Hammer coral question

[mfaso24]

Picked up a beautiful bicolor hammer about a week ago and noticed that it opens kind of funny. Some of the tentacles look close and compact while others are stretched out. Not exactly sweeper tentacles I don't think. Let me know if you think this is okay or if it's trying to tell me something about lighting or flow

 

[mfaso24]

A quick video...
https://vimeo.com/147268211

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Do you have a picture of it all closed up? I'd like to see the heads and how many as well as size of them.

 

[mfaso24]

Yeah I do

Don't mind the clown, she tried sleeping in it last night

 

[Webmanny]

You may have found the issue with the last picture. If the clown is trying to sleep on it, the hammer will close up to defend the polyps.

It could also be flow or light.

 

[Ebone]

seems like a lot of flow to me... perhaps try an area of a little less flow

 

[Dkuhlmann]

I agree the flow is too much as well as your clown living in it. Lighting could be an issue but not sure on the lighting

With the 3 large heads (large top left about to split I think) the tentacles should be basically uniform, I was thinking you might have had a smaller head in the mix.

 

[mfaso24]

Ok thank you I will try to find a lower flow spot. My tank is pretty high flow cause I know trying to go mainly sps. And as for the clown I don't think that's the problem because that was only one night that that happened. Matter of fact it wasn't even the whole night more like an hour max before it moved back to her regular spot.

 

[mfaso24]

You may have found the issue with the last picture. If the clown is trying to sleep on it, the hammer will close up to defend the polyps.

It could also be flow or light.

If it's a light issue cause this be too much or too little light?

 

[homer1475]

If it's a light issue cause this be too much or too little light?

I read a thread the other day(think it was right here in the LPS section?) where a hammer coral can change the shape of its "hammers" according to how much or how little light its getting. Forget exactly what shape they were with what lighting, but they were either small round balls, or flat hammers. Not like the typical ball peen hammer shape when they are healthy.

Your looks relatively healthy and happy except for the clown trying to sleep in it, which would explain why its closed up most of the time. If the clown continues to host in it, it will eventually get used to it and fully open. It will close from time to time when the clown gets really aggressive in it, but just normal hosting they will get used to.

 

[mfaso24]

I read a thread the other day(think it was right here in the LPS section?) where a hammer coral can change the shape of its "hammers" according to how much or how little light its getting. Forget exactly what shape they were with what lighting, but they were either small round balls, or flat hammers. Not like the typical ball peen hammer shape when they are healthy.

Your looks relatively healthy and happy except for the clown trying to sleep in it, which would explain why its closed up most of the time. If the clown continues to host in it, it will eventually get used to it and fully open. It will close from time to time when the clown gets really aggressive in it, but just normal hosting they will get used to.

I'm tempted to get an anemone to try to keep the clown out of the hammer. But as mentioned earlier, the clown was only in the hammer for an hour or so one night before getting back out.

 

[Mark9]

I'm tempted to get an anemone to try to keep the clown out of the hammer.

That would be cool, good luck.
if my clownfish get scared, they swim into my gsp mat.

 

[Webmanny]

If it's a light issue cause this be too much or too little light?

Hammers don't like too much light or flow. I would bring it down and see how it does. As far as flow, you mentioned that your tank has a lot of flow because you want to go SPS in the future. Try to find him a spot next to a rock and see if that helps. Maybe blocking some of the flow.

This video shows a hammer and an octospawn in what I feel is pefect flow for them. The hammer is no different to these two. Try to find it a location that matches this and see if that helps.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5RttxUGLYaw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Excellent video of the flow needed for Euphyllia!

 

[mfaso24]

Hammers don't like too much light or flow. I would bring it down and see how it does. As far as flow, you mentioned that your tank has a lot of flow because you want to go SPS in the future. Try to find him a spot next to a rock and see if that helps. Maybe blocking some of the flow.



This video shows a hammer and an octospawn in what I feel is pefect flow for them. The hammer is no different to these two. Try to find it a location that matches this and see if that helps.



<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5RttxUGLYaw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Thank you. That's very helpful. I'll see if I can find a better spot for him today. Not sure I have a place with that low of flow [emoji15]

 

[mfaso24]

Just for reference, this is what the hammer looked like the first day I put it in its current spot. https://vimeo.com/147331296

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Like Webmanny said move some rocks to create a place for them to get the proper flow. There are many SPS dominate tanks that have some really nice Euphyllia and they have made it work.

 

[mfaso24]

Like Webmanny said move some rocks to create a place for them to get the proper flow. There are many SPS dominate tanks that have some really nice Euphyllia and they have made it work.

Yeah I'm sure I can figure something out. Just gotta find that sweet spot where it looks good and seems happy.

 

[Reeferz412]

I have an aussie toxic splatter hammer and an indo metallic green torch. The hammer hates excessive flow and the torch likes to be blown away. I only see that long polyp extension when its trying to defend it self or feeding time.

 

[mfaso24]

I have an aussie toxic splatter hammer and an indo metallic green torch. The hammer hates excessive flow and the torch likes to be blown away. I only see that long polyp extension when its trying to defend it self or feeding time.

Defend itself from flow/light or predators?