What is happening to my Hammer?

anabechara · Mar 27, 2023

Hi all!
So I have had this Hammer for more than 6 months. He was doing great. He even grew a new mouth so I guess ge was i. The process of growing a new head... and 2 weeks ago he started looking small... I figure it was the algae growing on his base so we did a 3 days black out. The dark spots on the base became darker and smaller. But it didn't really helpe
The parameters in my tank are the same since he first came.

T 80 - sal 1.026 - pH 8.1 - KH 8.1-8.4 - Ca 430-450 - Mg 1400-1450 - Nitrates 29 - PO4 0.2

Any thoughts?
Thank you in advance for your help!

LiLinka · Mar 27, 2023

Well there are a few possibilities that I assume would be some issues. 1 would be the phosphate. Your phosphate is testing at 0.2 which is high. You want .03-.08 high phosphates stress corals. Your nitrates are also a tad high I recommend 5-20. These 2 high nutrient levels can cause nuisance algea growth. Which could be what you said was “algea growing on his base”. It definitely looks ticked off. I’m also assuming you don’t have peppermint shrimp in the tank because I do see a shrimp in the back. Looks to be a fire but just checking. Peppermints tend to pick at corals after they eat all the aiptasia. If you correct the water chemistry and it is still ticked off I would dip it in revive for any pests that could be irritating it. Or if this algea is more of a jelly consistency could be a bacterial issue which could be treated with some. idodine dips. I would recommend first fixing water then dipping. Hope this helps! Happy reefing!

LiLinka · Mar 27, 2023

Forgot to mention that frogspawn to the right might be stinging it as it looks pretty close.

anabechara · Mar 28, 2023

LiLinka said:
Forgot to mention that frogspawn to the right might be stinging it as it looks pretty close.

Thank you for your response!

I am already working on decreasing the phosphate and nitrate. (Any tips on that also appreciated)
I thought about the frogspawn irritating it but aren't euphyllias suppose to be friendly to each other? But I will reposition the frogspawn just in case.

Also, I don't have a peppermint shrimp. But I am thinking about getting one cause I have some aptaisia in the tank... I have read that there is a particular species that would be reef friendly... so planning on getting that one...

Mr. Mojo Rising · Mar 28, 2023

Corals go into bad moods sometimes, sometimes for a couple of weeks. I would not change anything because a coral was moody. If the coral deteriorates, then you have to act, but your coral looks fine to me, I would not do anything.

I don't see the spots on your hammer, so no comment there. But maybe you can get a better pic and someone can identify the spots for you.

I have a suspicion that corals get moody sometimes before they split or grow new heads, like they are saving and building up the energy or something

Dburr1014 · Mar 28, 2023

anabechara said:
Hi all!
So I have had this Hammer for more than 6 months. He was doing great. He even grew a new mouth so I guess ge was i. The process of growing a new head... and 2 weeks ago he started looking small... I figure it was the algae growing on his base so we did a 3 days black out. The dark spots on the base became darker and smaller. But it didn't really helpe
The parameters in my tank are the same since he first came.

T 80 - sal 1.026 - pH 8.1 - KH 8.1-8.4 - Ca 430-450 - Mg 1400-1450 - Nitrates 29 - PO4 0.2

Any thoughts?
Thank you in advance for your help!

How long has it been in decline?
Was there a time the flesh was on the skeleton? It is gone now.

What are all the other parameters? And are they stable?

Lights? And flow? Age of tank?

Silver17jo · Mar 28, 2023

My peppermint shrimp has done a number on two heads already

LiLinka · Mar 28, 2023

anabechara said:
Thank you for your response!

I am already working on decreasing the phosphate and nitrate. (Any tips on that also appreciated)
I thought about the frogspawn irritating it but aren't euphyllias suppose to be friendly to each other? But I will reposition the frogspawn just in case.

Also, I don't have a peppermint shrimp. But I am thinking about getting one cause I have some aptaisia in the tank... I have read that there is a particular species that would be reef friendly... so planning on getting that one...

Frogspawn can touch frogspawn it can not touch a hammer. Different euphylia will sting each other. Rowa phos for phosphates and water changes for nitrates.

anabechara · Mar 28, 2023

Dburr1014 said:
How long has it been in decline?
Was there a time the flesh was on the skeleton? It is gone now.

