Hammer looking sad. Is my torch to blame?

[rhitee93]

Hi all,

My hammer coral has been in a funk for the last several days. I had a bit of an alk drop 3 weeks ago because my dosing line got pinched just before I left on vacation for a few days. It fell to 6.3, but I corrected that over a 2 week period. Otherwise my parameters have been pretty stable. My pH is on the high side, but it has been that way for 5 months, so I have left it alone.

Nitrate 35ppm
Phosphate 0.16ppm
Alk 8.7dkh
Ca 486 ppm
Ph 8.6

Looking around on the forum last night I see that torches can be the exception to the "Euphyllia get along" rule. I didn't realize this when I placed the torch there back in November. The torch has really been expanded lately, so I'm hoping that is the problem. If so, I can move the hammer over closer to a frog spawn. I've had the hammer for about a year I think, and with the exception of a rogue filefish this summer, it has always been pretty happy looking.

 

[Reef_at_Sea]

I would try to move them to their own little spot with enough flow & light.

 

[rhitee93]

Hmm, right after posting this I looked over and caught this action going on. The sweeper detached as I took the pic, but the torch was definitely attached to hammer for a bit...

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Hmm, right after posting this I looked over and caught this action going on. The sweeper detached as I took the pic, but the torch was definitely attached to hammer for a bit...

At least you found the culprit!

 

[VintageReefer]

Torches can and will attack hammer. And also Goni. And almost anything else.
The longer that sweeper stays connected, the higher the chance of murder.

Hammers are not innocent either. They can also extend sweepers and will attack corals around them. I have a hammer colony that has killed several corals on me, forcing me to relocate the hammer several times.