What's going on with my hammer?

[Tmm87]

This hammer has been in my tank for about 3 months now. Water parameters are stable, everything else is happy. To the very best of my knowledge I'm pest free with the exception of some aiptasia that is not anywhere near the hammers.

Temp stays between 77 and 79. 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, 10-20 ppm nitrates (this is partly because I like to feed somewhat heavy and because of a back injury so water changes can be rough). I try to do a 15g change every week. It's a 60g cube, 80g total system volume. Calcium runs 430, mag 1300, alk around 8.8. Phosphate unreadable on an API test.

Everything else in the tank is showing wonderful growth.

The hammer has looked like this for the past 2 days. Some tentacles still expand and extend, most stay retracted. It looks like that head is splitting maybe, but I can only see one mouth still.

The anemone does not and has never touched the hammer, it's an optical illusion because of the angle of the picture.

I included a picture of the other hammer that's glued to the same rock and is not only actively splitting but also popping babies out of the stem.

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[sfin52]

how long been in tank

 

[Tmm87]

how long been in tank

4 months

 

[Tmm87]

Anyone else? It's still closed up like it's been. We're going on almost a week like this now. All other corals are still behaving normally.

 

[N00B1]

I had a hammer that did the same thing after a few months in the tank then it polyp bailed out off the skeleton. Its still alive and its been about a month, still cant figure out why it did what it did.

 

[sfin52]

Hows the flow around it.

 

[MetaKnight101]

Perhaps it’s needs some supplements my corals used to retract I didn’t have a clue why until I figured it was lack of nutritients. So mabye give some reef accelerator or phytoplankton

 

[Tmm87]

Hows the flow around it.

Moderate, indirect flow. It's sheltered a bit from the powerheads. I run an MP40 on lagoon around 50% max high up on the left side and an MP10 about midway on the right side that runs lagoon at around 75% max.

Flow or placement hasn't changed since it was added and up until a week ago it was perfectly happy.

 

[Tmm87]

Hows the flow around it.

Here's my schedule from the ecotech app and the third picture should give you an idea of location.

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[sfin52]

You want some phosphates in the tank.

 

[sfin52]

I know you can keep both hammers close. Could you be having a war between both hammers and the other one is winning. Just a thought.

 

[jdpeters]

Possibly flat worms or flow?

 

[Tmm87]

Possibly flat worms or flow?

No flat worms. Everything has been dipped before going in the tank and I've checked everything. Nothing even remotely resembling flat worms on it or any of the other hammers.

 

[Tmm87]

I know you can keep both hammers close. Could you be having a war between both hammers and the other one is winning. Just a thought.

I guess it's possible but I don't think likely. It was my understanding that hammers and frogs can touch each other without harm. I've never heard of them having problems with chem warfare either.

As a precaution due to the nems and various corals I do run carbon but it has never caused issues before.