Hammers Dying

[Chrisz]

The polyps on my hammer corals have been slowly bailing since I purchased some new corals back in early December. I think this is the cause but plenty of other changes since then.
In November my light fixture died and I replaced it. Ordered a par meter a few weeks back and discovered I’m at 250 par at the top, a bit high for hammer. The hammers at the edges and bottom are at 150 and those are also dying, so I think I can rule that out.
Also in Late November I decided to start dosing All For Reef and NoPox because my DKH, Calcium and magnesium were all low and nitrate and phosphate high. I can’t see how this could cause the bail out, it’s improved my water quality.
No brown slime or critters I can see, one day they look beautiful and healthy next day the head falls off.
Picture was my tank before this started happening, I’m down to 5 heads now, lost another last night. No other corals are having any issues and are growing well.
Prior to this I pulled a bunch of hammer out to my quarantine tank because I just had too much. I can start over not a total loss yet but want to stop any further loss.
Any ideas on what to do? Thought about pulling all the hammer out and dipping them at my next water change this Friday.
Please help, suggestions appreciated

 

[musel101]

The polyps on my hammer corals have been slowly bailing since I purchased some new corals back in early December. I think this is the cause but plenty of other changes since then.
In November my light fixture died and I replaced it. Ordered a par meter a few weeks back and discovered I’m at 250 par at the top, a bit high for hammer. The hammers at the edges and bottom are at 150 and those are also dying, so I think I can rule that out.
Also in Late November I decided to start dosing All For Reef and NoPox because my DKH, Calcium and magnesium were all low and nitrate and phosphate high. I can’t see how this could cause the bail out, it’s improved my water quality.
No brown slime or critters I can see, one day they look beautiful and healthy next day the head falls off.
Picture was my tank before this started happening, I’m down to 5 heads now, lost another last night. No other corals are having any issues and are growing well.
Prior to this I pulled a bunch of hammer out to my quarantine tank because I just had too much. I can start over not a total loss yet but want to stop any further loss.
Any ideas on what to do? Thought about pulling all the hammer out and dipping them at my next water change this Friday.
Please help, suggestions appreciated

I had a frog, spawn and hammer bail out on me when I had my magnesium through the roof. I can’t say what my other trace elements were at the time.

 

[Chrisz]

I had a frog, spawn and hammer bail out on me when I had my magnesium through the roof. I can’t say what my other trace elements were at the time.

what was your mag at? Mine is up there 1500

 

[Dburr1014]

The polyps on my hammer corals have been slowly bailing since I purchased some new corals back in early December. I think this is the cause but plenty of other changes since then.
In November my light fixture died and I replaced it. Ordered a par meter a few weeks back and discovered I’m at 250 par at the top, a bit high for hammer. The hammers at the edges and bottom are at 150 and those are also dying, so I think I can rule that out.
Also in Late November I decided to start dosing All For Reef and NoPox because my DKH, Calcium and magnesium were all low and nitrate and phosphate high. I can’t see how this could cause the bail out, it’s improved my water quality.
No brown slime or critters I can see, one day they look beautiful and healthy next day the head falls off.
Picture was my tank before this started happening, I’m down to 5 heads now, lost another last night. No other corals are having any issues and are growing well.
Prior to this I pulled a bunch of hammer out to my quarantine tank because I just had too much. I can start over not a total loss yet but want to stop any further loss.
Any ideas on what to do? Thought about pulling all the hammer out and dipping them at my next water change this Friday.
Please help, suggestions appreciated

Check your parameters, keep them stable, and cross your fingers.
Sometimes it takes months for something to show up and you may need the same time to see improvement.

 

[kevgib67]

Check your parameters, keep them stable, and cross your fingers.
Sometimes it takes months for something to show up and you may need the same time to see improvement.

Your par is good. Please post your parameters.

