Help with Hammer coral emergency!

[Foggy Pirate]

Is my hammer a lost cause. This tank has been stable for over a year. I recently started to feed a little more because Iv had low nutrients for so long and also got 2 nassarius snails. They seemed to have hard time finding the small pieces of food so long story short I fed about 1/3 more than I normally do. Test every week. I alternate between my tests and the LFS tests.
all of a sudden within a week my hammer got so bad. It is ussually doing so well and it’s just spilt one head a month or two ago and the other head is splitting that’s why I thought it was going through it’s phase so I was worried, today it looked rough. Did a test and got these.
temp 78 ph-8.1 specific gravity-1.026 Ammonia-0 NO2-0 NO3-40 DKH-11.8 mag-1500 cal-450.
Here is my normal range and it’s been this for almost a year. Ammonia, NO2-0 NO3 2-8 dkh around 9 mag around 1300-1400 and calcium 350-390.
so what that tells me is all my dkh,mag,calcium are higher so the Coral aren’t growing and untilizing it like they have in the past but why? Only thing I can see is the NO3 jumped way way up! Is that enough for my Coral to not only not be happy but tissue disappear in less than a week???!!
Also is it still able to make a full recovery? I’m confidant in being able to keep good water like I said only reason took me long to catch it was cause I thought it was going through a phase while splitting. Thoughts (helpful) ….

 

[Jekyl]

Those rocks are over a year old? What light are you using? By the pics alone I'd say a few weeks tops.

 

[Foggy Pirate]

That’s new rock put in a few months ago. Here’s some older rock. Have any insight on what I posted about tho?

 

[Foggy Pirate]

Here’s some
Of the older rock had to redo rock work as the corals were growing mad big

 

[Foggy Pirate]

Those rocks are over a year old? What light are you using? By the pics alone I'd say a few weeks tops.

Ai prime 16. Hammers been growing like a weed, so I know the placement and lighting has been fine I haven’t messed with the lighting since I set the tank up

 

[Jekyl]

Ai prime 16. Hammers been growing like a weed, so I know the placement and lighting has been fine I haven’t messed with the lighting since I set the tank up

I would do 2 30% water changes a week until parameters are back where you want them.

 

[Foggy Pirate]

I would do 2 30% water changes a week until parameters are back where you want them.

Ya that’s what im doing, sleightly more 13 gal im doing 5gsl changes…. But still no answer or insight into what I asked about NO3 affecting corals that quickly and if it can recover….

 

[Jekyl]

The parameter swing is most likely what caused the coral to be annoyed. Getting the parameters back to an acceptable level and keeping them stable is the best bet. Have you tested phosphate? Guessing that is elevated also.

 

[Jekyl]

As far as if they're going to make it only time will tell.

 

[ggNoRe]

Looks too far gone to save but you can try a cipro bath.

 

[Foggy Pirate]

That I don’t have a checker for that I only check that every other week at LFS. It’s always undetectable. And I have some chemi pure blue so if it’s high it should be taken out. That’s an easy fix if that’s the case, with my previous feeding amount that was always undetecable and NO3 was always between 2-8. 2 fish stores suggested I feed more cause of my low nutrients. So I’m surprised increasing it increased the NO3 by such an amount but that’s an easy fix I hope that’s what caused it, any idea how long it will take to recover? I got it with a single head and it’s now almost 4 I would hate to start over if it doesn’t take back to it’s skeleton….

 

[Lavey29]

Your normal parameters are the problem. You want nitrate at 10 for LPS and cal at 400 to 450. What is your phosphate?

 

[Foggy Pirate]

Your normal parameters are the problem. You want nitrate at 10 for LPS and cal at 400 to 450. What is your phosphate?

Well 2-8 8 close to 10 and my cal is on the lower side but have been told by many ppl keeping it constant is much better than chasing the best numbers and for a year my corals have been growing great. So im
Not convinced my parameters have have been the same over the past year are the problem. My phosphate I only check every other week at the LFS it’s always been undetectable.

 

[Jekyl]

Vetteguy has more LPS than most and keeps his nitrate at 5 or even less. You were already having success and your LFS blew it for you. If things are working, don't change them.

 

[Foggy Pirate]

We were trying to figure out why I have green cyano, so hoping a little more feeding (not a lot) would help some other bacteria compete better, ya if I knew it would affect the corals so much I wouldn’t have worried.

 

[Jekyl]

Cyano usually presents itself when parameters swing and/or higher nutrients. Could also show up when RoDi filters aren't performing anymkre or not using RoDi at all.

 

[Lavey29]

Well 2-8 8 close to 10 and my cal is on the lower side but have been told by many ppl keeping it constant is much better than chasing the best numbers and for a year my corals have been growing great. So im
Not convinced my parameters have have been the same over the past year are the problem. My phosphate I only check every other week at the LFS it’s always been undetectable.

O phosphate is another problem. Corals can take months to decline from the inside out before you see the effects. LPS need a dirty tank to thrive. How about your trace elements? What did your last ICP show?

 

[Foggy Pirate]

O phosphate is another problem. Corals can take months to decline from the inside out before you see the effects. LPS need a dirty tank to thrive. How about your trace elements? What did your last ICP show?

I test the parameters I mentioned and have been dosing all for reef. Elements not listed above I don’t know, still why would something go out of wack all of a sudden if it’s not the NO3 . The tank has been growing like crazy up till this week. Only thing I can think of is the difference in NO3 and maybe others like phosphate that could be introduced via feeding a little more. I feed LRS fish frenzy, been using it for a year no problems…