New Hammer Coral Dead Arm???

[Wrapse]

Hey, I just got this hammer last thursday and it has been looking great until last night I noticed a few arms around the outer perimeter of the coral looked a little shrunken and deflated. Thats when I also noticed what looks to be dead arm with a missing tip? It has looked a little more stressed today and I have seen it secreting slime a couple times. Please help and this is my first ever hammer
Thanks

Water Chemistry

• Ph- 7.8-8
• NO3- 0-5 ppm
• Mg- 1200 ppm
• Ca- 400 ppm
• KH- 7.7

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hey, I just got this hammer last thursday and it has been looking great until last night I noticed a few arms around the outer perimeter of the coral looked a little shrunken and deflated. Thats when I also noticed what looks to be dead arm with a missing tip? It has looked a little more stressed today and I have seen it secreting slime a couple times. Please help and this is my first ever hammer
Thanks

Water Chemistry

• Ph- 7.8-8
• NO3- 0-5 ppm
• Mg- 1200 ppm
• Ca- 400 ppm
• KH- 7.7

Looks like dporsdid tissue recession from stress(or) such as:
Too much water flow
Too much light
Low calcium
High phosphate
High salinity

 

[Wrapse]

Looks like dporsdid tissue recession from stress(or) such as:
Too much water flow
Too much light
Low calcium
High phosphate
High salinity

How does this light schedule look? AI Prime 16HD. Tank is waterbox peninsula 15.

 

[vetteguy53081]

How does this light schedule look? AI Prime 16HD. Tank is waterbox peninsula 15.

Blue- 70
purple 55
white 18
green 6
red 5
Royal 80

 

[Wrapse]

Blue- 70
purple 55
white 18
green 6
red 5
Royal 80

So do you think it’s from too much light? The hammer is placed in middle of lower half.

 

[vetteguy53081]

So do you think it’s from too much light? The hammer is placed in middle of lower half.

Light and calcium followed by water flow is cheif reasons they get stressed

 

[Wrapse]

Light and calcium followed by water flow is cheif reasons they get stressed

Where its located, flow shouldn't be an issue. I dialed my lights down to about the range you mentioned. Anything else you would do if you were in my shoes?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

how new is your tank? The pic shows some shiny white rocks. Regardless of parameters, corals will struggle in new tanks. There is a lot going on in new tank water that we can't test for.

 

[Wrapse]

how new is your tank? The pic shows some shiny white rocks. Regardless of parameters, corals will struggle in new tanks. There is a lot going on in new tank water that we can't test for.

Yeah this is a new tank at 4 weeks old. Cycle finished about two weeks ago. The wait on when to add corals has been confusing to me. I keep finding lots of contradicting information online for when it is safe to add them. Could you explain some more?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

There is no rule, experienced reefers add corals right away.

Newer hobbyists are normally recommended to wait a few months. Corals need stability more than anything, this means the parameters remain the same for days/weeks/months at a time. Stability comes from the aquarium age/maturity, good husbandry, knowledge, and experience.

I always suggest to just buy cheap $10 corals, use them as testers. If you can keep them alive for a few weeks, then can get more expensive ones.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Where its located, flow shouldn't be an issue. I dialed my lights down to about the range you mentioned. Anything else you would do if you were in my shoes?

Use a GOOD quality test kit to assure numbers are accurate. This is not a beginner coral and best in a stable tank as you have potential for chemistry spikes.

 

[Wrapse]

Use a GOOD quality test kit to assure numbers are accurate. This is not a beginner coral and best in a stable tank as you have potential for chemistry spikes.

I use Salifert test kits. Heard good things about them.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I use Salifert test kits. Heard good things about them.

Yes- I trust them

 

[Wrapse]

There is no rule, experienced reefers add corals right away.

Newer hobbyists are normally recommended to wait a few months. Corals need stability more than anything, this means the parameters remain the same for days/weeks/months at a time. Stability comes from the aquarium age/maturity, good husbandry, knowledge, and experience.

I always suggest to just buy cheap $10 corals, use them as testers. If you can keep them alive for a few weeks, then can get more expensive ones.

Alright. I got a couple zoanthid frags and pulsing xenia over a week ago before the hammer and they're doing great so far.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Thats a good sign, as mentioned above, hammer is more advanced than xenia's and zoa's, but maybe it can recover knowing that you have other healthy corals.

 

[Wrapse]

Thats a good sign, as mentioned above, hammer is more advanced than xenia's and zoa's, but maybe it can recover knowing that you have other healthy corals.

I sure hope so, thanks for the info