 

[musel101]

what was your mag at? Mine is up there 1500

1800

 

[Chrisz]

Your par is good. Please post your

1800

	NO3O4-X .6ml
	AFR 10 ml		Post WC	Post WC
1/10/2024​	1/13/2024​	1/20/2024​	1/21/2024​	1/26/2024​	Date
7.9	7.8	7.6	7.9	7.9	PH
7	7.4	6.2	7		DKH
500	500	396	508		Calcium
1540	1520	1150	1560		Magnesium
1.025	1.025	1.025	1.025	1.025	Salinity
0.66	0.61	0.7	0.61	0.58	Phosphate
26	22.4	25.1	21.4	19.7	Nitrate
0	0	0	0		Nitrite
0	0	0	0		Ammonia
74.6	77	77	77		Temperature

 

[kevgib67]

	NO3O4-X .6ml
	AFR 10 ml		Post WC	Post WC
1/10/2024​	1/13/2024​	1/20/2024​	1/21/2024​	1/26/2024​	Date
7.9	7.8	7.6	7.9	7.9	PH
7	7.4	6.2	7		DKH
500	500	396	508		Calcium
1540	1520	1150	1560		Magnesium
1.025	1.025	1.025	1.025	1.025	Salinity
0.66	0.61	0.7	0.61	0.58	Phosphate
26	22.4	25.1	21.4	19.7	Nitrate
0	0	0	0		Nitrite
0	0	0	0		Ammonia
74.6	77	77	77		Temperature

I have a good idea what these numbers represent but it doesn’t list them. I can guess temp, salinity etc. could you list what each parameter is for? Never mind I slid it over, da!

 

[kevgib67]

	NO3O4-X .6ml
	AFR 10 ml		Post WC	Post WC
1/10/2024​	1/13/2024​	1/20/2024​	1/21/2024​	1/26/2024​	Date
7.9	7.8	7.6	7.9	7.9	PH
7	7.4	6.2	7		DKH
500	500	396	508		Calcium
1540	1520	1150	1560		Magnesium
1.025	1.025	1.025	1.025	1.025	Salinity
0.66	0.61	0.7	0.61	0.58	Phosphate
26	22.4	25.1	21.4	19.7	Nitrate
0	0	0	0		Nitrite
0	0	0	0		Ammonia
74.6	77	77	77		Temperature

None of these numbers would give it trouble, they are good. That leaves flow, has it changed? Is low/ medium with gentle movement?

 

[JGT]

Other than PO4 which is through the roof, other params look good.

 

[kevgib67]

Ah, I missed that! Your right.

 

[Chrisz]

Other than PO4 which is through the roof, other params look good.

I started dosing Red Sea NO3PO4 a few weeks back and am waiting for it to start doing something, should I run some RowaPhos? Doing 15 gallon water changes weekly to try and knock it down

 

[Chrisz]

None of these numbers would give it trouble, they are good. That leaves flow, has it changed? Is low/ medium with gentle movement?

Same pumps, same flow

 

[Dburr1014]

Other than PO4 which is through the roof, other params look good.

Yup.
OP, Is that ppm or ppb?

 

[Chrisz]

Yup.
OP, Is that ppm or ppb?

PPM all hanna checkers

 

[Dburr1014]

I started dosing Red Sea NO3PO4 a few weeks back and am waiting for it to start doing something, should I run some RowaPhos? Doing 15 gallon water changes weekly to try and knock it down

Water changes don't help much for po4.
You will most likely need media.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Other than PO4 which is through the roof, other params look good.

PO4 is hardly "through the roof"

 

[RabidDragon]

Really?, nobodys going to comment on the Ca jumping from 386 to 508 or the Mag 1150 to 1560 in a single day? *If* those test results are accurate.....

 

[crazyfishmom]

	NO3O4-X .6ml
	AFR 10 ml		Post WC	Post WC
1/10/2024​	1/13/2024​	1/20/2024​	1/21/2024​	1/26/2024​	Date
7.9	7.8	7.6	7.9	7.9	PH
7	7.4	6.2	7		DKH
500	500	396	508		Calcium
1540	1520	1150	1560		Magnesium
1.025	1.025	1.025	1.025	1.025	Salinity
0.66	0.61	0.7	0.61	0.58	Phosphate
26	22.4	25.1	21.4	19.7	Nitrate
0	0	0	0		Nitrite
0	0	0	0		Ammonia
74.6	77	77	77		Temperature

I would say that while the numbers themselves don’t worry me (other than the phosphate being high), it is possible that such a big swing in calcium and magnesium may have caused stress. Normally you want to raise magnesium slowly. I had a lot of hammer and torch bailout in my previous tank with elevated phosphates like yours and haven’t had any in my current tank where phosphates sit between 0.05 and .15, not many data points but it is data.

 

[musel101]

Really?, nobodys going to comment on the Ca jumping from 386 to 508 or the Mag 1150 to 1560 in a single day? *If* those test results are accurate.....

Could be the problem. I can’t really say much on that. My calcium is 540 in my magnesium is 1710 and all of my corals are doing great. But that’s also in my experiment tank.