Hammer coral help please!

Hockey0000325 · 02/05/2010, 01:44 PM

Hey guys,

Well I purchased my first coral 2 days ago and it is a hammer coral. The first night I placed in tank it opened up fully with lights on. When the lights went off it retreated back inside itself and has stayed that way since. I was wondering what is causing this? I am doing another water change today with Reef Crystals but up till this point I have been using Instant ocean. So I do think my calcium is a tad low but would this cause the coral to basically appear dead?

Hockey0000325 · 02/05/2010, 01:45 PM

Water parameters are all good ammonia 0, nitrites 0, nitrates 0.

patsfan1130 · 02/05/2010, 01:48 PM

we need to know your perams before we can offer help. It is not uncommon for my LPS to recede for a day or so from time to time but I am not saying that is what's going on here. Do some tests (PH,SG,CA,ALK,MG,PO4,trate,trite) Is this a newly setup tank?

Hockey0000325 · 02/05/2010, 01:50 PM

yea I have to run my tests salinity is at 1.024

DC_40gallon · 02/05/2010, 02:26 PM

My frogspawn did that. Took 3 weeks to get that guy to turn around.

He was locked in so tight that even with close up pics everyone here thought it was dead.

I lowered mine into the sand so it could get the lead amount of light possible and 3-4 weeks later it started to show signs of life again.

romsoccer12 · 02/05/2010, 02:43 PM

mind getting a picture? where is it placed? is it bleached at all?

KRAZ4REEFS · 02/05/2010, 02:51 PM

I would also suggest a full set of tests, sal is tad low 1.025-1.026 would better but not your problem, calcium will not cause this either. May be just that its new to the tank and needs time to acclimate for a while. Do you have it under bright light, if so it may not be used to it if it were in a dark tank before, may have to put it under an overhang and bring it out over a couple of weeks. May just need to be left alone, sometimes they take a while to get used to your tank conditions. It's completly normal for them to pull in after the lights go out, should come out during the day though. Do some tests and get back to us.

02/05/2010, 01:44 PM	#1
Hockey0000325 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Rochester Posts: 268	Hammer coral help please! Hey guys, Well I purchased my first coral 2 days ago and it is a hammer coral. The first night I placed in tank it opened up fully with lights on. When the lights went off it retreated back inside itself and has stayed that way since. I was wondering what is causing this? I am doing another water change today with Reef Crystals but up till this point I have been using Instant ocean. So I do think my calcium is a tad low but would this cause the coral to basically appear dead?

02/05/2010, 01:48 PM	#3
patsfan1130 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Woburn, Ma Posts: 2,010	we need to know your perams before we can offer help. It is not uncommon for my LPS to recede for a day or so from time to time but I am not saying that is what's going on here. Do some tests (PH,SG,CA,ALK,MG,PO4,trate,trite) Is this a newly setup tank? __________________ My cat's breath smells like cat food Member of the Boston Reefers Society Current Tank Info: 75g lps, 90g sps, 120g mixed, 180 nem tank, 300g reef, 600g up & coming reef

02/05/2010, 02:43 PM	#6
romsoccer12 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: ohio Posts: 2,625	mind getting a picture? where is it placed? is it bleached at all? __________________ Colin R Current Tank Info: 3rd tank working fine!(29gal oceanic biocube) 5-6months old

02/05/2010, 02:51 PM	#7
KRAZ4REEFS Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Succasunna, New Jersey Posts: 560	I would also suggest a full set of tests, sal is tad low 1.025-1.026 would better but not your problem, calcium will not cause this either. May be just that its new to the tank and needs time to acclimate for a while. Do you have it under bright light, if so it may not be used to it if it were in a dark tank before, may have to put it under an overhang and bring it out over a couple of weeks. May just need to be left alone, sometimes they take a while to get used to your tank conditions. It's completly normal for them to pull in after the lights go out, should come out during the day though. Do some tests and get back to us. __________________ Scott Current Tank Info: 210 in wall Reef

02/05/2010, 01:45 PM	#2
Hockey0000325 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Rochester Posts: 268	Water parameters are all good ammonia 0, nitrites 0, nitrates 0.

02/05/2010, 01:50 PM	#4
Hockey0000325 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Rochester Posts: 268	yea I have to run my tests salinity is at 1.024

02/05/2010, 02:26 PM	#5
DC_40gallon Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,474	My frogspawn did that. Took 3 weeks to get that guy to turn around. He was locked in so tight that even with close up pics everyone here thought it was dead. I lowered mine into the sand so it could get the lead amount of light possible and 3-4 weeks later it started to show signs of life again.