Hammer coral problem heads popping off.

[jcrusher556]

I had 3 hammer corals for quite a while now, about a year maybe a little less. All of a sudden they were big and fluffy one day and the next their heads popped off. I have one survivor left. In the day when the lights are on he seems happy. Maybe not quite as big as he once was. But I took this picture while the lights were off. Do you notice anything wrong here? Seems super retracted and the skin seems high up. But I’m new so it’s hard to tell. Please help.

Maybe he is fine and the other 2 just had other issues. Parameters are 35 salinity. 0 nitrite. 0 phosphate. 0 ammonia. About 10ppm nitrate. Alk 8. Calcium 440. Mag 1320. Temp 78 degrees. PH hovers about 8.0 to 8.3.

Mag is a little low I think, but I don’t think enough to cause what’s been happening .

 

[GHOSTLY]

Same things happening to mine right now. Narrowed it down to a bacteria issue

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/hammer-health.1136788/
There's some really good advice here. I dipped in iodine to help mine and its holding on

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

It doesn't look great, but its very hard to judge a nighttime picture. IF you can get a picture with lights on it will help. Please also take a focused out picture so we can see whats around the hammer.

 

[GHOSTLY]

I had 3 hammer corals for quite a while now, about a year maybe a little less. All of a sudden they were big and fluffy one day and the next their heads popped off. I have one survivor left. In the day when the lights are on he seems happy. Maybe not quite as big as he once was. But I took this picture while the lights were off. Do you notice anything wrong here? Seems super retracted and the skin seems high up. But I’m new so it’s hard to tell. Please help.

Maybe he is fine and the other 2 just had other issues. Parameters are 35 salinity. 0 nitrite. 0 phosphate. 0 ammonia. About 10ppm nitrate. Alk 8. Calcium 440. Mag 1320. Temp 78 degrees. PH hovers about 8.0 to 8.3.

Mag is a little low I think, but I don’t think enough to cause what’s been happening .

Also is this a wall hammer? I found wall hammers are more susceptible to bacteria and just random death

 

[jcrusher556]

It doesn't look great, but its very hard to judge a nighttime picture. IF you can get a picture with lights on it will help. Please also take a focused out picture so we can see whats around the hammer.

Daytime picture. Only one I could get before work. Hope it helps!

 

[jcrusher556]

I had 3 hammer corals for quite a while now, about a year maybe a little less. All of a sudden they were big and fluffy one day and the next their heads popped off. I have one survivor left. In the day when the lights are on he seems happy. Maybe not quite as big as he once was. But I took this picture while the lights were off. Do you notice anything wrong here? Seems super retracted and the skin seems high up. But I’m new so it’s hard to tell. Please help.

Maybe he is fine and the other 2 just had other issues. Parameters are 35 salinity. 0 nitrite. 0 phosphate. 0 ammonia. About 10ppm nitrate. Alk 8. Calcium 440. Mag 1320. Temp 78 degrees. PH hovers about 8.0 to 8.3.

Mag is a little low I think, but I don’t think enough to cause what’s been happening .

Also is this a wall hammer? I found wall hammers are more susceptible to bacteria and just random death

Branching I’m pretty sure. That’s what I was told anyway lol

 

[Shirak]

I would agree, the flesh is pretty high up around the top of the skeleton. It should be covering more of the skeleton. You can see the whiter colored skeleton where it was once covering. Based on your parameters you listed, 0 phosphate is not good, nitrate at 10 is a little on the low side IMO. If I had to guess I would say it's not getting enough nutrients and the tissue is receding until the heads can't hang on any more and bail out.