What is my Leather doing?

[Kirstin]

What is my leather coral doing? I have never seen it envelop itself before. Also my hammer spends a lot of time like this. Why? The frog spawn usually stays extended. Thanks.

 

[Spare time]

That looks like an anemone not a leather. Post your water parameters (and light)

 

[vetteguy53081]

Not a leather. BTA or Haitian anemone and it likely just fed when it balled up.
Hammer is Not happy and receeding ( moderate light and water flow, salinity 1.026, temp 78 and oh 8.0-8.2) Feed 2X per week and assure phos is not high

 

[Kirstin]

It has “flattened” out again. I’m using the FluvalSmart marine and reef

 

[a4edwin]

My long tentacle nem does that every night for about an hour.

 

[Kirstin]

The hammer is towards the bottom of the tank. I feed Wed and Subday. Kent marine microvert. I don’t spot feed just squirt into the water. Everyday I feed the fish a mix of Oyster feast, Mysis, brine and can o cyclops. Salinity is 1.025, temp is76

 

[Spare time]

It has “flattened” out again. I’m using the FluvalSmart marine and reef

Ah its a hairy mushroom! It might have just had some food or something. Many mushrooms do that after being fed

 

[Spare time]

You may want to raise the hammer up as I am not sure how strong the fluval light is. Make sure you have the blue and violet channels going as that is waht the coral needs.

However what is most important to know would be your alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium

 

[Kirstin]

Thank you, i will test my water today. It has been about 2 weeks since i last tested those, can't find where i placed the results, but they were good. Alkalinity was on the low side but my LFS said it was ok. i checked the Fluval website and it says that at 3" PAR is 376 and LUX is 16290 and at 12 " PAR is 90 and LUX is 3620. The hammer is probably a little over 12" from the light. I will move it higher on the rock.

 

[Spare time]

Thank you, i will test my water today. It has been about 2 weeks since i last tested those, can't find where i placed the results, but they were good. Alkalinity was on the low side but my LFS said it was ok. i checked the Fluval website and it says that at 3" PAR is 376 and LUX is 16290 and at 12 " PAR is 90 and LUX is 3620. The hammer is probably a little over 12" from the light. I will move it higher on the rock.

You need to test alk more often. However if you have had the coral there for a while then don't move it. They do not like super bright light. More of a medium light coral. I think its your alk and not the light. You need to keep it stable at the same number. Corals do not like swings in it and hammers tend to do poorly when the alk gets low.

 

[Kirstin]

Ok I have completed my tests and the results are as follows:
Ph 8
Alkalinity 180
General Hardness 180
Kh 120
Nitrate 0
Nitrite 0
Calcium 440
Phosphate 0

Alkalinity and Kh are listed separately because it was 2 different test strips. one was API the other Imaginarium. i do have Fluval Alkalinity if I need to raise it.

 

[Spare time]

I think you should invest in a liquid chemical test. The strips are not accurate enough for reef chemistry once you start to add up stony corals and such. However If the 180 alk measurement is what I think, which I think is 10 KH, that is fine. I'm not sure what it would be then. Maybe too much flow? Im out of ideas for that sorry

 

[Kirstin]

I appreciate all your help. There might be too much flow. I have the return from the filter, 150 gah, the return from the refugium , 100 gph and 2 Skimz wavemaker pumps. Max flow is 1585 gph each but I have them set on the lowest setting . Maybe I need to discontinue using one of the pumps but I read that corals want alternating flow so I’m not sure

 

[Kirstin]

Sorry should have said that my tank is a 40 gallon breeder

 

[Spare time]

I appreciate all your help. There might be too much flow. I have the return from the filter, 150 gah, the return from the refugium , 100 gph and 2 Skimz wavemaker pumps. Max flow is 1585 gph each but I have them set on the lowest setting . Maybe I need to discontinue using one of the pumps but I read that corals want alternating flow so I’m not sure

They do like alternating flow, but typically lps like the hammer like gently swaying motion. I have knocked polyps off before from too much flow haha.