Hammer receding because of algae, thoughts?

[noobreefer2]

Hey everyone, I have had a hammer in my tank a little over 6 months, that hasn't grown much, but has stayed healthy for the most part. But a few months ago, I had a severe outbreak of chrysophytes, that was irritating and killing some stony corals. This coral looked fine for the most part:

But a little while later, I started to notice the flesh receding:

And this has just gotten worse and worse: (This picture was taken just now)

Please note that the picture above was taken right after I scrubbed the skeleton with a toothbrush in a effort to get rid of the algae.

Mag: 1300 ppm
Alk: 8.5-9 dkh
Ca: 440 ppm
Nitrate: 0-1 ppm
Phosphate: 0.04-0.05 ppm
Salinity: 1.025

What do you think I could do to help the algae from taking over the coral? Should I keep scrubbing the skeleton, or is that going to do more harm than good? Could I do a peroxide dip? I am dosing vibrant by-weekly as a treatment for the algae. If anyone has had a experience like this please share your thoughts, I hope to get this coral back to looking well.

Thanks in advance, if you have questions just ask.

P.S link to my algae thread: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/dino-diatom-thoughts.810633/

 

[Ryan hirano]

could be a lot of things. Euphylia are hard to keep. If I slightly mess with my flow, I will sometimes lost torches.

 

[noobreefer2]

Yea I think I’ll just try to leave it be I guess

 

[sixty_reefer]

Just went through your algae thread, you really had a lot of bad advice there. Your corals have probably died from starvation sorry to be the one telling you.

 

[noobreefer2]

Just went through your algae thread, you really had a lot of bad advice there. Your corals have probably died from starvation sorry to be the one telling you.

Thanks for your input, what do you mean by starvation? The nutrients were too low? Lighting? Actual food? What could I have done better? I am appreciative of your help.

 

[Lavey29]

I have a torch that is covered inside the head with GHA. Only opens half way. Tried using tweezers to clean it, dipped in peroxide bath and the GHA came back. Now I'm just going to let the coral figure out the solution.

And your nitrate is way to low.

 

[HuduVudu]

Almost all LPS need to be fed directly.

I am always confused why people won't feed their LPS, saying something to the effect of that they think photosynthesis is enough. That is not my experience. And I am able to get very cheap LPS because stores won't feed theirs.

 

[Lavey29]

Almost all LPS need to be fed directly.

I am always confused why people won't feed their LPS, saying something to the effect of that they photosynthesis is enough. That is not my experience.

That doesn't happen in the ocean.

 

[sixty_reefer]

You have been with almost zero no3 and po4 since August or more, this will only slowly starve the corals, I’ve also compared your microscopic view of the algae that you got with Golden algae and they don’t really look similar to me. Increase my nutrients would of been my first choice in this situation.

 

[HuduVudu]

That doesn't happen in the ocean.

Have you been to the area in the ocean where the LPS are and observed them in the wild?

 

[Lavey29]

Have you been to the area in the ocean where the LPS are and observed them in the wild?

Nope but basic common sense tells me no one is direct feeding them in the ocean unless you have a side job of course.

 

[noobreefer2]

You have been with almost zero no3 and po4 since August or more, this will only slowly starve the corals, I’ve also compared your microscopic view of the algae that you got with Golden algae and they don’t really look similar to me. Increase my nutrients would of been my first choice in this situation.

Great, my phosphate is around 0.03 now, and my nitrate around 0.5, I’ll start feeding more to raise the nitrates.

I thought that the algae was Dino’s for a while, so I didn’t feed the corals. I will feed them more often now and hopefully they could recover.

 

[HuduVudu]

Nope but basic common sense tells me no one is direct feeding them in the ocean unless you have a side job of course.

I am unsure why you are being aggressive about this.

When I dove I didn't feed them either. I also know that the ocean does not recieve light for many weeks and months of the year. The coral have grown a way to survive during these non-photo synthetic times.

These corals also come from what would be considered very dirty water, teeming with low level life.

My LPS will eat my amphipods and anything else the comes within reach of their tentacles.

 

[Lavey29]

Great, my phosphate is around 0.03 now, and my nitrate around 0.5, I’ll start feeding more to raise the nitrates.

I thought that the algae was Dino’s for a while, so I didn’t feed the corals. I will feed them more often now and hopefully they could recover.

Everything seemed more alive and vibrant in my tank when I got my nitrate at 10 and phosphate. 07 to .1.

 

[sixty_reefer]

Great, my phosphate is around 0.03 now, and my nitrate around 0.5, I’ll start feeding more to raise the nitrates.

I thought that the algae was Dino’s for a while, so I didn’t feed the corals. I will feed them more often now and hopefully they could recover.

Regarding your algae just increasing feeding won’t do it, you will have to find a source to dose po4 and no3. Once you raise your no3 to around 10 and po4 to around 0.1 keep it up for at list 2 weeks if that won’t cut it drop me a message.

 

[Lavey29]

I am unsure why you are being aggressive about this.

When I dove I didn't feed them either. I also know that the ocean does not recieve light for many weeks and months of the year. The coral have grown a way to survive during these non-photo synthetic times.

These corals also come from what would be considered very dirty water, teeming with low level life.

My LPS will eat my amphipods and anything else the comes within reach of their tentacles.

I'm sure corals adapt many ways in the wild to survive but they are not being spoon fed mysis daily so to say all LPS need to be direct fed in a tank is misleading. They can certainly do fine with broadcast feeding and their photosynthetic process. Do they benefit from direct feeding? Of course I feel they do. If I give my dog milkbones constantly he will be nice and plump to. I never really direct feed my corals at all. Just leave my wave pumps on and allow everything to blow around like the ocean current does in the place you referenced.

 

[noobreefer2]

Regarding your algae just increasing feeding won’t do it, you will have to find a source to dose po4 and no3. Once you raise your no3 to around 10 and po4 to around 0.1 keep it up for at list 2 weeks if that won’t cut it drop me a message.

Ok, should I get a direct source of nitrate or phosphate? I could stop changing my filter sock, and turn off my skimmer, and I already have the cheato out for the vibrant.

My tank received a lot of neglect this summer, so it was mostly my fault this happened. I really do appreciate all the advice that you are giving.

 

[noobreefer2]

Everything seemed more alive and vibrant in my tank when I got my nitrate at 10 and phosphate. 07 to .1.

Yes, it’s strange, my nitrate has always been extremely low.

 

[Lavey29]

Ok, should I get a direct source of nitrate or phosphate? I could stop changing my filter sock, and turn off my skimmer, and I already have the cheato out for the vibrant.

My tank received a lot of neglect this summer, so it was mostly my fault this happened. I really do appreciate all the advice that you are giving.

When my stuff bottomed out bad things happened. I double dosed neonitro and neophos to get my numbers back in check and my corals responded well.

 

[sixty_reefer]

Ok, should I get a direct source of nitrate or phosphate? I could stop changing my filter sock, and turn off my skimmer, and I already have the cheato out for the vibrant.

My tank received a lot of neglect this summer, so it was mostly my fault this happened. I really do appreciate all the advice that you are giving.

Imo you will need both. Removing sock, feeding more and stop skimmer is something I’ve never seen it work personally. It’s not to do with neglect, the reason that that algae started in the first place could of been due to the low nutrients in the first place.