Struggling with Hammers!

[JohnSmith69]

G'day from Sydney Australia.

I'm struggling to keep my favourite coral, Hammers. Tried absolutely everything so figured I'd upload a video and some water parameters to get some feedback.

Video link:

Tank is an aqua one reefsys 400. Top right around 15cm below the waterline I have a jebao cross flow wave maker MCP 120 set at 'classic 30%'. Seems to be the lowest flow I can set it as.

Water parameters:
Calcium: 420
Alk: 10 (slowly reducing to 9)
Mag: 1500
Phosphate: 0.1
Salinity 1.025
Nitrates 9
Dosing Nopox, Argonite A, B, C daily to maintain parameters.

Light to medium fish load. I've got bubbles, a torch, and frogspawn, all seem to be thriving.

These hammers I purchased from my LFS, they were extended out for a day or two, then receeded. Pretty much similar story with the other hammers I've kept. Probably gone through around 10 - 15 different Hammers which all end up dying off.

They used to sit on a rock to the left of the tank, getting: between 80 - 100 par according to my vabira PAR Meter.

Any ideas? Thinking of slowly moving calcium to 450. Would love some input. I've temporarily moved them off the rock yesterday as theyve completely closed up, to the other side of the tank to eliminate if its a flow or lighting issue.

Seems as though I've tried everything and still having no luck.

 

[Shirak]

Calcium is fine. Nitrates are a little low but not terrible. I would stop the NoPox.

Maybe see what par they are getting at the LFS? Usually if they are reacting so dramatically after just a day or two it's not something like Ca. Flow and Par would be the big ones. Par 80-100 seems a little low unless they have been seriously under lit for a long time at the LFS. I generally aim for 150par at least for Euphyllia. Torch is moving but flow seems a little low too overall. Is it just the one powerhead on one side? If so I would add another to the opposite side so the flows can crash into each other randomly.

 

[kevgib67]

Ya, after looking at your parameters I would have to think that the problem is either par or flow or both.

 

[GHOSTLY]

Agree with both but have you noticed your stripeys ever pick at them?

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

refer to thread about the young lady struggling with torches

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I would put it into more light. My hammer is under MH lights thriving. The parameters are fine IMO, look to something else.

 

[JohnSmith69]

Calcium is fine. Nitrates are a little low but not terrible. I would stop the NoPox.

Maybe see what par they are getting at the LFS? Usually if they are reacting so dramatically after just a day or two it's not something like Ca. Flow and Par would be the big ones. Par 80-100 seems a little low unless they have been seriously under lit for a long time at the LFS. I generally aim for 150par at least for Euphyllia. Torch is moving but flow seems a little low too overall. Is it just the one powerhead on one side? If so I would add another to the opposite side so the flows can crash into each other randomly.

I've put the hammer back on its rock which sits higher, and more under the light. Using the PAR meter I'm geting 90 par directly above it. I can increase the lighting, would you suggest aiming for say 120 for a couple of days then increasing lighting to 150?

I have a cross flow on the top right aimed towards the top left, then return from the sump aims toward the top left also.

Thanks for your insight also.

 

[JohnSmith69]

Agree with both but have you noticed your stripeys ever pick at them?

Good point, quite possible. Interestingly enough the torch in the centre is thriving. Stripeys seem to never sleep so could be picking at the torches at night potentially. Just wonder why if they were they're not picking on the torch also.

 

[Shirak]

What's the par where the torch is?

I think you need to redesign the flow if both the powerhead and return are pointing towards the top left. Maybe move the wave maker to the opposite side so it can pulse and clash with the return flow to get some random currents or to alternate flow direction within the tank back and forth.

 

[JohnSmith69]

What's the par where the torch is?

I think you need to redesign the flow if both the powerhead and return are pointing towards the top left. Maybe move the wave maker to the opposite side so it can pulse and clash with the return flow to get some random currents or to alternate flow direction within the tank back and forth.

