Any tips on keeping a hammer coral?

[xxmindgamesxx]

Growth in what corals?

I only have 2 types of zoas and a tiny mushroom thats not doubled in size in anout 1 month. Ik ik, zoas and mushrooms are the hardiest corals etc..

Ill test these LEDs on my hammer, if they dont work out well i will but something else

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[jml1149]

Looks like you're using one of those screw in PAR bulbs?

 

[xxmindgamesxx]

Looks like you're using one of those screw in PAR bulbs?

No, ill post a pic once i get home.

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[Reef Bass]

...imo an alkalinity test kit is as important as lighting and a refractometer.

Yes. If one is keeping stony corals, monitoring alk, ca and mag is critical to their survival and prosperity.

Make sure your alkalinity is good, they can be touchy with that one.

Yes. Euphyllia are not fond of "out of range" alk. Or mag.

That said, with parameters in bounds, lighting good and flow decent, Euphyllia are some of the easier hard corals to keep and will grow relatively quickly in coral time.

 

[sde1500]

What factors affect alkalinity?

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Not to be blunt, but if you have to ask that, you may not be entirely ready to add corals.

 

[xxmindgamesxx]

Not to be blunt, but if you have to ask that, you may not be entirely ready to add corals.

Well im just a beginner and i know that opening windows and such affects alkalinity. And i do that..

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[75mixedreef]

Well im just a beginner and i know that opening windows and such affects alkalinity. And i do that..

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I'm afraid that's not accurate. Opening windows affects the amount of CO2 in the air and that in turn affects the PH. The alkalinity also affects the PH, but the PH does not affect the alkalinity so there is no correlation between opening the windows and alkalinity.

You need to read up on alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium with how the affect reef tanks. You need to know what levels you want them at and how to test them. Then you also what to have online calculators available to you so you can find them for when you need to dose so you know how much to add and how much to spread it out. Once you have these down you will be familiar with the basics and then you can be considered a beginner. Right now you are just getting started.

 

[sde1500]

Well im just a beginner and i know that opening windows and such affects alkalinity. And i do that..

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That is PH, not alkalinity. Please read through some of the links here http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1379607

 

[xxmindgamesxx]

I'm afraid that's not accurate. Opening windows affects the amount of CO2 in the air and that in turn affects the PH. The alkalinity also affects the PH, but the PH does not affect the alkalinity so there is no correlation between opening the windows and alkalinity.

You need to read up on alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium with how the affect reef tanks. You need to know what levels you want them at and how to test them. Then you also what to have online calculators available to you so you can find them for when you need to dose so you know how much to add and how much to spread it out. Once you have these down you will be familiar with the basics and then you can be considered a beginner. Right now you are just getting started.

Oh i see. Well thank you. But atm im not planning on getting any SPS or lps thst require a lot of the trace elemets..

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[organism]

Trace elements come from water changes and don't need to be added, alk and the others aren't trace elements. If you're keeping anything with a skeleton like a hammer then you have to test for alk/calcium/magnesium or it'll die on you, it's as important as testing for salinity.