hammer coral

Curve50880 · 07/13/2007, 03:55 PM

What are the requirements to keep a hammer coral healthy?

Potsy · 07/13/2007, 04:05 PM

They're not too fussy about lighting - I've kept them under 250 watt hqi and 220 watts of pc but they do prefer medium lighting. Being from calm lagoons they prefer low - medium waterflow. They will greedily accept meaty foods like mysis. In my experience, if kept in a healthy environment, they are very hardy corals and will grow and grow and grow... Mine grew to the size of a soccer ball before I fragged it apart.

drummereef · 07/13/2007, 04:31 PM

I give mine moderate light and flow and it's a happy camper. Make sure to keep your alk/ca/mag in balance.

Curve50880 · 07/13/2007, 11:00 PM

thanks for the input so far guys. How do I feed my hammer mysis? Also how often?

EvilE · 07/13/2007, 11:44 PM

I want a hammer coral--they are cool as hell!!!!

Curve50880 · 07/14/2007, 08:43 AM

yea i know, i love my new frag...picked it up at the lfs for 20 bucks. Didnt think it was that bad a price. Still not sure about how to feed tho.

Potsy · 07/14/2007, 08:56 AM

Feed it two - three times a week, squirting the mysis with a turkey baster on the coral's heads. They don't absolutely require feeding but it will help them thrive. I went through stretches when I didn't feed it for weeks and it still grew like a weed.

Genin · 07/14/2007, 10:29 AM

I had mine under 150wMH lighting and never target fed and it still grew from 3 heads to 7 in about 2.5 months.

Ebisan · 07/14/2007, 11:33 AM

I used to feed mine for a couple of months but stopped. After 3 years, it went from 5 heads to over 60.

Curve50880 · 07/14/2007, 11:36 AM

besides mysis, what else could i feed them?

xcreonx · 07/14/2007, 12:40 PM

Make sure to take it easy on the squirting when you feed it. It will retract of you blast it with a turkey baster. It works great to place the baster on the upstream side of the coral and let the pieces slowly fall out onto the coral. Think of it like the current is bringing something for it to eat.

You could feed it bloodworms, enriched brine or any meaty foods in addition to the mysis, just make sure they are finely chopped, it won't be able to digest large chunks.

07/13/2007, 03:55 PM	#1
Curve50880 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Farmingdale NY Posts: 222	hammer coral What are the requirements to keep a hammer coral healthy?

07/13/2007, 04:31 PM	#3
drummereef Team RC Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: STL Posts: 14,754	I give mine moderate light and flow and it's a happy camper. Make sure to keep your alk/ca/mag in balance. __________________ -Brett 180g Marineland Starfire In-Wall 278 gallon system

07/13/2007, 11:44 PM	#5
EvilE Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Mesa, AZ Posts: 2,944	I want a hammer coral--they are cool as hell!!!! __________________ Targzissians Are Obviously Reptilian Current Tank Info: 55 gallon african cichlid FW, 55 Gallon mixed reef SW

07/14/2007, 12:40 PM	#11
xcreonx Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 1,362	Make sure to take it easy on the squirting when you feed it. It will retract of you blast it with a turkey baster. It works great to place the baster on the upstream side of the coral and let the pieces slowly fall out onto the coral. Think of it like the current is bringing something for it to eat. You could feed it bloodworms, enriched brine or any meaty foods in addition to the mysis, just make sure they are finely chopped, it won't be able to digest large chunks. __________________ Nature knows no indecencies; man invents them. -Mark Twain Current Tank Info: 90g shallow with H. Barbouri Seahorses

07/13/2007, 04:05 PM	#2
Potsy Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Kinnelon, NJ Posts: 1,827	They're not too fussy about lighting - I've kept them under 250 watt hqi and 220 watts of pc but they do prefer medium lighting. Being from calm lagoons they prefer low - medium waterflow. They will greedily accept meaty foods like mysis. In my experience, if kept in a healthy environment, they are very hardy corals and will grow and grow and grow... Mine grew to the size of a soccer ball before I fragged it apart.

07/13/2007, 11:00 PM	#4
Curve50880 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Farmingdale NY Posts: 222	thanks for the input so far guys. How do I feed my hammer mysis? Also how often?

07/14/2007, 08:43 AM	#6
Curve50880 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Farmingdale NY Posts: 222	yea i know, i love my new frag...picked it up at the lfs for 20 bucks. Didnt think it was that bad a price. Still not sure about how to feed tho.

07/14/2007, 08:56 AM	#7
Potsy Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Kinnelon, NJ Posts: 1,827	Feed it two - three times a week, squirting the mysis with a turkey baster on the coral's heads. They don't absolutely require feeding but it will help them thrive. I went through stretches when I didn't feed it for weeks and it still grew like a weed.

07/14/2007, 10:29 AM	#8
Genin Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: PA Posts: 755	I had mine under 150wMH lighting and never target fed and it still grew from 3 heads to 7 in about 2.5 months.

07/14/2007, 11:33 AM	#9
Ebisan Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 1,141	I used to feed mine for a couple of months but stopped. After 3 years, it went from 5 heads to over 60.

07/14/2007, 11:36 AM	#10
Curve50880 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Farmingdale NY Posts: 222	besides mysis, what else could i feed them?