I checked again today. Was sitting at around 90. I increased the lighting slightly (trying to not shock anything) and its now getting 107.

I'm open to all suggestions right now, what I've been doing isn't working. Idea I had in mind was based off a youtube video I saw which essentially was to have everything in the same direction to create a circle of flow with the wave maker and power head.

I can move the cross flow wave maker to the top left which is right above the Hammers, and aim the return at the wave maker.

Keep the Cross flow set at Classic 30%? I have a few options as its a wifi wave maker. Classic, Sine, Random, Constant. I was worried if anything I had too much flow so have been leaving it on the lowest I could get it which was classic @ 30%.

 

[Shirak]

I think it would be worth finding out how long they LFS has them before selling and the light intensity they keep them at. Make sure they are branching hammers and not wall hammers and there is a nice healthy flesh band around the outside top of the skeleton. It could be they are just bringing them in and selling quickly before they have acclimated and settled in to tank life. Euphyllia are very prone to disease when freshly imported to the store IMO. How long are they lasting in your tank? Extending for a few days initially does not sound like too intense light. Slowly receding after that sounds like lack of light and/or nutrients or a combination of things. If they are dying off within days then I would say pathogen, bacteria, pest. Maybe the fish as mentioned above? Could be it just likes hammers and will leave the others alone.

 

[unchainedcoot]

I checked again today. Was sitting at around 90. I increased the lighting slightly (trying to not shock anything) and its now getting 107.

I'm open to all suggestions right now, what I've been doing isn't working. Idea I had in mind was based off a youtube video I saw which essentially was to have everything in the same direction to create a circle of flow with the wave maker and power head.

I can move the cross flow wave maker to the top left which is right above the Hammers, and aim the return at the wave maker.

Keep the Cross flow set at Classic 30%? I have a few options as its a wifi wave maker. Classic, Sine, Random, Constant. I was worried if anything I had too much flow so have been leaving it on the lowest I could get it which was classic @ 30%.

90-100 par is completely fine for hammers. They will not whither in a day or two from being under lit. These are all sitting around 100 par. The 2 in the back (left and right) have well over a dozen heads a piece (from single head) at this point.

From my experience they don’t need or want a lot of flow

 

[JohnSmith69]

90-100 par is completely fine for hammers. They will not whither in a day or two from being under lit. These are all sitting around 100 par. The 2 in the back (left and right) have well over a dozen heads a piece (from single head) at this point.

From my experience they don’t need or want a lot of flow

Looking at the video I posted in the OP, the torch in the middle. Would you say thats too much flow? Seems to be moving more then 'lightly dancing'. My best guess is theres too much flow. With my wave maker set at the absolute lowest I can set it to, Seems to me like I need to downsize the wave maker potentially?

 

[Shirak]

Looking at the video I posted in the OP, the torch in the middle. Would you say thats too much flow? Seems to be moving more then 'lightly dancing'. My best guess is theres too much flow. With my wave maker set at the absolute lowest I can set it to, Seems to me like I need to downsize the wave maker potentially?

not too much IMO. I would think about moving to the other side like you discussed so you have flow alternating back and forth vs in a continuous circular type flow. I do think this is just one of several things that could be impacting the hammers.

We haven't discussed feeding much other than your nitrates are a little low and your dosing NoPox which I don't think is a good idea. My LPS always did better with feeding a couple times a week because I often have low fish load. LPS pellets and chopped frozen mysis work well. I would turn on feed mode and shut all flow off for 20 minutes or so to allow them to eat. Torches seem to respond better but hammers will take food too.

 

[unchainedcoot]

Looking at the video I posted in the OP, the torch in the middle. Would you say thats too much flow? Seems to be moving more than 'lightly dancing'. My best guess is theres too much flow. With my wave maker set at the absolute lowest I can set it to, Seems to me like I need to downsize the wave maker potentially?

Torch movement looks fine to me. If you think it’s too much flow might have to get creative with the wave maker positioning