Questions about my favia and aussie hammer

[ashleyberg]

1st - my ultra iron man favia has slowly turned brown on the edges. I’m finding conflicting information on the internet as to what could be the reason. Some say alk, some say too much light, some say too little light. I was always under the impression that too much light caused bleaching, and too little caused browning. Am I wrong? I moved it to a lower light and lower flow spot for now until I can find an answer.

2nd - what would cause my Aussie hammers tips to change from the hammer shape to pointed? I noticed once it split from 1 head to 3, this started happening. Is that normal, or is it a light, flow, or parameter issue?

Tank params:

• Temp: 78
• Salinity: 1.025
• PH: 8.0-8.2 (hard to tell the diff on test kit)
• Ammonia: 0
• Nitrite: 0
• Nitrate: 5-10 (hard to tell on test kit)
• Calcium: 380ppm
• Alkalinity/dKH: 143.2ppm/8 dKH
• Phosphate: 0
• Lights:12 hour cycle full spectrum (blues, cyan, purple), red and whites on 20% for 6 of those hours

Thanks in advance!

 

[blaxsun]

2. My hammers will occasionally take on slightly different shapes with the tips. As long as the coral is otherwise healthy, I think you're fine. You may want to look at increasing your phosphates a teeny bit.

 

[ashleyberg]

2. My hammers will occasionally take on slightly different shapes with the tips. As long as the coral is otherwise healthy, I think you're fine. You may want to look at increasing your phosphates a teeny bit.

Thanks, it seems healthy and is growing, just wasn’t sure if the tips changing shape meant it was unhappy with certain parameters and/or flow? I’ve been trying to raise the phosphates for a couple months by overfeeding and reducing my water changes from 15% weekly to 20% every 2 weeks, and only changing my filter floss once a week instead of 2x. Still can’t raise them. Do you think having floss, a bag of activated carbon, purigen, and chemipure blue is overkill for a 13.5?

 

[ashleyberg]

Thanks, it seems healthy and is growing, just wasn’t sure if the tips changing shape meant it was unhappy with certain parameters and/or flow? I’ve been trying to raise the phosphates for a couple months by overfeeding and reducing my water changes from 15% weekly to 20% every 2 weeks, and only changing my filter floss once a week instead of 2x. Still can’t raise them. Do you think having floss, a bag of activated carbon, purigen, and chemipure blue is overkill for a 13.5?

 

[blaxsun]

Thanks, it seems healthy and is growing, just wasn’t sure if the tips changing shape meant it was unhappy with certain parameters and/or flow? I’ve been trying to raise the phosphates for a couple months by overfeeding and reducing my water changes from 15% weekly to 20% every 2 weeks, and only changing my filter floss once a week instead of 2x. Still can’t raise them. Do you think having floss, a bag of activated carbon, purigen, and chemipure blue is overkill for a 13.5?

Mine was getting 'stringy' engaging in coral warfare with a torch and goniopora, so I moved it and the polyps returned to the normal 'hammer' shape. 10% every 2 weeks is fine as well (I do even less frequently than that). Purigen and ChemiPure Blue are fine, but the carbon isn't necessary (the ChemiPure blue is mostly carbon anyway).