How's my hammer look?

[Woodyman]

Is something wrong with this Hammer? I posted a short (5sec) clip of the hammer in the tank at my LFS along with 5 pictures of it today. In the clip the one I purchased is the front right. It has opened back up somewhat over the last ~28 hours since I brought it home. I'm just not sure if I should be concerned with shape of the coral stalks where the smaller head branches off. It seems perfectly healthy otherwise, but it wasn't something I noticed before I got it home.

 

[Jekyl]

Parameters and tank age? I had a hard time with lps at first

 

[ekandler]

Looks fine to me, seems like they just fragged it in a weird way. If you have a saw you can just break it off the frag plug and cut the base flat so it doesn’t sit sideways like that.

 

[Woodyman]

Parameters and tank age? I had a hard time with lps at first

Tank is ~2 weeks old, started with 10lbs of live rock and 20lbs of live sand and a bottle of Dr. Tim's over those 2 weeks.

Temp: 75
Salinity: 1.025
Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate: 0
Calcium: 480
Alkalinity: 11
pH: 8.02

I did a 2 gallon water Change (12 gallon tank) prior to adding the coral yesterday.

Coral was dipped in KoralMD regular strength for 10 minutes followed by a rinse in freshly mixed salt water (I use reef crystals)

 

[Woodyman]

Looks fine to me, seems like they just fragged it in a weird way. If you have a saw you can just break it off the frag plug and cut the base flat so it doesn’t sit sideways like that.

Thanks, that's what I was thinking as well but wasn't sure if someone here with more experience would see or know something I don't.

The coral *seems* perfectly healthy but I guess I wanted some 2nd opinions before I worried.

 

[Pistondog]

Maybe too early for corals.

 

[N.Sreefer]

I agree with Pistondog 2 weeks is pretty early you may have a hard time keeping LPS until your tank matures.

 

[T-J]

Maybe too early for corals.

Especially LPS that like "dirtier" water. You'll also want some Nitrates and Phosphates in that tank.

 

[Woodyman]

Maybe too early for corals.

It very well may be. I'm going against my own judgement and following some newer ideas about adding corals earlier. Giving it a try and fully prepared to be let down.

I do have aminos, roids, and baby brine shrimp to supplement feeding. So far have only added some aminos and a ~1/8 of a cube of baby brine shrimp

 

[Woodyman]

Especially LPS that like "dirtier" water. You'll also want some Nitrates and Phosphates in that tank.

Thanks, I'll try to get those numbers up.

Glad no one is seeing anything wrong with hammer physically hopefully it opens up more over the next day

 

[Pistondog]

Try xenia or Kenya tree or gsp.

 

[Woodyman]

Try xenia or Kenya tree or gsp.

Ill see if I can find any on my next trip over the weekend.

 

[MaxTremors]

Adding stony corals at two weeks is risky even for experienced hobbyists. If you are new to the hobby it’s careless and irresponsible. These are living animals we’re talking about and viewing them as disposable or viewing it as ‘I knew better, so if it doesn’t work out, oh well’ is, frankly, just gross. Even adding soft corals at two weeks for a newer hobbyist is really pushing the envelope. Your parameters don’t really make sense, if your tank is cycled, you shouldn’t have zero nitrates, either the test is wrong or your tank isn’t cycled (a two gallon water change wouldn’t take your nitrates down by much, and live rock alone isn’t going to denitrify your tank). What is your alk/cal? If you’re going to keep stony corals, these are values you need to know. Also, the light you have is not sufficient for LPS, and probably not even soft corals, it has a PAR of less than 50 right under the light. Your hammer and torch (and your zoanthids) require more light, they will not survive long with inadequate lighting (they will basically slowly starve to death). And lastly, your temp is pretty low, I would shoot for 78°.

All that said, I don’t mean to just drag you, I want you to be successful, but there are a lot of problems here. The corals are in your tank, so that’s that, but you need to make sure that your parameters are stable and within range (find out what’s going on with your nitrates and start testing for alk and cal and make sure your alk stays stable - cal you want to be stable too, but it’s less important). You also need adequate lighting, make sure to acclimate your corals to whatever new light you add.

Also, in your first pic, it looks like the flesh between the two polyps is ripped, in an established tank that would likely heal, in a two week old tank it’s trouble. You could do an iodine dip (search the forum for directions if you are unfamiliar), but conversely, moving it could make it rip more, so it may be better to leave it and only dip if you see it getting worse or see tissue loss. I would definitely try to minimize disturbing it and just let it heal.

 

[vetteguy53081]

raise temp to at least 77 and poor frag gluing but can be worked with. Assure moderate ligt and water flow and not on the sand which can irritate them at times.

