Help! My Hammer is Dying!

maxemorris · Oct 3, 2023

I have had this hammer for almost 2 years now, growing it from 4 heads to now almost 16 heads. About a month ago, I noticed one of my splitting heads starting to bail out and that head is now completely dead. However, the rest of the colony was perfectly fine and my water was in check, as well as the rest of my coral, so me and my LFS concluded it was just a “failed split.”

Unfortunately, it looks like not one, but two of my new splitting heads are also starting to bail out, and I can see skeleton on both heads. Have already done a 10 minute dip and scrub and coral revive, and I am not sure what to do. I see no parasites, and I think it may be some sort of disease or infection. I have other hammer colonies that are perfectly normal and healthy, alongside a dozen other soft and LPS coral.

What do I do? This is one of my first coral and means a lot to me.

maxemorris · Oct 3, 2023

Salinity 1.026, pH 7.8 (cannot get it up for the life of me), ammonia nitrite and nitrate 0. I don’t think it is a water quality issue because I have other sizable euphylia colonies that have no problems (attached pictures). If it is an infection, what can I do?

tzabor10 · Oct 3, 2023

Sorry for your troubles. How are your parameters? Is there anything in the tank that could be sending out poisonous chemicals?

Propane · Oct 3, 2023

Nitrate at 0 could be starving the coral. What’s phosphate and mag at?

Reef Devils · Oct 3, 2023

maxemorris said:
Salinity 1.026, pH 7.8 (cannot get it up for the life of me), ammonia nitrite and nitrate 0. I don’t think it is a water quality issue because I have other sizable euphylia colonies that have no problems (attached pictures). If it is an infection, what can I do?

Low nutrients like nitrate and phosphate could be starvation your coral. That happens to mine

maxemorris · Oct 3, 2023

tzabor10 said:
Sorry for your troubles. How are your parameters? Is there anything in the tank that could be sending out poisonous chemicals?

I had mentioned my basic parameters before, I do not have a test for the foundation elements but the rest of my coral are fine. Is it possible that my perimeters would affect only one coral?

maxemorris · Oct 3, 2023

Propane said:
Nitrate at 0 could be starving the coral. What’s phosphate and mag at?

See above reply

maxemorris · Oct 3, 2023

Reef Devils said:
Low nutrients like nitrate and phosphate could be starvation your coral. That happens to mine

See above reply

maxemorris · Oct 3, 2023

I have been feeding pretty lightly and vacuum my tank weekly, I keep it very clean. I never knew that could be a problem! I will start feeding heavier and not vacuum my sand bed so often.

maxemorris · Oct 3, 2023

Why are the rest of my coral not starving? Or is it possible that they are and I can’t tell yet?

maxemorris · Oct 3, 2023

For context I dose 5ml red sea reef nutrition AB+, 10ml algae barn phytoplankton, and one cube of frozen mysis every other day

Lavey29 · Oct 3, 2023

Low nutrients starve corals to death slowly. This process can take weeks or months because the corals decline from the inside out. Get nitrates to 10 to 15 for LPS. Phosphate. 05 to .1. Take coral out and frag off dead heads. Dip it for pests or infection. Get parameters up. You can save this one.

Lavey29 · Oct 3, 2023

maxemorris said:
Why are the rest of my coral not starving? Or is it possible that they are and I can’t tell yet?

Correct, the decline from the inside out. Some faster then others. That hammer is ditching heads trying to survive.

maxemorris · Oct 3, 2023

Lavey29 said:
Low nutrients starve corals to death slowly. This process can take weeks or months because the corals decline from the inside out. Get nitrates to 10 to 15 for LPS. Phosphate. 05 to .1. Take coral out and frag off dead heads. Dip it for pests or infection. Get parameters up. You can save this one.

Thank you! I have already taken it out, scrubbed it with a toothbrush, and dipped it in coral revive for about 10 minutes. I will feed heavier to increase my nitrates. What happens if I leave the dead head on there?

Lavey29 · Oct 3, 2023

maxemorris said:
Thank you! I have already taken it out, scrubbed it with a toothbrush, and dipped it in coral revive for about 10 minutes. I will feed heavier to increase my nitrates. What happens if I leave the dead head on there?

Nothing just might get algae in it that infects other heads. Might want to iodine dip too just in case there is infection.

maxemorris · Oct 3, 2023

Lavey29 said:
Correct, the decline from the inside out. Some faster then others. That hammer is ditching heads trying to survive.

I listed my current feeding regimen above. How much should I increase it? Should I feed a cube every day? Add more coral food or phyto?

Reef Devils · Oct 3, 2023

maxemorris said:
Thank you! I have already taken it out, scrubbed it with a toothbrush, and dipped it in coral revive for about 10 minutes. I will feed heavier to increase my nitrates. What happens if I leave the dead head on there?

Sound like a plan. A lugols iodine dip is always good for a coral that gets infection.

Reef Devils · Oct 3, 2023

Lavey29 said:
Nothing just might get algae in it that infects other heads. Might want to iodine dip too just in case there is infection.

maxemorris said:
I listed my current feeding regimen above. How much should I increase it? Should I feed a cube every day? Add more coral food or phyto?

increase phosphate with reef roids and feed more fish food