Is coral splitting?

[WIReefer]

Was just wondering if this coral is splitting have had it in tank for about 4 months now and has always looked super healthy and long tentacles now it looks like it is splitting since about two weeks ago is it splitting? And isn’t looking the greatest anymore.

 

[MixedFruitBasket]

Yes, it looks like it might be growing another head. Grape coral/frogspawn/hammer doesn't really split like mushrooms or other soft corals, it grows a larger skeleton and tissue.

 

[living_tribunal]

Was just wondering if this coral is splitting have had it in tank for about 4 months now and has always looked super healthy and long tentacles now it looks like it is splitting since about two weeks ago is it splitting? And isn’t looking the greatest anymore.

If it’s a branching hammer you’ll see little pimple things pop out from the skeleton. Those are the new branches and you’ll soon see little tiny polyps.

 

[Nburg's Reef]

If it’s a branching hammer you’ll see little pimple things pop out from the skeleton. Those are the new branches and you’ll soon see little tiny polyps.

I've had hammers for over a decade and don't think any of those shoots turned into anything substantial. Most of the growth is through head division which looks like what happened here. If you get it to retract as much as possible, you should see 2 mouths if it has split.

 

[WIReefer]

I've had hammers for over a decade and don't think any of those shoots turned into anything substantial. Most of the growth is through head division which looks like what happened here. If you get it to retract as much as possible, you should see 2 mouths if it has split.

It definitely has two heads now I can see it much clearer, should I just let it be?

 

[living_tribunal]

I've had hammers for over a decade and don't think any of those shoots turned into anything substantial. Most of the growth is through head division which looks like what happened here. If you get it to retract as much as possible, you should see 2 mouths if it has split.

Most of the new starter branches on mine don’t materialize but about 1 in 5 turn into a new branch. They don’t end up being larger than the main head but do end up growing quite large. Enough to frag and sell.

 

[Nburg's Reef]

Yep, before you know it, you'll have 4, then 8, etc. If your water is stable, they will grow pretty quick if there is enough food in the water. Hammers are pretty hardy so I wouldn't worry about it too much.

 

[WIReefer]

Yep, before you know it, you'll have 4, then 8, etc. If your water is stable, they will grow pretty quick if there is enough food in the water. Hammers are pretty hardy so I wouldn't worry about it too much.

Oh okay, I feed often with brine shrimp and reef chili so I would say there is plenty of food in the tank.

 

[Nburg's Reef]

Oh okay, I feed often with brine shrimp and reef chili so I would say there is plenty of food in the tank.

If it were me, I'd swap the brine shrimp for mysis shrimp. Unless its freshly hatched baby brine shrimp, they don't have a lot of nutritional value vs other shrimp like mysis. You don't need the fancy PE mysis which runs pretty large, the everyday cubes next to your brine shrimp packs should be just fine.

Also, reef chili is good! just don't over do it or you could be feeding pests and corals too.

 

[WIReefer]

If it were me, I'd swap the brine shrimp for mysis shrimp. Unless its freshly hatched baby brine shrimp, they don't have a lot of nutritional value vs other shrimp like mysis. You don't need the fancy PE mysis which runs pretty large, the everyday cubes next to your brine shrimp packs should be just fine.

Also, reef chili is good! just don't over do it or you could be feeding pests and corals too.

Okay good to know I’ll make the switch and I feed reef chili once a week is that too much?

 

[Nburg's Reef]

Once per week is good.

 

[WIReefer]

Once per week is good.

Okay tank is pretty stable been running for almost 8 months now have some sps in tank and Is growing well not sure why this one is not looking the greatest.