Hammer coral not doing well

[IAmGroot420]

Hey! I’ve had my hammer coral for about 8 months now and he’s been doing great ever since about a week or two ago now. He’s always blooming and looked healthy. Couple things, I noticed there was a lot of brown gunk (maybe algae) on the surface of the water which was new to my tank. Other than that, every thing else has been normal. I have daisy polyp corals, two clown fish, along with clean up crew (conchs, peppermint shrimp). Mid flow with lights on 12 hours (blue light mainly) each day. Not directly above the light, but on the side where it’s receiving light

Seems like it’s dying for some reason. My parameters were consistent minus the Phosphate which reached .35, I got seachem phosphate and added it for 4 days. I checked water parameters after and it’s down to .13

Check photos for water parameters and pics of hammer coral. Note, the hammer photos were taken 2 days ago. As of today, unfortunately the coral looks worse now, a lot less color

Please help! I’m only 1 year into reefing. Any help/feedback I would appreciate

Phosphate: .13
Alkalinity: 7.5
Nitrate: 3.8
Magnesium: 1200
Calcium: 460
Salinity: 1.25

I use Hanna Checker for Phosphate, Almalinity, and Nitrate. I use Salfert for Calcium and Magnesium

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Hi, can you share what kind of light you have, what intensity, and how long its on? What size tank? What do you have for flow exactly? Do you have other corals in your tank? How are they doing? Do you have a powerhead aimed at the water surface to create some agitation? Do you have a surface skimmer or protein skimmer? Tank pictures are always helpful. Thanks to share more info

 

[get-salty]

Phosphate: .13
Alkalinity: 7.5
Nitrate: 3.8
Magnesium: 1200
Calcium: 460
Salinity: 1.25

what salt are you currently using?
your alk is too low.
you might need to look at your salt to see what are the levels after mixing and make sure you mix it accordingly.
or
you may need to start dosing two parts - alk/cal to do small manual adjustments.
here, you can dose more alk to raise it up then the cal will drop a tad say... 420.

Good luck

 

[IAmGroot420]

Hi, can you share what kind of light you have, what intensity, and how long its on? What size tank? What do you have for flow exactly? Do you have other corals in your tank? How are they doing? Do you have a powerhead aimed at the water surface to create some agitation? Do you have a surface skimmer or protein skimmer? Tank pictures are always helpful. Thanks to share more info

Hey! I have two Kessel A80 Tuna Blue lights. They’re both on about mid to slight above mid intensity (one light is more white and the other one is blue) and the lights are on 8 hours every day (10 am to 6 pm). 21 gallon tank. I have daisy polyp corals that are thriving very well and always have been. Yea, powerhead is pointed at the surface creating waves . Yes I have a tidal 35 HOB that has a surface skimmer.

 

[IAmGroot420]

Phosphate: .13
Alkalinity: 7.5
Nitrate: 3.8
Magnesium: 1200
Calcium: 460
Salinity: 1.25

what salt are you currently using?
your alk is too low.
you might need to look at your salt to see what are the levels after mixing and make sure you mix it accordingly.
or
you may need to start dosing two parts - alk/cal to do small manual adjustments.
here, you can dose more alk to raise it up then the cal will drop a tad say... 420.

Good luck

I’ve always used the same LFS saltwater and RODI. I’ve never had any issues with any of the livestock/corals since I got my tank about a year ago.

 

[Uncle99]

Could the clown mistake it as a nem?

 

[IAmGroot420]

Hey! I’ve had my hammer coral for about 8 months now and he’s been doing great ever since about a week or two ago now. He’s always blooming and looked healthy. Couple things, I noticed there was a lot of brown gunk (maybe algae) on the surface of the water which was new to my tank. Other than that, every thing else has been normal. I have daisy polyp corals, two clown fish, along with clean up crew (conchs, peppermint shrimp). Mid flow with lights on 12 hours (blue light mainly) each day. Not directly above the light, but on the side where it’s receiving light

Seems like it’s dying for some reason. My parameters were consistent minus the Phosphate which reached .35, I got seachem phosphate and added it for 4 days. I checked water parameters after and it’s down to .13

