Hammer is looking weird

[ThisCityIsDead]

What's wrong with the hammer?:/. I've had it for 2 weeks and I had it at the bottom on the sand bed. Away from direct high flow.

Parameters
PH:8.2
Salinity 1.025
All the rest of the levels 0s

 

[cloak]

Has it always been like that? If you just moved it, it's probably still getting used to this new location. (more light, different currents)

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2012/10/corals

 

[ThisCityIsDead]

No. When I first saw it at the LFS it was completely out and its tentacles were so long. It was like that for the first 2 days. Each day contracting its tentacles. Now it looks like that. I moved it BC I thought it wasn't liking its location

 

[Tweaked]

Looks like a slice of a wall, and a goner IMO.

 

[ThisCityIsDead]

You think it will die or is dead?

 

[nathan1986]

Wall hammers dont have a good history of surviving long in an aquarium. Something like 80% of them parish

 

[ThisCityIsDead]

Wall hammers dont have a good history of surviving long in an aquarium. Something like 80% of them parish

Really...? So even if the aquarium as well established, there's an 80% that the hammer will die?

How about a frogspawn...?

 

[nathan1986]

I'm no expert by any means but I think the main issue with walls is when they are cut/fragged, all their tissue is exposed in the cut area and more likely to get a disease and deteriorate. I'm sure there are people out there that have had good success with wall hammers and frogspawn. Good success with them most likely lies in a good healthy and healed wall coral in a well maintained aquarium

 

[nathan1986]

Next time you buy a hammer or frogspawn get a good looking branching type. And be sure to look the coral over before purchasing

 

[Tweaked]

Really...? So even if the aquarium as well established, there's an 80% that the hammer will die?

How about a frogspawn...?

Wall hammers are just tough, and few keep them long term. Your tank water parameters have nothing to do with it, and the mortality rate is more like 90%.

 

[JRR1285]

I'm no expert by any means but I think the main issue with walls is when they are cut/fragged, all their tissue is exposed in the cut area and more likely to get a disease and deteriorate. I'm sure there are people out there that have had good success with wall hammers and frogspawn. Good success with them most likely lies in a good healthy and healed wall coral in a well maintained aquarium

Wall hammers are just tough, and few keep them long term. Your tank water parameters have nothing to do with it, and the mortality rate is more like 90%.

I purchased a wall hammer as my first LPS coral. It ended up with brown jelly a few weeks later and I was able to save a 1-2" portion of it. That piece died about a year later.

The issue does seem to stem from not healing after being cut into pieces/frags. I was able to get the piece I saved to heal after treating with revive and Hydrogen peroxide after cutting off the dead/rotten portion.

After reading about how often wall hammers die I am hesitant to ever try one again. I have had a branching hammer for like 7 months and it is growing great.

 

[kurt_n]

...The issue does seem to stem from not healing after being cut into pieces/frags...

Not sure about the mortality rate of walls, but I agree this is the main problem with them. Actually, it's the main problem with a lot of corals that end up with major tissue damage during fragging. And the store is in a rush to sell it while it's looking good. These things can look really good for an amazing amount of time - even with not much tissue hanging on to the skeleton.

These types of corals seem to have a problem once the tissue receeds past the septa, or the "toothy" part of the skeleton. Once they do that, it seems to open up an additional avenue for things to pick at it and attack it - it gets attacked from inside the skeleton, which wasn't accessible before. Then the tissue just keeps "zippering" off the septa, often amazingly quick.

That particular wall might make it. I wouldn't say it's a goner by any means. It all depends on whether or not it can heal itself up over what appears to be a rather large saw cut. Just keep you water as clean as you can, and try not to move the coral around too much.

 

[ThisCityIsDead]

I remember seeing it at the LFS for 3 weeks and it looked so nice. I bought it on the 4th week. After 3 days, it looked like that. I did not know there were different kinds of hammers. (Branching and walls). I have a branch one (looks different from the wall) but it also isn't doing well. It's a smaller one too. This one was given to me in a not so good shape.

 

[Webmanny]

All I can chime in is this. If all parameters are good and this is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, I would try this:

1-Bring both hammers higher so they get more light
2-Place them in an area that gets a bit more flow
3-Target feed them with coral food at least once a week
4-Wait (Nothing in this hobby happens fast)

 

[ryansc]

To OP: I have a wall hammer coral i have been struggling with for almost a year now. He is still alive, but im guessing by the grace of god. Mine looked like that when It wasnt getting enough light. Dont move it closer to the lights, extend the photo period. Especially if you have it in a nice, low/mid kinda mid getting some highs, but mostly low area. Not trying to sound confusing. But, finding where in my tank to place mine in flow was a nightmare.

I have mine on the sandbed of my STD 75 under a 4bulb VHO t5 running ATI Coral plus and Actinics. And if my splash guard gets salty and i don't clean it, my hammer lets me know. If my tank is over 80/80.5 again my hammer lets me know, skimmer needs cleaned, again he dont look right. He is my canary in a cage for my tank. Oh he also lets me know if my overflow filters and filter socks need cleaned.

For feeding. Ever since i started to target squirt Reef Chili twice a week on him and dose every other day Red Sea Parts A and B. He has been doing a lot better.

Im sorry if this is a bit long winded. I hope something of this helps. I would start by getting him in an area with little flow, just enough to make him wave around but not beat him up. Then increase your photo period by 1hr every 2 days. I now run mine from 10am until 11/12pm. I have 1 day a week where its "Cloudy" and i dont run my lights. My SPS are loving it and all my LPS are doing well enough lol.

You may think im crazy but my wife bought my hammer for me. Paid $300 for it loves it and i'll be damned if im gonna let it die.

Any questions about your hammer PM me i'll be happy to help. Im going to be out of town next few days so i might miss your update.

Good luck!

Forgot to add my paramaters. These do not fluctuate at all. I test religously.
Cal 420/440
MG 1340/1350
Alk 9.2/9.4
P04 who knows, i run GFO and have algae in some places. The green scale to be honest looks like 0, Hannah Checker reads 0. But i have come bubble algae here n there im not concerned with
Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite all 0

 

[ThisCityIsDead]

Is it dead now?:/

 

[Tweaked]

Rip little guy. Try some branching hammers next time. GL

 

[ThisCityIsDead]

So it did die? When they do that, does that mean they're dead?

 

[Tweaked]

Typically euphylia plus recession equals goner.