Okay so there's been a lot of changes in just 12 days - lemme tell ya'll!
First big thing is that the 5 head hammer I bought 13 days ago died 8-12 days ago from brown jelly disease (BJD for ya'll who don't know). ***. This Euphy was a stud. All the girls at the LFS were talking about how amazing it was. I've TBH (after at least 7 years) never had this happen at my LFS, but there's been turnover and whatever.
Anyway, got that hammer and a Kenya Tree along with some fish for my freshwater turtle. Get home and pick the bag up off of the floor board and the paper bag had busted from a leak in one of the plastic bags. The Hammer bag was deflated and leaking. YA'LL!!!!!!!!!!!!! I knew I effed up when I forgot the cooler (I was trying to 'just browse' and buy turtle feeders), but usually you can get a double/triple plastic bag with a paper bag (or two) and potentially some styrofoam. Plus it's 40ish min home, heated seats, heat on the floor running 80ish - I swear this has been so good for other tank builds.
So yeah, yeah - here I am - aware of my naïveté, yet hopeful that it would be okay. I did a 15 min dip in Coral X as per directions AFTER 20 min of temp and drip acclimation. Parameters as follows:
pH: 8.22 (stable to the .00 for 3 months)
SG: 1.026/Salinity 35 (Stabile at least 3 months)
Temp: 79/80 degrees as measured by sump and display; stable since set-up
Cal: 404 ppm (coming down from 600, but stabilized between 400-430 ~1 month)
Alk: 9.5 dKh coming down from 12 dKh for the last month
Mag: 1340 ppm
Phos: 0.09 ppm, down from 0.9 ppmover the last month with addition of GFO reactor - still intro levels of media
Nitrite/Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrates: 0.20 ppm
Iodine: 0.8 ppm
Str: 10.0 ppm
Day 1 it was closed up for a few hours and then began to open up one head at a time over about 8 hours, largest to smallest, in order.
Day 2 - it began to lose heads, beginning with the smallest. I knew about "polyp bailout" and also brown jelly. It didn't look like the BJD I knew, so I thought polyp bailout from acclimation. So I let the whole thing sit for 2-3 *DAYS* while it infected the rest of the heads on this beautiful hammer coral.
Day 3 - heads 2-4 were gaping. Stony, toothpick-like teeth shown through wide-open, gaping mouths. I, stupidly, maintained hope. Yep.
Nothing was brown. Not like the pictures I knew. My whole tank otherwise was thriving. Yes, I'd changed the light cycle. The flow was (admittedly) way too high. ETC. ETC. ETC.
But, I adjusted and the hammer heads 2-4 would look better. Eventually though, they stayed open. Head 1 bailed completely and the others had pieces of luminescent parts falling off and floating about the tank. I pulled the whole thing.
I Fragged the coral to leave the two biggest and seemingly unaffected heads to head. Dipped the 'good' heads in coral X for about 10 min and then put them back into the display. That's when I saw pieces breaking off of each. It had already taken the whole animal. I had taken top down images (will attach upon request but not on my laptop so need to link my phone) and had researched (ehem - googled) accordingly and saw 'BJD'. I'm sad I was so naïve. At least I wasn't attached so out the money only.
New additions (only two pictured):
- green candycane
- green flowerpot (goniopora)
New Equipment:
- BRS GFO Reactor with 250g pump
New Supps & Food
- Brightwell Aquatics Koral Color; 10ml 2xweek
- Korallen-zucht.de coral snow; 4ml/daily
- BRS Reef Chili 2 scoops; 2x/week
- LRS Herbivore Frenzy; every other day
- LRS Marine Frenzy; every other day
- Green Seaweed Omega One Super Veggie; 1/2 sheet daily
- Growth Hack; 4 drops daily with LRS frozen food
- Aquavitro Calcification; 20 mls as needed - still titrating
New CUC:
- 12 bumblebee snails
- 10 astrea snails
- 1 cleaner shrimp
New Corals
- 1 lg green flowerpot
- 2 headed candy cane
On Deck
Corals coming Thursday 12/23/2021 from
@CherryCorals palypalooza sale (day 1 - didn't participate day 2 because lol, wellllllllll)
Fish on Order for Quarantine:
- 1 Male, 3 Female Indian Ocean Lyretail Anthias
Supps from
@Bulk Reef Supply
Sorry about your hammer. That sounded like a nice piece.