Check photos for water parameters and pics of hammer coral. Note, the hammer photos were taken 2 days ago. As of today, unfortunately the coral looks worse now, a lot less color

Please help! I’m only 1 year into reefing. Any help/feedback I would appreciate

Phosphate: .13
Alkalinity: 7.5
Nitrate: 3.8
Magnesium: 1200
Calcium: 460
Salinity: 1.25

I use Hanna Checker for Phosphate, Almalinity, and Nitrate. I use Salfert for Calcium and Magnesium

I have my lights on 8 hours each day. In my original post, I put 12 hours. That is not correct. I have lights on from 10 am to 6 pm daily

 

[IAmGroot420]

Could the clown mistake it as a nem?

I don’t think so because the two clowns have never been attached to it. They’ve always done their own thing away from the hammer

 

[Uncle99]

I don’t think so because the two clowns have never been attached to it. They’ve always done their own thing away from the hammer

Ok.
What about Mr. Peppermint?
Very common for them to steal food from coral mouths?

When we have a thriving coral for months go bad quickly when parameters appear OK, that makes me think attack whether intended or mistake.

I had a 6 year old hammer with a blue tang of the same age. One day he ate it. Never touched anything else again.

To me, MG a bit low….I run 1400ppm.
And I don’t run Alk below 8 dkh
But I doubt this is any concern.

 

[get-salty]

I’ve always used the same LFS saltwater and RODI. I’ve never had any issues with any of the livestock/corals since I got my tank about a year ago.

Okay then my best advise is for you think trace back on what all you've done and slowly revert it.

100% something was changed.

 

[IAmGroot420]

Ok.
What about Mr. Peppermint?
Very common for them to steal food from coral mouths?

When we have a thriving coral for months go bad quickly when parameters appear OK, that makes me think attack whether intended or mistake.

I had a 6 year old hammer with a blue tang of the same age. One day he ate it. Never touched anything else again.

To me, MG a bit low….I run 1400ppm.
And I don’t run Alk below 8 dkh
But I doubt this is any concern.

Not sure about the two peppermint. Mine seem to be nocturnal, so I don’t see them very often. Only when I feed the clowns (twice a day) they pop out of their hiding spot, but other than that I don’t see them during the day

How do I increase MG, and increase Alk?

I attached photos of the tank

 

[IAmGroot420]

Okay then my best advise is for you think trace back on what all you've done and slowly revert it.

100% something was changed.

I did use some Joes Juice to kill Aiptasia. I noticed some of the juice flew around the tank. Could that affect the coral? I don’t think it could be this only cuz all of the other coral/fish were affected at all

 

[Uncle99]

Not sure about the two peppermint. Mine seem to be nocturnal, so I don’t see them very often. Only when I feed the clowns (twice a day) they pop out of their hiding spot, but other than that I don’t see them during the day

How do I increase MG, and increase Alk?

I attached photos of the tank

You don’t have much hard corals where dosing would make sense, rather, a weekly water change should keep all in check when mixed to 35ppt.

What does a fresh mix of saltwater show in terms of Alk, CA and MG? I’d check those first to see what effect they have on water chemistry and to decide on what strategy will best serve system stability.

Once you know the starting point, we can work forward.

 

[Uncle99]

I did use some Joes Juice to kill Aiptasia. I noticed some of the juice flew around the tank. Could that affect the coral? I don’t think it could be this only cuz all of the other coral/fish were affected at all

It could if got stuck to a coral.
But just wandering, can’t see that.

 

[gabriellar]

Your nutrient seems to be on the lower end for LPS? i see your previous parameter for nitrate is only 3.8. Could it be starvation over long period of time be a contributor as well? Does it all of a sudden retract or do you see it shrinking over time?

 

[IAmGroot420]

Your nutrient seems to be on the lower end for LPS? i see your previous parameter for nitrate is only 3.8. Could it be starvation over long period of time be a contributor as well? Does it all of a sudden retract or do you see it shrinking over time?

Prior to this issue happening, the hammer would flourish and bloom the entire time the lights were on. Lights off they would retract. Seemed normal. But all of a sudden started seeing him retract more and more to the point where it no longer blooms and there’s little activity with it. It just stays inside now