Hammer Coral Stalk Placement

[Squeaky]

I purchased a new hammer coral today, originally I was going to buy a small frag they had Monday but someone else already snatched it up before I went back. I have a three head stalk now and I was wondering if the stalk needs to be on a rock, touching the sand bed, or if having the stalk between two rocks in my scape will be enough. I have the majority of the stalk still exposed to water.including the very bottom.

Sorry this is my first coral not a frag on a plug so I'm not a frag on a plug

 

[Webmanny]

These corals prefer to be mid to top of the tank. You should put them on a rock and you can use reef safe epoxy. They are pretty hardy provided you place them in one spot and leave them alone. Also, very important are your parameters. They have to be in check.

 

[Squeaky]

Alright , I placed it and will see if it likes it there before I epoxy it

 

[Squeaky]

My real question is do I have to cover the majority of the stalk or is it okay to leave it exposed. The stalk is about 3" long. At the LFS they had it sticking in a hole the drilled into the rock

 

[Webmanny]

I think leaving it exposed is better. I don't recall if they grow new heads out of their stalk like hammers, but regardless, you want it to have some room under the branches without touching the rock.

 

[TheSaltySnailer]

Frogspawns do have the ability to grow new heads on the skeleton. I doesn't matter what the skeleton is touching rock sand ect. The important part is flow and light. But even still Frogspawns are hardy and not very picky.

 

[mcfa2403]

New heads can grow on the stalk but it typically occurs closer to existing heads as the tissue will drop down the stalk slightly and then receed once the new head begins to form an endoskeleton. If there are no heads at the bottom of the stalk you are fine to bury it (My opinion based on experience).

Personally, as long as there is a decent light on the tank I typically don't look at level in the tank for placement but rather flow. They tend not to like high or direct flow, but respond well to moderate, indirect flow (flow bouncing off glass/rock or from a wavemaking powerhead).

 

[Squeaky]

New heads can grow on the stalk but it typically occurs closer to existing heads as the tissue will drop down the stalk slightly and then receed once the new head begins to form an endoskeleton. If there are no heads at the bottom of the stalk you are fine to bury it (My opinion based on experience).

Personally, as long as there is a decent light on the tank I typically don't look at level in the tank for placement but rather flow. They tend not to like high or direct flow, but respond well to moderate, indirect flow (flow bouncing off glass/rock or from a wavemaking powerhead).

Thanks, I think I picked a good spot for them. The are in front of my powerhead but the main current from that just barely misses them. It stirs the branches gently but nothing too crazy. I'm not sure my lighting was really adequate so I'm going to see if I can a get second T5-HO unit from my LFS