hammer help PLEASE!

MegsB · 07/30/2007, 04:45 PM

ok, so my 65 gal reef has been running for over 3 months, NO problems at all (didnt even really cycle, as it was rock out of an established tank) i have lots of different corals (mushrooms, zoos, hammer coral, frogspaw, galaxy, favia etc etc) everything is doing great! growing and thriving, my water params are normal

nitrate: 0
nitrite: 0
ammonia: 0
pH: 8.2
temp: 82*

i have had one hammer for 1.5 months and its doing awsome, so i bought another different shaped one (that has 2 halves that are connected) one half died about 5 days after i got it, and it has now been 9 days since i bought it and the other half is starting to die! it is sluffing off (oozing white) from both ends, is there anything i can do to help save it? i dont understand why it isnt doing well, its about 1/2 way up under 250Watt MH, it wasnt next to anything that could sting it or anything, the other hammer was about a foot away)

any ideas?

MalHavoc · 07/30/2007, 06:57 PM

How was it acclimatized to your tank? What are your calcium and alkalinity measurements?

It almost sounds like it was injured during transport, or it's been infected with some sort of bacteria infection. "oozing white" is never a good sign. I'd be really leary about keeping that coral in my tank, all things considered. Was it quarantined?

MegsB · 07/30/2007, 07:16 PM

acclimated over 30 mins, slowly adding water to the bag, no quarantine, calcium 400, dont have an alk test.

i picked it up at the LFS and it was only a 20 min ride home, i had it on my lap so it didnt get banged around at all.

i moved it into my empty 33 (well has ls/lr) because i didnt want it in my show tank

sabbath · 07/30/2007, 07:35 PM

What was close to it?

Do you use carbon?

Sk8r · 07/30/2007, 07:35 PM

You need an alk test.

You might try a dip in Lugol's, if it's bacterial.

MegsB · 07/30/2007, 08:31 PM

we dont use carbon, and nothing was close to it, nearest thing was the other hammer about a foot away, and some shrooms. i will get an alk test! and can you get lugols at the pet store? (i dont know what it is, a medication i assume), if its NOT bacterial could doing this hurt it?

DSMpunk · 07/30/2007, 09:25 PM

Any idea what kind of lighting it was under before you put it in your tank?

Maybe try putting it in a shaded part of your tank and see if that helps it perk up a bit.

Sk8r · 07/30/2007, 09:34 PM

Lugols is an iodine dip used for sps corals, and I am told by my lfs that it has been known to stop brown jelly disease, a bacterial infection. This is a kill or cure--results not guaranteed. but if it is as far gone as you suggest, it may be a last ditch try.

MegsB · 07/30/2007, 10:05 PM

it was under MH before i got it as well, for years. i will look into the Lugols (at my LFS) and possibly pick it up as a last resort.

ahullsb · 07/31/2007, 12:42 AM

I bet it has something to do with your alkalinity. But like sk8r said, if your alk is normal then you might want to risk the dip.

murfman · 07/31/2007, 12:57 AM

Move it to a low flow/low light area to see if it improves.

MegsB · 07/31/2007, 04:56 PM

Alk is 5.01 (but i was told that it wouldnt hurt anything being high?) we have hard well water that we use.

i just dont understand since i have other LPS (a different hammer, 2 frogspawn, galaxy) and they are all doing great.

it was changed tanks 3 times in 2 days, someone dismanteled their tank, took it to LFS, it was there overnight and i bought it the next day and put it in my tank, maybe just to many changes? (i hate how my LFS sell stuff right when they get it in and dont give it a few days, but since they do if i want it i have to buy it or someone else will)

uscharalph · 07/31/2007, 05:02 PM

About a month ago, I bought a 3 head hammer. After 2 days I lost the smaller head. After 2 more days I lost the middle sized head. The largest head is alivae and thriving. ????

07/30/2007, 04:45 PM	#1
MegsB Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: BC Posts: 230	hammer help PLEASE! ok, so my 65 gal reef has been running for over 3 months, NO problems at all (didnt even really cycle, as it was rock out of an established tank) i have lots of different corals (mushrooms, zoos, hammer coral, frogspaw, galaxy, favia etc etc) everything is doing great! growing and thriving, my water params are normal nitrate: 0 nitrite: 0 ammonia: 0 pH: 8.2 temp: 82* i have had one hammer for 1.5 months and its doing awsome, so i bought another different shaped one (that has 2 halves that are connected) one half died about 5 days after i got it, and it has now been 9 days since i bought it and the other half is starting to die! it is sluffing off (oozing white) from both ends, is there anything i can do to help save it? i dont understand why it isnt doing well, its about 1/2 way up under 250Watt MH, it wasnt next to anything that could sting it or anything, the other hammer was about a foot away) any ideas?

