Worried about new hammer coral not opening

[Madhouse275]

Hi I got a new hammer coral two days ago and it hasn’t opened that much as you can in the photos. I don’t know if I’m overreacting yet or something wrong and it’s dying. I put it in one of my lowest flows areas in my tank since I heard they don’t like it. my water parameters are:
Saturday 10/24/2020

Salinity: 1.025

Nitrates: 2ppm

Ammonia:0

Ph: 7.8

Phosphate: .25ppm

Calcium:460ppm

Alkalinity: 9
For the lighting I’m using the stock lights on the fluval evo
This is my first try on LPS corals, all my softies including ones I got in the same day are doing great.

 

[Madhouse275]

Sorry didn’t mean to post this twice

 

[Ryde]

Bump! #reefsquad

I'm no expert but it's probably just
getting used to it's new environment. Did you coral dip it before you added it? If so how long?

 

[Madhouse275]

Bump! #reefsquad

I'm no expert but it's probably just
getting used to it's new environment. Did you coral dip it before you added it? If so how long?

I did a 10 minute dip

 

[GoVols]

I did a 10 minute dip

From your lights:
With your softies open then your branching hammer polyps should be billowing out.

The thing that stands out to me is that your phosphates are sky-high.

You really want phosphates to be below .1 ppm / ideally .5 to .3 ppm

Crosscheck your phosphates and nitrates with Salifert kits asap before taking any action.

If phosphates are high, then tumble a small amount of GFO inside the right filter bag in your rear filtration section then keep on testing your phosphorate and do not let those zero out.

Your nitrates are very good and GFO will not drop your nitrates.

Long haul, invest in the Hanna Phos ULR ppm checker.

Phosphate Ultra Low Range PPM Colorimeter HI774 Hanna Checker - Marine Water

The HI774 Ultra Low Range Phosphate Checker® is a cost-effective way to measure phosphate in marine systems, including reef tanks. Excessive phosphate levels can prevent calcification, skeletal formation, and growth of many coral species, particularly those referred to as SPS or small-polyp...

www.marinedepot.com

HI774-25 Phosphate ULR Reagents - Marine Water

Phosphate Ultra Low Range reagent refills for the easy to use, handheld Phosphate ULR ppm Colorimeter HI774 Hanna Checker HC - Marine Water, as well as the Marine Master HI97105 Multiparameter Photometer. 25 packets of reagent Item #: HI 774 -25

www.marinedepot.com

One more thing:
Goggle Brown Jelly Disease to see if your hammer starts showing the goo.

 

[Madhouse275]

From your lights:
With your softies open then your branching hammer polyps should be billowing out.

The thing that stands out to me is that your phosphates are sky-high.

You really want phosphates to be below .1 ppm / ideally .5 to .3 ppm

Crosscheck your phosphates and nitrates with Salifert kits asap before taking any action.

If phosphates are high, then tumble a small amount of GFO inside the right filter bag in your rear filtration section then keep on testing your phosphorate and do not let those zero out.

Your nitrates are very good and GFO will not drop your nitrates.

Long haul, invest in the Hanna Phos ULR ppm checker.

Phosphate Ultra Low Range PPM Colorimeter HI774 Hanna Checker - Marine Water

The HI774 Ultra Low Range Phosphate Checker® is a cost-effective way to measure phosphate in marine systems, including reef tanks. Excessive phosphate levels can prevent calcification, skeletal formation, and growth of many coral species, particularly those referred to as SPS or small-polyp...

www.marinedepot.com

HI774-25 Phosphate ULR Reagents - Marine Water

Phosphate Ultra Low Range reagent refills for the easy to use, handheld Phosphate ULR ppm Colorimeter HI774 Hanna Checker HC - Marine Water, as well as the Marine Master HI97105 Multiparameter Photometer. 25 packets of reagent Item #: HI 774 -25

www.marinedepot.com

One more thing:
Goggle Brown Jelly Disease to see if your hammer starts showing the goo.

Thank you! I’ll look to buy some GFO. I’m also thinking of doing another water change tomorrow too to see if that helps. It just weird he’s out a little more but still very retracted and not showing any evidence of the brown jelly or melting. The palys I got the same day opened within 2 hours

 

[GoVols]

The palys I got the same day opened within 2 hours

Make sure that your new plays or any other softies are not warring and releasing their toxins into the water column.

Have a nice evening

 

[Madhouse275]

Make sure that your new plays or any other softies are not warring and releasing their toxins into the water column.

Have a nice evening

Thanks. I’m running some carbon to try to lower the toxins if there is any

 

[Spieg]

They can take a few days to adjust. Do you have any shrimp or other critters that might be pestering it?

 

[Madhouse275]

They can take a few days to adjust. Do you have any shrimp or other critters that might be pestering it?

I have a peppermint shrimp but I’ve never seen him leave his cave except for feeding

 

[Spieg]

The thing that stands out to me is that your phosphates are sky-high.

You really want phosphates to be below .1 ppm / ideally .05 to .03 ppm

Fixed it for ya.
Hammers can actually do okay with higher levels though.
To lower PO4, I'd probably recommend Lanthanum Chloride in stead of GFO in this case. Just easier to use and won't affect Nitrate.

 

[Madhouse275]

Fixed it for ya.
Hammers can actually do okay with higher levels though.
To lower PO4, I'd probably recommend Lanthanum Chloride in stead of GFO in this case. Just easier to use and won't affect Nitrate.

Thank you I’ll do some research on that. Do you think putting the hammer on the bottom might be not getting enough light? I was wondering that because he opened just a little bit more but the hammers polyps are mostly sticky up.

 

[GoVols]

Fixed it for ya.
Hammers can actually do okay with higher levels though.
To lower PO4, I'd probably recommend Lanthanum Chloride in stead of GFO in this case. Just easier to use and won't affect Nitrate.

Thanks for fixing my typo and adding your incite.

 

[GoVols]

I have a peppermint shrimp but I’ve never seen him leave his cave except for feeding

Gotta watch those pep shrimps real close.

 

[Madhouse275]

Update I did a water change and moved him a little higher up in the tank. He’s doing a little better now

 

[Madhouse275]

Just added some stuff to help bring down the phosphates too

 

[vetteguy53081]

Moderate light and water flow is all they ask and occasional feedings.
Are you using tap water from the faucet or RODI Water ?

salinity. 1.025
Ph. 8.1-8.3
Temp. 77-79
All 8-9
Mag 1300
Ca 450

 

[Madhouse275]

Moderate light and water flow is all they ask and occasional feedings.
Are you using tap water from the faucet or RODI Water ?

salinity. 1.025
Ph. 8.1-8.3
Temp. 77-79
All 8-9
Mag 1300
Ca 450

I’m using RODI water from my lfs

 

[Madhouse275]

He’s come out a little bit more but still not fully opening. And after a while retracts a little bit. Still no signs of brown jelly or any color loss so I’m not sure what’s up with him. Do hammers just take a long time to get used to a new tank? Tomorrow is the one week mark. Good news is my phosphates are starting to drop so maybe that’ll help.

 

[kilnakorr]

He’s come out a little bit more but still not fully opening. And after a while retracts a little bit. Still no signs of brown jelly or any color loss so I’m not sure what’s up with him. Do hammers just take a long time to get used to a new tank? Tomorrow is the one week mark. Good news is my phosphates are starting to drop so maybe that’ll help.

Just curious Any updates?