Hammer help

[Reef Jockey]

somethings going on with my hammer. need some help to diagnose
I got the hammer from a friend about 3 weeks ago and it was mostly receeded and not much color.

a couple of weeks in and i was getting better PE and color

everything was looking good until almost a week ago when i did my normal 20% water change, the hammer started to receed during the day and partially open at night/morning.
day

morning


I did not add anything during the water change except replace my carbon and purigen bags(rinsed first). I thought it might be coral warfare because there is a RBTA about 2 inches away but i've been irritating the bta so hopefully it moves soon. my parameters are:
Alk- 8
Ca- 460
nitrates-20 (always hovered around 10-20)
phosphates- .10 (been always this high)
PH- 8.03
mag- 1410
temp- 76-79
salinity- 1.026

i did just add an AI prime 16hd about a week after i got the hammer but i am still in acclimation mode so i don't think its the light. All other corals are doing just fine and growing.

appreciate any help thx

 

[P-Dub]

Corals do the darndest things. It could be the lights but all your parameters are checking out. What test kits are you using? It might also be a bug bugging them or a shrimp? What other critters do you have? Sometimes they just have to go through whatever they are going through. A iodine dip might be in order as well.

 

[Reef Jockey]

Corals do the darndest things. It could be the lights but all your parameters are checking out. What test kits are you using? It might also be a bug bugging them or a shrimp? What other critters do you have? Sometimes they just have to go through whatever they are going through. A iodine dip might be in order as well.

API test kit for KH, Ca, No3, and Phos...... i know, i know they're not that good but i'll use them up first and they have been consistent.
Mag is a salifert it
PH tester is a dip probe
salinity is a refractometer

just my cuc of some hermit crabs and a couple of snails. no inverts and livestock is just 2 clowns and a bi-color blenny.
I also dipped in Coral Rx before placing in tank

 

[MaxTremors]

I am thinking it’s a lack of phosphates. I’ve had a hammer do almost the same thing, and had API test kit telling me my phosphates were around 0.1ppm, when in reality they were less than 0.01ppm. As soon as I raised them a little it started bouncing back and eventually fully recovered. I would retest with better test kits and see if that’s not the issue.

 

[Shirak]

If it's closing up and shrinking during the day when the lights are on their brightest, I am going to say it's the additional light. I would try moving it to a lower light area and see if stays expanded during the day.

 

[John08007]

If it's closing up and shrinking during the day when the lights are on their brightest, I am going to say it's the additional light. I would try moving it to a lower light area and see if stays expanded during the day.

I have multiple hammers about 6-8" below the waterline with a kessil 360 right above. At one point during the day the kessil is at 100%. I keep my water around 80-81 degrees. Seems like it started having trouble after the water change.

Did you bring your new water up to temp before you added it? I had a monti lose some tissue after a wc, I believe it was because the makeup water was a little too cold.

 

[Shirak]

I have multiple hammers about 6-8" below the waterline with a kessil 360 right above. At one point during the day the kessil is at 100%. I keep my water around 80-81 degrees. Seems like it started having trouble after the water change.

Did you bring your new water up to temp before you added it? I had a monti lose some tissue after a wc, I believe it was because the makeup water was a little too cold.

Not saying hammers can't take high light.. saying this hammer can't. If it was something in the water it would be closed up regardless of time of day. But it extends in the morning and evening when the light level is not as bright, and it started happening after adding a new AI Prime. Which are very bright under the light and have much less spread than the Kessil.

OP also said he has had the hammer for a few weeks and does weekly water changes so he has done more than one and now the hammer is acting funny after the new light was added with the last water change. I think the water change is just coincidence.

 

[Shirak]

Reef Jockey how often do you change your carbon? You mention carbon and purigen change at the same time. It's possible if the water was a little yellow that it was removed which would allow more light to reach the corals. Sometimes it doesn't take much for a struggling recovering coral to have a big reaction to a small change in it's environment.

 

[Reef Jockey]

I am thinking it’s a lack of phosphates. I’ve had a hammer do almost the same thing, and had API test kit telling me my phosphates were around 0.1ppm, when in reality they were less than 0.01ppm. As soon as I raised them a little it started bouncing back and eventually fully recovered. I would retest with better test kits and see if that’s not the issue.

Thx, I took out the Purigen in hopes to stop phosphate removal

 

[Reef Jockey]

If it's closing up and shrinking during the day when the lights are on their brightest, I am going to say it's the additional light. I would try moving it to a lower light area and see if stays expanded during the day.

Thx, I only have the AI prime and is in acclimation mode with 12 days left. I increased the days to 25 so the intensity should lower hoping that helps if it is the light

 

[Reef Jockey]

Reef Jockey how often do you change your carbon? You mention carbon and purigen change at the same time. It's possible if the water was a little yellow that it was removed which would allow more light to reach the corals. Sometimes it doesn't take much for a struggling recovering coral to have a big reaction to a small change in it's environment.

Thx for the tips Shiraz. Hammer is at least 6” below surface and the prime is mounted 9” above water line. With the increase in acclimation mode days, I would guess the intensity is about 60%.
wc temp is a good point because I remember when adding the water, the temp did go up by 1.5-2 degrees.

if it was the sudden temp change, how long do they take to recover?

 

[Reef Jockey]

Reef Jockey how often do you change your carbon? You mention carbon and purigen change at the same time. It's possible if the water was a little yellow that it was removed which would allow more light to reach the corals. Sometimes it doesn't take much for a struggling recovering coral to have a big reaction to a small change in it's environment.

I change my carbon probably every 2 months.

 

[Reef Jockey]

ok, this is weird but i just saw my bi-color blenny picking at the hammer.... is that normal or is the blenny picking algae off the hammer?
has anyone had any experience with blennies picking at Euphyllias?

 

[Shirak]

Maybe try using about half the carbon and changing monthly?
Was the blenny picking at the skeleton or the actual coral flesh?

 

[Reef Jockey]

Maybe try using about half the carbon and changing monthly?
Was the blenny picking at the skeleton or the actual coral flesh?

It looked like the flesh. Hammer already retracted and blenny started picking at the top of the skeleton at the fleshy area.

 

[Shirak]

It looked like the flesh. Hammer already retracted and blenny started picking at the top of the skeleton at the fleshy area.

Well that doesn't sound good! My thought is either the torch has some damaged tissue the blenny is eating or it's developed a taste for LPS?? I have not kept that fish. Can't say I have heard of issues with blennies either.

 

[Reef Jockey]

Well that doesn't sound good! My thought is either the torch has some damaged tissue the blenny is eating or it's developed a taste for LPS?? I have not kept that fish. Can't say I have heard of issues with blennies either.

From looking up bi-color blenny care:
- likely going to spot it picking at the fleshy polyp stony corals or mantles of clams, which also happens in smaller aquarium set-ups.
- A hungry (or irritated) bicolor blenny can pick at large polyp stony (LPS) corals or the mantles of tridacnid clams.

 

[Shirak]

 

[Reef Jockey]

I was able to find a new home for the blenny yesterday and today i came home to see this

need to nurse this guy back to health..

 

[Reef Jockey]

Gettin there