07/30/2007, 06:57 PM	#2
MalHavoc Infinitely Prolonged Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 10,850	How was it acclimatized to your tank? What are your calcium and alkalinity measurements? It almost sounds like it was injured during transport, or it's been infected with some sort of bacteria infection. "oozing white" is never a good sign. I'd be really leary about keeping that coral in my tank, all things considered. Was it quarantined? __________________ Jason "Empathy, he once had decided, must be limited to herbivores or anyhow omnivores who could depart from a meat diet. Because, ultimately, the empathic gift blurred the boundaries between hunter and victim, between the successful and the defeated." -- Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Philip K Dick

07/30/2007, 07:35 PM	#5
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	You need an alk test. You might try a dip in Lugol's, if it's bacterial. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

07/30/2007, 09:25 PM	#7
DSMpunk Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Des Moines IA Posts: 1,064	Any idea what kind of lighting it was under before you put it in your tank? Maybe try putting it in a shaded part of your tank and see if that helps it perk up a bit. __________________ -Sean Current Tank Info: SPS Dominated 150

07/30/2007, 09:34 PM	#8
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Lugols is an iodine dip used for sps corals, and I am told by my lfs that it has been known to stop brown jelly disease, a bacterial infection. This is a kill or cure--results not guaranteed. but if it is as far gone as you suggest, it may be a last ditch try. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

07/30/2007, 07:16 PM	#3
MegsB Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: BC Posts: 230	acclimated over 30 mins, slowly adding water to the bag, no quarantine, calcium 400, dont have an alk test. i picked it up at the LFS and it was only a 20 min ride home, i had it on my lap so it didnt get banged around at all. i moved it into my empty 33 (well has ls/lr) because i didnt want it in my show tank

07/30/2007, 07:35 PM	#4
sabbath Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Twin City's Mn. Posts: 1,771	What was close to it? Do you use carbon?

07/30/2007, 08:31 PM	#6
MegsB Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: BC Posts: 230	we dont use carbon, and nothing was close to it, nearest thing was the other hammer about a foot away, and some shrooms. i will get an alk test! and can you get lugols at the pet store? (i dont know what it is, a medication i assume), if its NOT bacterial could doing this hurt it?

07/30/2007, 10:05 PM	#9
MegsB Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: BC Posts: 230	it was under MH before i got it as well, for years. i will look into the Lugols (at my LFS) and possibly pick it up as a last resort.

07/31/2007, 12:42 AM	#10
ahullsb Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: sacramento, ca Posts: 2,729	I bet it has something to do with your alkalinity. But like sk8r said, if your alk is normal then you might want to risk the dip. __________________ Andy Sacramento, CA Current Tank Info: 55 gallon reef w/20 gallon sump/ER135/ 75 pounds of live rock, 4 in sandbed, 2 b&w ocellaris clowns, yellow watchman/pistol, rosy scaled wrasse, Mystery wrasse, Copperbanded Butterfly, Lighting 48" outer orbit 2 150 mh/ 4 t5 actinics

07/31/2007, 12:57 AM	#11
murfman Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Colorado Springs Posts: 4,670	Move it to a low flow/low light area to see if it improves.

07/31/2007, 04:56 PM	#12
MegsB Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: BC Posts: 230	Alk is 5.01 (but i was told that it wouldnt hurt anything being high?) we have hard well water that we use. i just dont understand since i have other LPS (a different hammer, 2 frogspawn, galaxy) and they are all doing great. it was changed tanks 3 times in 2 days, someone dismanteled their tank, took it to LFS, it was there overnight and i bought it the next day and put it in my tank, maybe just to many changes? (i hate how my LFS sell stuff right when they get it in and dont give it a few days, but since they do if i want it i have to buy it or someone else will)

07/31/2007, 05:02 PM	#13
uscharalph Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Long Beach, CA Posts: 1,248	About a month ago, I bought a 3 head hammer. After 2 days I lost the smaller head. After 2 more days I lost the middle sized head. The largest head is alivae and thriving. ???? __________________ Ralph Mendoza Jr. Long Beach, CA Current Tank Info: 80 Gallon Reef Tank