 

[Woodyman]

Adding stony corals at two weeks is risky even for experienced hobbyists. If you are new to the hobby it’s careless and irresponsible. These are living animals we’re talking about and viewing them as disposable or viewing it as ‘I knew better, so if it doesn’t work out, oh well’ is, frankly, just gross. Even adding soft corals at two weeks for a newer hobbyist is really pushing the envelope. Your parameters don’t really make sense, if your tank is cycled, you shouldn’t have zero nitrates, either the test is wrong or your tank isn’t cycled (a two gallon water change wouldn’t take your nitrates down by much, and live rock alone isn’t going to denitrify your tank). What is your alk/cal? If you’re going to keep stony corals, these are values you need to know. Also, the light you have is not sufficient for LPS, and probably not even soft corals, it has a PAR of less than 50 right under the light. Your hammer and torch (and your zoanthids) require more light, they will not survive long with inadequate lighting (they will basically slowly starve to death). And lastly, your temp is pretty low, I would shoot for 78°.

All that said, I don’t mean to just drag you, I want you to be successful, but there are a lot of problems here. The corals are in your tank, so that’s that, but you need to make sure that your parameters are stable and within range (find out what’s going on with your nitrates and start testing for alk and cal and make sure your alk stays stable - cal you want to be stable too, but it’s less important). You also need adequate lighting, make sure to acclimate your corals to whatever new light you add.

Also, in your first pic, it looks like the flesh between the two polyps is ripped, in an established tank that would likely heal, in a two week old tank it’s trouble. You could do an iodine dip (search the forum for directions if you are unfamiliar), but conversely, moving it could make it rip more, so it may be better to leave it and only dip if you see it getting worse or see tissue loss. I would definitely try to minimize disturbing it and just let it heal.

I appreciate your response, while I am new here I am not new to the hobby, and I do have a plan for these corals if they start dying, so if things don't look good over time the corals will be moved to an established tank.

I have been sizing up lights for the last couple days and just haven't decided on one yet but that is coming soon.

Thanks for the reply I couldn't tell if the damage was old or newer

For my nitrates at the moment that is being tested with an API test so after lights a Hanna meter is in the works as well.

Alkalinity is ~196

 

[Woodyman]

raise temp to at least 77 and poor frag gluing but can be worked with. Assure moderate ligt and water flow and not on the sand which can irritate them at times.

I'll get it moved up in the rock and get the temp adjusted. Thank you.

 

[Deep]

I appreciate your response, while I am new here I am not new to the hobby, and I do have a plan for these corals if they start dying, so if things don't look good over time the corals will be moved to an established tank.

I have been sizing up lights for the last couple days and just haven't decided on one yet but that is coming soon.

Thanks for the reply I couldn't tell if the damage was old or newer

For my nitrates at the moment that is being tested with an API test so after lights a Hanna meter is in the works as well.

Alkalinity is ~196

Almost 11 dkh Alk is pretty high for a very low nutrient tank. you need to watch that when you add stony corals.

 

[Woodyman]

Adding stony corals at two weeks is risky even for experienced hobbyists. If you are new to the hobby it’s careless and irresponsible. These are living animals we’re talking about and viewing them as disposable or viewing it as ‘I knew better, so if it doesn’t work out, oh well’ is, frankly, just gross. Even adding soft corals at two weeks for a newer hobbyist is really pushing the envelope. Your parameters don’t really make sense, if your tank is cycled, you shouldn’t have zero nitrates, either the test is wrong or your tank isn’t cycled (a two gallon water change wouldn’t take your nitrates down by much, and live rock alone isn’t going to denitrify your tank). What is your alk/cal? If you’re going to keep stony corals, these are values you need to know. Also, the light you have is not sufficient for LPS, and probably not even soft corals, it has a PAR of less than 50 right under the light. Your hammer and torch (and your zoanthids) require more light, they will not survive long with inadequate lighting (they will basically slowly starve to death). And lastly, your temp is pretty low, I would shoot for 78°.

All that said, I don’t mean to just drag you, I want you to be successful, but there are a lot of problems here. The corals are in your tank, so that’s that, but you need to make sure that your parameters are stable and within range (find out what’s going on with your nitrates and start testing for alk and cal and make sure your alk stays stable - cal you want to be stable too, but it’s less important). You also need adequate lighting, make sure to acclimate your corals to whatever new light you add.

Also, in your first pic, it looks like the flesh between the two polyps is ripped, in an established tank that would likely heal, in a two week old tank it’s trouble. You could do an iodine dip (search the forum for directions if you are unfamiliar), but conversely, moving it could make it rip more, so it may be better to leave it and only dip if you see it getting worse or see tissue loss. I would definitely try to minimize disturbing it and just let it heal.

Also just to make this clear at no point did I say the coral or and livestock were disposable. I am giving something a try and am prepared for it not working and needing to move the corals if necessary. So while it is easy to assume I'm just chucking things in a glass box and watching them slowly die that is not the case.

 

[Woodyman]

Almost 11 dkh Alk is pretty high for a very low nutrient tank. you need to watch that when you add stony corals.

Would you recommend keeping more towards the middle or low range of the recommended 8-12 dKH?

 

[Mikedawg]

I think the majority who responded to a poll here try for 9