Hammer coral tissue slowly receding?

[matteo.gravano]

Have a hammer coral I just recently purchased. I can’t tell if it is receding or not from the base but the polyps look good and open all day long.

Pictures are a little hard to see but right where the white layer at the base I’m thinking is where the tissue is coming undone from the new skeleton growth. Or i could be wrong and the coral is fine

Alk-8.3
Calc-450
Mag-1300
Salinity-.026
Temp 78

 

[kevgib67]

Could you post your nitrate and phosphate levels? You could bump your magnesium up, that would make it happier. Minimal flesh band, this hammer has been struggling prior to when you purchased it. I was given a torch from another local reefer because it was on it’s way out, no flesh band, and it’s doing great and I have had it over a year and a half. So you can turn this around. Waiting on additional information.

 

[matteo.gravano]

Could you post your nitrate and phosphate levels? You could bump your magnesium up, that would make it happier. Minimal flesh band, this hammer has been struggling prior to when you purchased it. I was given a torch from another local reefer because it was on it’s way out, no flesh band, and it’s doing great and I have had it over a year and a half. So you can turn this around. Waiting on additional information.

I’ve been dosing Red Sea alk should I use the magnesium bottle to up the mag or go with something else. Also not sure exactly how accurate because I only have these in api but po4-.05-.1 nitrates -20/30

I just moved that hammer to the frag rack on the glass originally it was on the rocks. Now it has a little less direct par and more subtle flow which seems to keep my bubble coral and hammer w 5 heads happy Hoping that helps settle things down a bit.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

How is the rest of your tank doing, or is it just the hammers just not doing great?
How old is your tank?

 

[matteo.gravano]

How is the rest of your tank doing, or is it just the hammers just not doing great?
How old is your tank?

I started the tank years ago kind of fell off because I was young. Got back into it with new pumps heater and an ai 16. It’s been going steady since last November was when I reset everything. (Biocube 32) currently doing a wc every month and dosing 1-2ml afr or alk per day depending on what I think is needed. 2 clowns 1 six line a watchman and a pistol shrimp

I had a spike in salinity at the start of the cold weather when the heater turned on and shocked some of my corals which have since been tossed and replaced. The hammer on the top left, gsp, anemones and mini scoly have been through it all. I have one purple hammer in recovery rn almost behind my rock w little flow seems to be hanging regrowing flesh slowly.

 

[matteo.gravano]

Here’s a better picture for example

 

[kevgib67]

I’ve been dosing Red Sea alk should I use the magnesium bottle to up the mag or go with something else. Also not sure exactly how accurate because I only have these in api but po4-.05-.1 nitrates -20/30

I just moved that hammer to the frag rack on the glass originally it was on the rocks. Now it has a little less direct par and more subtle flow which seems to keep my bubble coral and hammer w 5 heads happy Hoping that helps settle things down a bit.

Those numbers are fine but I’ve heard bad things about the accuracy of those tests. See if your lfs has different tests and bring in a sample of your water for comparison. I use Fritz for a magnesium dosing, I always test first and if it needs bumped up I follow the directions on the bottle and add to my mixed water I’ll be using for water changes.

 

[matteo.gravano]

Those numbers are fine but I’ve heard bad things about the accuracy of those tests. See if your lfs has different tests and bring in a sample of your water for comparison. I use Fritz for a magnesium dosing, I always test first and if it needs bumped up I follow the directions on the bottle and add to my mixed water I’ll be using for water changes.

Just picked up the Fritz mag I assume to correct the water that I’m putting into the tank relative to the numbers I’m at/ want to be at. Today calcium is a little high at 480-90 and mag is around 1320 so I’ll try and slowly bump up mag to 1400 and see what the salt is calcium wise I says around 455 ppm. Using reef crystals

 

[matteo.gravano]

Those numbers are fine but I’ve heard bad things about the accuracy of those tests. See if your lfs has different tests and bring in a sample of your water for comparison. I use Fritz for a magnesium dosing, I always test first and if it needs bumped up I follow the directions on the bottle and add to my mixed water I’ll be using for water changes.

Current update, it seems to be a little worse just slowly climbing up. I have it a 5 minute dip in coral rx incase of anything external and didn’t see anything. That was before my 20% water change and it still seems to be losing a little bit of flesh by day although the polyps are fully extended and my other hammers seems to be doing just fine.
Alk is 8.4
Calcium 460
Mag 1380

 

[kevgib67]

Current update, it seems to be a little worse just slowly climbing up. I have it a 5 minute dip in coral rx incase of anything external and didn’t see anything. That was before my 20% water change and it still seems to be losing a little bit of flesh by day although the polyps are fully extended and my other hammers seems to be doing just fine.
Alk is 8.4
Calcium 460
Mag 1380

It took a while to get where it’s at and will take a while to turn it around. Your parameters look good.