Hammer Coral getting too big

[ukmarks123]

I know this is a good problem to have but my hammer coral is growing so big that it is pressing up against the tank wall. I really don't have a space big enough for it anymore. If I don't do anything does anyone know what it will do? Start growing out in another direction maybe? Any advice is much appreciated.

 

[Reef Bass]

FYI, hammers can get way bigger than that. Looks like there is still room, at least on one side.

I can't see the skeleton in the pics, but from the curl in the hammers I'm guessing it's a wall hammer not a branching hammer.

If it is a branching hammer, just frag off branches til it's the size you want and sell or better yet give away the frags.

 

[ukmarks123]

Thanks Reef Bass. I'm not sure if it's a Wall or Branching hammer. I'll post another pic when it closes up in s few hours.

 

[brad65ford]

Thanks Reef Bass. I'm not sure if it's a Wall or Branching hammer. I'll post another pic when it closes up in s few hours.

Happy Hammer congrats. What lighting and par / intensity is your hammer seeing. Looks like very low flow?

 

[ukmarks123]

Thank you. Yes it seems very happy. It's 30" down on the bottom of my 125g tank and I use 3 x Kessil 360's. I would say the flow is low to medium. Sways nicely. I feed each head a piece of krill usually 2 or 3 times a week.

 

[rt67ghy]

You can tell if it's a wall when the polyps are retracted and the skeleton shows. A wall will look like two parallel walls which are winding whereas a branching hammer has individual skeletal branches growing upwards and outwards from each other. I wish I were in your position BTW; it looks great.

 

[ukmarks123]

Here is a pic of it closed up. Wall or Branching?

 

[brad65ford]

Wall congrats at is nice one and healthy

 

[rt67ghy]

That's a wall. I would move it more to the left to give it more space on the right for growth or if you don't have the space you could frag the part near the glass on the right but success with fragging a wall isn't as good as a branching; either the frag or the mother colony could develop an infection so would require proper treatment from the time of fragging.

 

[ukmarks123]

Thank you all for your help. Of course the one solution no one mentioned is to get a bigger tank!!! Now how about some advice on how to get the wife to agree! Lol.

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Just buy the bigger tank, it's easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for an approval

 

[Tweaked]

Yes a wall, and you should be very very proud of that success. One of the tougher specimens to get in healthy these days. Very jealous!

 

[ukmarks123]

Thank you Tweaked ��

 

[brad65ford]

Can you share what lighting and par perhaps your wall is seeing?

 

[Tweaked]

That's an uncut specimen which leads to its success. I'm assuming however you received that way?

 

[ukmarks123]

I don't have a PAR meter. Sorry. He's about 24" down and about 10" off center of aKessil A360W. Flow is low to medium.

 

[brad65ford]

I don't have a PAR meter. Sorry. He's about 24" down and about 10" off center of aKessil A360W. Flow is low to medium.

awesome, what intensity are your running your 360w at?

 

[ukmarks123]

Color 80. Intensity 90

 

[brad65ford]

Color 80. Intensity 90

Wow that seeing some good light! Congrats. I have a wall hammer myself on LED's but its not seeing as intense of light yours is. Very cool

 

[ukmarks123]

I have SPS also so I have to crank the lights!!!