Hammer killing pest?!?!?

[Snilram]

So I just got home from work and went to go stare at my tank, like most of us do. I noticed this weird little feather duster coming right out of the middle of one of my hammer stalks (the circled red head) and had for the most part killed it. I pulled him off immediately freaking out and took some pictures. Since taking the pictures, I’ve cut the worse looking side (the heads circled in yellow and red) off the colony, dipped the entire thing separately, and put him back in the tank to see what happens. When I dipped it, nothing came off.

I’m looking to identify this thing. The few LFS that are around didn’t have much info on this pest other than to ask online. If anyone can help me figure out what this guy is it would be much appreciated

 

[ScottR]

Hard to tell. But you said it was like a feather duster. Did it look like a hand sweeping in and out? Sounds like a barnacle and it won’t kill the hammer.

 

[Snilram]

Hard to tell. But you said it was like a feather duster. Did it look like a hand sweeping in and out? Sounds like a barnacle and it won’t kill the hammer.

There wasn’t much in and out, just stayed out constantly until I plucked it off. I don’t think it’s my parameters. They’re they following

Nitrate: 10
Phosphate: 0.08
Calcium: 460
Alk: 9.2
Salinity: 1.025
Temp: 78

If it is a barnacle, could I have just got super unlucky with where it decided to live and killed that head?

 

[ScottR]

There wasn’t much in and out, just stayed out constantly until I plucked it off. I don’t think it’s my parameters. They’re they following

Nitrate: 10
Phosphate: 0.08
Calcium: 460
Alk: 9.2
Salinity: 1.025
Temp: 78

If it is a barnacle, could I have just got super unlucky with where it decided to live and killed that head?

I’ve seen barnacles inside hammers before. They may irritate them and *possibly* kill a head but on the skeleton, no. There are hundreds of ways to nail a hammer.

 

[Snilram]

I’ve seen barnacles inside hammers before. They may irritate them and *possibly* kill a head but on the skeleton, no. There are hundreds of ways to nail a hammer.

I just don’t see what else could have got to it other than that. I did some research on barnacles in hammers and saw a few other people saying they’re harmless for the most part. I know hammers are a pretty random coral when it comes to just losing heads for seemingly no reasons, but whatever that thing was on it did some damage somehow.

The pest was pretty smack dab in the middle of the head it killed. I know how outlandish it sounds, but since pulling him off, the other 2 heads I cut off with the affected guy (originally circled in yellow) fluffed back out and look way better today despite being chopped off the main piece. The head I circled red with the pest has maybe 5 tentacles still falling off it and the rest of the hammer doesn’t seem to think anything’s changed and looks great.

Also, thank you for the replies!

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

I just don’t see what else could have got to it other than that. I did some research on barnacles in hammers and saw a few other people saying they’re harmless for the most part. I know hammers are a pretty random coral when it comes to just losing heads for seemingly no reasons, but whatever that thing was on it did some damage somehow.

The pest was pretty smack dab in the middle of the head it killed. I know how outlandish it sounds, but since pulling him off, the other 2 heads I cut off with the affected guy (originally circled in yellow) fluffed back out and look way better today despite being chopped off the main piece. The head I circled red with the pest has maybe 5 tentacles still falling off it and the rest of the hammer doesn’t seem to think anything’s changed and looks great.

Also, thank you for the replies!

I’m not sure that could’ve killed the head so much as taken up there after the head died. I have vermitid snails bad and even they won’t grow on my hammer. The sweeper tentacles murder everything to death that gets close