Where to place hammer?

[nick654377]

Where would you place a hammer in this tank?

 

[Lavey29]

You have plenty of spots. I have some on the sand and some on lower rock spots. Maybe try that right side open area.

 

[nick654377]

You have plenty of spots. I have some on the sand and some on lower rock spots. Maybe try that right side open area.

It is right now in the middle on the gravel. I just heard they don’t like the gravel and honestly I just want more movement in the tank on the right side. Where it is in the picture I don’t think it was happy there because the water comes from behind the rocks and was hitting it on the right side pushing it to the left. It didn’t look very uniform there.

 

[vetteguy53081]

While there is no special requirements for placement, assure its in a location where you are able to avoid the extremes. Avoid extremely bright locations or areas of very high current and avoid areas that are too dark or with currents that are too low. Fast currents risk damaging the soft, fleshy polyps (and getting an infection). Bright lights will cause bleaching. Insufficient lighting will cause the poor coral to wither away and starve to death.
Hammer corals only require a moderate amount of light for photosynthesis and can grow well in the intermediate regions of your tank. Just about any reef LED lighting should be sufficient for most tanks. Reduce white light intensity and get it off the sand bed which sand can irritate it.
The polyps should sway in the current, but not sustain so much pressure they are constantly bent over their skeleton. Too much flow will tear the polyps (worst case) and cause the polyps do not extend in the first place (best case). So, don’t give them too much flow.

 

[vetteguy53081]

It is right now in the middle on the gravel. I just heard they don’t like the gravel and honestly I just want more movement in the tank on the right side. Where it is in the picture I don’t think it was happy there because the water comes from behind the rocks and was hitting it on the right side pushing it to the left. It didn’t look very uniform there.

Gravel is worst spot due to irritation from sand. At last three inches off the bottom. Here are some of mine in relation to distance from sandbed:

 

[nick654377]

While there is no special requirements for placement, assure its in a location where you are able to avoid the extremes. Avoid extremely bright locations or areas of very high current and avoid areas that are too dark or with currents that are too low. Fast currents risk damaging the soft, fleshy polyps (and getting an infection). Bright lights will cause bleaching. Insufficient lighting will cause the poor coral to wither away and starve to death.
Hammer corals only require a moderate amount of light for photosynthesis and can grow well in the intermediate regions of your tank. Just about any reef LED lighting should be sufficient for most tanks. Reduce white light intensity and get it off the sand bed which sand can irritate it.
The polyps should sway in the current, but not sustain so much pressure they are constantly bent over their skeleton. Too much flow will tear the polyps (worst case) and cause the polyps do not extend in the first place (best case). So, don’t give them too much flow.

I don’t have any white lights on. It’s 25% blue max and 2-3% red and green.

 

[Lavey29]

It is right now in the middle on the gravel. I just heard they don’t like the gravel and honestly I just want more movement in the tank on the right side. Where it is in the picture I don’t think it was happy there because the water comes from behind the rocks and was hitting it on the right side pushing it to the left. It didn’t look very uniform there.

They are pretty flexible with placement. Low to moderate light and low flow. Here are some pics of my hammer placement.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I don’t have any white lights on. It’s 25% blue max and 2-3% red and green.

Red and green - good
Blue 60%
White - 13%

Low light may be your issue. Literally impossible for them to produce zooxanthellae under this type of light

 

[nick654377]

Red and green - good
Blue 60%
White - 13%

Low light may be your issue. Literally impossible for them to produce zooxanthellae under this type of light

I wish I had a par meter so I am being somewhat conservative with lighting. And personally I don’t like the white lights.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I wish I had a par meter so I am being somewhat conservative with lighting. And personally I don’t like the white lights.

You can go low on white but offer something. They must have this color

 

[vetteguy53081]

BTW- beautiful hammer colonies !!