Is this hammer healthy?

[imnewplshelp]

Second day being in there, I don’t know much about them but does this seem to be healthy? Too much flow? Not enough?

 

[twentyleagues]

No pic on my end.

 

[imnewplshelp]

Ah that’s cuz I forgot to upload them lol. Was also wondering, they sold it to me as a branching hammer, is this just a frag and the head will kind of split into two? Or is it a wall? Also can I take it off the frag plug and glue it directly? It should I just hide the frag plug

 

[Peair]

Second day being in there, I don’t know much about them but does this seem to be healthy? Too much flow? Not enough?

 

[twentyleagues]

Its branching. The heads will split and grow skeleton growing taller. It looks fine. I'd keep it on the plug for future fragging.

 

[DanTheReefer]

Looks good

 

[Peair]

You can just slice that plug off, slice it around where it is already glued, and just glue it to your reef rock, it will look a lot nicer on the rock without the plug, and it will grow better and faster, I did a couple myself this last month, and the one you are looking at was small and dying before I put it on my reef rock, take a look at my pic for reference:

 

[imnewplshelp]

Okay, cool. It won't hurt it at all if I just cut it off will it?

 

[twentyleagues]

Okay, cool. It won't hurt it at all if I just cut it off will it?

As long as you are careful no. The skeletons can be brittle so very light pressure if any at all. I'm telling you though you may regret it in the future. Its a lot easier to frag if its removable from the tank. What I did years ago was let it grow out on the frag plug then once big enough cut frag plug off and find a hole to put the base of skeleton in maybe a little super glue gel to hold it there but still be removable. If you are doing it right corals grow. You may need to frag a colony to keep it healthy not just for trading or selling. Sps are easy bone cutters. Lps have brittle skeletons and will shatter if you try using bone cutters. Its much better/easier to use a band saw or dremel, you cant do that in tank.

 

[imnewplshelp]

Ah okay that makes sense. Thank you

 

[twentyleagues]

I also feel the need to say that with or without frag plug will make zero impact on the growth of the coral. Especially your hammer. Where your hammer is glued down the skeleton is "dead" it will not cover the frag plug in growth it will only grow up and out from there. Years ago and i'm sure many still do this they cut the frags from plugs to cut back on the possibility of bringing in hitch hikers and algae. Even sps that had based out on the plug. Its crazy to think that you'd cut half the corals mass off because of the plug but people did it.

 

[imnewplshelp]

That's the reason I always trim the frag plug as much as I can. That and They're easier to hide. All of this has been super helpful, thank you.

 

[Peair]

Okay, cool. It won't hurt it at all if I just cut it off will it?

No, you are cutting right where the place you bought it from glued it.

 

[imnewplshelp]

Came home to this? Was fine this morning

 

[Matt Bravo]

Hello there, im surprised everyone missed this but the hammer does look like it may possibly be receding. (Based off your 2nd picture the right side)

Please post parms

 

[imnewplshelp]

The only test kits I have right now are ammonia and nitrate. I haven’t ordered the others in yet because this was sort of a tester coral. Since posting that picture the polyps that were shrunk up have re inflated mostly, I think my urchin ran over it. The picture I took where it looks like it was receding was because the flow had just hit it right there I think. I’ll test ammonia and nitrate real quick

 

[Peair]

Came home to this? Was fine this morning

Now all you have to do is slice off that plug head, and it will look better and natural.

 

[Matt Bravo]

The only test kits I have right now are ammonia and nitrate. I haven’t ordered the others in yet because this was sort of a tester coral. Since posting that picture the polyps that were shrunk up have re inflated mostly, I think my urchin ran over it. The picture I took where it looks like it was receding was because the flow had just hit it right there I think. I’ll test ammonia and nitrate real quick

Regardless you definitely should begin testing regularly. Tester corals will do much better under right conditions.
Respectfully, you can’t worry about it looking natural right now. You need to make sure the little guy can make it through the month. I understand the hobby is very expensive to start but please invest in at least magnesium and alkalinity test kits (salifert test kits are great) as low quantities of both are definitely enough to stress a hammer

 

[vetteguy53081]

Came home to this? Was fine this morning

Does not look horrible but the skeletal base looks off and may be due to low calcium. Assure calcium is not below 390 and also that light is moderate to medium and flow should be moderate like leaves waving in the wind- Not vigorously

 

[imnewplshelp]

Regardless you definitely should begin testing regularly. Tester corals will do much better under right conditions.
Respectfully, you can’t worry about it looking natural right now. You need to make sure the little guy can make it through the month. I understand the hobby is very expensive to start but please invest in at least magnesium and alkalinity test kits (salifert test kits are great) as low quantities of both are definitely enough to stress a hammer

magnesium and alkalinity, should i get a calcium test also? If it matters I use RO/DI water with instant ocean and do a weakly 10-20% water change. It's a 15 gallon