What are all the other parameters? And are they stable?

Lights? And flow? Age of tank?

The hammer has been in decline for about two weeks. I have had it for 5 months.

He has not lost any flesh.

The light is an Hydra 32. The settings changed in November, which is when I got the light.

The flow changed about 1.5 months ago when I bought a new mp10. (I use to have a hydor koralia) and the movement of the corals is close to what it was before.

The tank was set up in October 2022 with new pink fiji sand and the rock was a mix of live and dry rock.

I forgot to mention that the tank is a 45G AIO.

anabechara · Mar 28, 2023

LordofCinder said:
Corals go into bad moods sometimes, sometimes for a couple of weeks. I would not change anything because a coral was moody. If the coral deteriorates, then you have to act, but your coral looks fine to me, I would not do anything.

I don't see the spots on your hammer, so no comment there. But maybe you can get a better pic and someone can identify the spots for you.

I have a suspicion that corals get moody sometimes before they split or grow new heads, like they are saving and building up the energy or something

there are two dark spots on the base of the coral. I am sorry I cannot take a better picture...

anabechara · Mar 28, 2023

LiLinka said:
Frogspawn can touch frogspawn it can not touch a hammer. Different euphylia will sting each other. Rowa phos for phosphates and water changes for nitrates.

Ok... I have been thinking it is because of the frogspawn cause he came about 3 weeks ago... so since he is the newcomer I moved him a little bit.
I am working on lowering the PO and NO... I bought the Hanna checkers this week and I didn't realized they were so high... I was using the Salifer tests, but I guess I am not very good at judging colors on a chart...
So hopefully with the frogspawn further away and a cleaner water he will go back to thriving!
Thank you for your help!

Dburr1014 · Mar 28, 2023

Could that dark spot be a sponge?

anabechara · Mar 28, 2023

Dburr1014 said:
Could that dark spot be a sponge?

I have no idea! How can I know for sure??
it did become darker after the three day blackout. It is a flat sark spot all around the hammer...
I moved the frogspawn earlier today.

Reef. · Mar 28, 2023

anabechara said:
Thank you for your response!

I am already working on decreasing the phosphate and nitrate. (Any tips on that also appreciated)
I thought about the frogspawn irritating it but aren't euphyllias suppose to be friendly to each other? But I will reposition the frogspawn just in case.

Also, I don't have a peppermint shrimp. But I am thinking about getting one cause I have some aptaisia in the tank... I have read that there is a particular species that would be reef friendly... so planning on getting that one...

Yes they are meant to get on together but if the hammer can’t open fulling without bumping into the frogspawn then that alone could be causing the irritation.

No one really know what the exact problem is, it’s just a matter of correcting all that could be the issue and hoping you hit on it.

anabechara · Mar 29, 2023

Reef. said:
Yes they are meant to get on together but if the hammer can’t open fulling without bumping into the frogspawn then that alone could be causing the irritation.

No one really know what the exact problem is, it’s just a matter of correcting all that could be the issue and hoping you hit on it.

I moved the frogspawn and the hammer is doing better today. Still not back to normal, but definitely better this morning! So maybe it was the frogspawn being mean...

Reef. · Mar 29, 2023

anabechara said:
I moved the frogspawn and the hammer is doing better today. Still not back to normal, but definitely better this morning! So maybe it was the frogspawn being mean...

Could be that or better flow or light, as long as it’s happy, hopefully that does the trick…oh it was the frogspawn you moved, sounds it could have been a bit of infighting then.

anabechara · Apr 6, 2023

Could it be that the coral is growing and that is why he was looking bad recently?
I still think the proximity with the forgspawn was not helping... but maybe there was more to it...
check the picture below... it looks like it has growing baby polyps...

Any thoughts?

Dburr1014 · Apr 6, 2023

anabechara said:
Could it be that the coral is growing and that is why he was looking bad recently?
I still think the proximity with the forgspawn was not helping... but maybe there was more to it...
check the picture below... it looks like it has growing baby polyps...

Any thoughts?

Those pictures look like "what's different" in children's books. LOL.
I'm going back and forth and see the clown is missing.