible.

The best long term "medicine" is to make sure all your parameters are in range and stable.

 

[sascoaquatics]

Do you have a pic under white lighting? Also, what are your water parameters?

Perameters are all in normal range

No. This is not normal. The white is healthy tissue. When it recedes, then you see the brown skeleton. If tissue is receding, then something is wrong and the coral is slowly declining.
Hammers are sensitive to rapid swings in Alk as well as changes in other parameters, including light and flow.

You can try an iodine dip in case there is a possible infection, but otherwise, try to move the coral as little as possible.

The best long term "medicine" is to make sure all your parameters are in range and stable.

got some of the perameters. Thank you for explaining this makes more sense I’m not very experienced with LPS the diameters I have so far are KH 9.5, Ca 300 and testing the rest now. I am due à water change though so I think that’s why Ca is so low

 

[mdb_talon]

Perameters are all in normal range

got some of the perameters. Thank you for explaining this makes more sense I’m not very experienced with LPS the diameters I have so far are KH 9.5, Ca 300 and testing the rest now. I am due à water change though so I think that’s why Ca is so low

Alk at 9.5 and calcium at 300 I don't think can be explained by a water change itself otherwise your alk should be lower also even if using a high alk salt.

I would confirm those tests and make sure those are accurate values and then dose calcium over the course of several days to get 400-420. Once you get that balanced out a bit better then maybe water changes are enough.

Do you dose any buffers or anything that would explain the big imbalance there between alk and calcium? Have you checked magnesium?

 

[sascoaquatics]

Alk at 9.5 and calcium at 300 I don't think can be explained by a water change itself otherwise your alk should be lower also even if using a high alk salt.

I would confirm those tests and make sure those are accurate values and then dose calcium over the course of several days to get 400-420. Once you get that balanced out a bit better then maybe water changes are enough.

Do you dose any buffers or anything that would explain the big imbalance there between alk and calcium? Have you checked magnesium?

So I checked magnesium but from when I started testing my magnesium has alsways given such weird results and then when I went to my fish shop she would do the test and it would be normal. What brand do you think I should does and should I do mg as well? Thank you so much for the help I’ve had a salt water tank for almost 3 years but coral had never appealed to me until this summer so I’m a real beginner

 

[mdb_talon]

So I checked magnesium but from when I started testing my magnesium has alsways given such weird results and then when I went to my fish shop she would do the test and it would be normal. What brand do you think I should does and should I do mg as well? Thank you so much for the help I’ve had a salt water tank for almost 3 years but coral had never appealed to me until this summer so I’m a real beginner

I use salifert magnesium test and works great for me.

 

[sascoaquatics]

Thank you all for the help I went to the shop today and bought z-elements calcium and started dosing