Hammer coral splitting correctly?

[lordthaxto]

*Edit I clicked SPS by accident. Not sure how to move or delete this thread

New to this hobby, see my build thread for tank type / setup.

Water params are all good < .25 ppm ammonia( detects but never gets to first color zone of api drop tester kit), 0 nitrite, and < 5ppm nitrate.

Sorry if there are good pics out there that explain this and i didnt see, was having trouble finding a thread showing a younger one like mine splitting.

What has me worried is the bit hanging off the new spilt. My current is 2nd lowest for the MaxFlow DC wave maker, but it still looks like it might rip off.

Thanks!

 

[lordthaxto]

Just saw i clicked SPS... hammers are LPS. Sorry!

 

[ReeferWarrant]

Probably need a different angle on the photo to identify if it is splitting correctly. Ammonia should be 0, but assuming your test kit isnt easy to decipher between the two. The polyps look retracted and not fully extended. What are your Alk, Ca, and Mg levels? Also, make sure it's not in too much flow. The polyps will retract and rip off if thats the case. The flow should gently rustle through the polyps.

 

[lordthaxto]

Probably need a different angle on the photo to identify if it is splitting correctly. Ammonia should be 0, but assuming your test kit isnt easy to decipher between the two. The polyps look retracted and not fully extended. What are your Alk, Ca, and Mg levels? Also, make sure it's not in too much flow. The polyps will retract and rip off if thats the case. The flow should gently rustle through the polyps.

The flow is second lowest level, they dont seem to blow around too much( outside the one piece ). Will turn it down to lowest setting for now. Dont have a way to test those yet. Was planning a trip to LFS to get tester for those soon. Tank is only two weeks old, dis a 20% water change last sunday. I have 10g read to go, I could start slowly swapping out water.

Here are more pic with blue off :

 

[lordthaxto]

 

[Softhammer]

I’m pretty sure a coral can split on it s own without a human to determine whether it’s doing it right or not. While you may think that coral is young, I can assure you it is not, rather a single head from a mature colony. That’s the only way they can attain a stalk of that size. Euphyllia do not grow like trees as many may believe from seeing single branch frags. They grow as uniform clusters then are fragged a branch or two at a time.

 

[Softhammer]

That coral looks fine. Don’t jack with anything.

 

[ReeferWarrant]

What are your livestock for the tank? I'd make sure you can test Alk, Ca, Mg, Nitrate, and Phosphates. Salifert makes pretty good tests for all of those. I'd spend the money for the Hanna ULR Phosphate though.

 

[redeyejedi]

*Edit I clicked SPS by accident. Not sure how to move or delete this thread

New to this hobby, see my build thread for tank type / setup.

Water params are all good < .25 ppm ammonia( detects but never gets to first color zone of api drop tester kit), 0 nitrite, and < 5ppm nitrate.

Sorry if there are good pics out there that explain this and i didnt see, was having trouble finding a thread showing a younger one like mine splitting.

What has me worried is the bit hanging off the new spilt. My current is 2nd lowest for the MaxFlow DC wave maker, but it still looks like it might rip off.

Thanks!

Normally the head will just split in 2 while still having a good amount of white flesh under the polyp. Sometimes they sprout heads on the skeleton but mine have never done so.

 

[namfuak]

When did you add the hammer to your tank? Do you have any earlier pictures of it?

I could be completely wrong here, but that skeleton does not look healthy. From the angle the picture was taken, it looks like all the flesh has left the upper part of the skeleton.

 

[Softhammer]

New small heads that separate is a very common occurrence with certain euphyllias. Also changing water parameters isn’t going to do anything but potentially kill an otherwise healthy coral. Take that budding as a sign that you’re doing things correctly.

 

[ReeferWarrant]

Your flow looks good, but like @namfuak says the white of the skeleton is showing on the nearest polyp. Thats not a good sign.

 

[lordthaxto]

When did you add the hammer to your tank? Do you have any earlier pictures of it?

I could be completely wrong here, but that skeleton does not look healthy. From the angle the picture was taken, it looks like all the flesh has left the upper part of the skeleton.

Before I switched to the red sea 90 :

The leather tree I swapped directions to match current flow :

The leather tree I swapped directions for to match current :

After I moved the rock the toadstool grew some white stuff and has sense been closed.

 

[ReeferWarrant]

@Softhammer, budding does not occur in 2 weeks which would be when OP started the tank. It was more than likely that way coming from whoever they got it from. The polyp that the bud came from is receded and has exposed white skeleton.

 

[lordthaxto]

@Softhammer, budding does not occur in 2 weeks which would be when OP started the tank. It was more than likely that way coming from whoever they got it from. The polyp that the bud came from is receded and has exposed white skeleton.

You can see the "Crack" in the early photos actually. But yeah, only recently started showing signs of the flesh coming off

 

[aurora.k]

I agree with folks who are concerned - I don’t think it looks healthy as there isn’t good extension and the skeleton doesn’t seem to have healthy flesh on it. Like @redeyejedi said, I personally have never had a euphoria split that way, normally one head kind of stretches sideways to become wider then like a figure 8 then it separates vs just popping up with a small head (though others have said it looks normal, so I could just be too inexperienced still.

all that said, Two weeks is a very young tank. I know there’s tons to learn early on (oh, I remember!!), but the most important is to make sure salinity is stable (get an auto top off if you don’t have one) and:

I'd make sure you can test Alk, Ca, Mg, Nitrate, and Phosphates.

 

[namfuak]

I'm assuming that this is just below the rim and there isn't quite a bit of healthy looking skeleton that's hidden from the camera angle. This looks like the flesh has receded and the skeleton is breaking down, exposing fissures.

 

[lordthaxto]

I agree with folks who are concerned - I don’t think it looks healthy as there isn’t good extension and the skeleton doesn’t seem to have healthy flesh on it. Like @redeyejedi said, I personally have never had a euphoria split that way, normally one head kind of stretches sideways to become wider then like a figure 8 then it separates vs just popping up with a small head (though others have said it looks normal, so I could just be too inexperienced still.

all that said, Two weeks is a very young tank. I know there’s tons to learn early on (oh, I remember!!), but the most important is to make sure salinity is stable (get an auto top off if you don’t have one) and:

I added an ATO two days ago. Today I am adding an inTank media tray with some chemipure and purigen.

Was considering getting a HOB skimmer.

For sure will get an additional testing kit for the other params. I was just hoping weekly 20% changes with a low stock would be enough. I am not adding extra food for corals atm.

From my build page I have 20 lbs live sand, and about 35 lbs love rock. Main reason I added right away. Will continue to update its health here.

Thanks yall!

 

[lordthaxto]

Went to the LFS yesterday and had my water tested, everything was as good as it can get.

Regardless of that, I bought a HOB skimmer Octo Classic 1000 ( need to make a new thread for help installing ). Also installed my intank media trey so running with filter floss and purigen atm.