Hammer has issues???

[TKByrnes]

Ok I have had this hammer for about 2 months now and he was doing fine under my pc lighting. I switched it into a new tank (all lr was brought from other tank. new water with a couple cups from my old tank.) I let the tank sit for about a week and a half to make sure i wasnt going to get a cycle. didnt get one!! The first couple days of the new tank with coral in it I had no lighting on it. (my pc lighting wouldnt fit in the hood) the hammer was opening and was a happy as ever. I upgraded to a 250 watt 14k mh. the tank is 24" tall. My hammer hasnt opened in about 2 weeks. The tank gets some light from a window about 5 feet away and will come out about 1/4" untill my halide comes on. when the halide comes on the hammer pulls back in. I have it on the bottom of the tank stuck down in the substrate. I was reading in another thread that leathers and hammers dont mix. what should I do?

Should I.....
1. place it under a ledge to block some light?
2. move it up to get more light? (really dont think so but i tought I would put the option out there.
3. Take out my green leather frag?
4. whatever you think would help.

I really dont want to loose this hammer. It is prob my favorite piece. Please help me.

Tom

 

[TKByrnes]

anyone???

 

[nmprisons]

I doubt it is the leather ... how are the other corals doing? maybe you could shade that part of the tank a bit with eggcrate over the top?

 

[ST33LR4T]

i would think the drastic change in light is an issue. i would try and shade it. are there other lps in the tank?

 

[SDguy]

Shade it a little if you can. That's a dramatic light difference for a coral that really doesn't need that much light. I had mine under the same light almost completely blocked by xenia above it and it did great.

 

[supermarvin76]

Try to acclimate it to the light using the screen method. This means to get several layers of window type screen and "shade" the coral from the light with it. As time goes by, remove the one sheet of screen. Awhile later remove another layer of screen.

Continue this until there are no layers of screen left. The coral shoud then be fully acclimated to the light.

Hope that helps!!!

 

[TKByrnes]

all other corals are fine here is a list of what i have in there

purple minti digi
some kind of tan acro
pearl acro
purple tort
favia
fire and ice zoa's
semper fidelis zoa's
orange zoa's
peach zoas
green leather
xenia
gsp
pink tip hatian anemone
yellow polyps
golden polyps
2 oc clowns
1 red scooter blenny

I will try to move the hammer and get him under a ledge.

 

[easye123]

ya i had the same problem

u def. need to acclimate it to the new halide

i got mine at a fish store and htey were runnin vhos that were about 2 feet above the coral...then i took it home with my 150w halide and it wouldnt inflate.. and at night time it got bigger

several weeks later it is HUGE!!!!!!! just give it some time youll be fine

make sure to acclimate it bc i didnt and lost a head

 

[TKByrnes]

Well I moved him under a ledge. he is still getting light but not diract ligh anymore.

easye123... How long untill you brought yours back out into the direct light? if you ever did.