Hammer Growth (normal or not?)

[RisenReef]

Hi all,

First hammer, 2 months in and seems to be doing well and growing. Started noticing a growth pattern on it that is starting to overtake some of the polyps. The growth feels like normal skeleton and does not move, but looks freaky. I’m a newbie, so want to check in with you folks to see what you think. The external growths have gotten bigger, just not sure if this is normal budding or if it’s something that I should be attending to.

(Water parameters within normal limits)

Thank you!!

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I can't tell if its brown jelly or not, but its not good, something is killing the coral.
Pic in white lights will help, and parameters

 

[fish farmer]

That looks like some kind of bivalve stuck to it, does the top of it open and close when you touch it?

 

[WrasseyReefer]

Yeah, that doesn’t look like a normal hammer to me. I agree it looks like something is stuck to it. I would inspect it closely, and pull it off if you can without damaging the coral.

 

[RisenReef]

Hi all,

First hammer, 2 months in and seems to be doing well and growing. Started noticing a growth pattern on it that is starting to overtake some of the polyps. The growth feels like normal skeleton and does not move, but looks freaky. I’m a newbie, so want to check in with you folks to see what you think. The external growths have gotten bigger, just not sure if this is normal budding or if it’s something that I should be attending to.

(Water parameters within normal limits)

Thank you!!

Yeah, that doesn’t look like a normal hammer to me. I agree it looks like something is stuck to it. I would inspect it closely, and pull it off if you can without damaging the coral.

It’s odd, right? I dipped it a week ago (not full iodine, just my normal prophylactic dip) and it was rock hard like the rest of the coral body, didn’t pull off.

 

[RisenReef]

That looks like some kind of bivalve stuck to it, does the top of it open and close when you touch it?

I have see the top of it sort of flutter with flow from time to time, but it is hard like the rest of the coral body and won’t pull off.

 

[RisenReef]

I can't tell if its brown jelly or not, but its not good, something is killing the coral.
Pic in white lights will help, and parameters

Is brown jelly hard? I have not had to deal with that yet!

 

[19Mateo83]

Kinda looks like an oyster growing on the side

 

[RisenReef]

UPDATE: surgery day

Thank you for the help, you guys are awesome. Set up my operating room and went to investigate with my sterile set-up, found like 3 bivalves. Coral is free of those dudes and in recovery