help...green hammer coral dying one bud at a time

[RioReefr]

At one point, my green hammer coral was thriving and I had over 30 buds in the colony. Then about 2 months, one-by-one each bud starting dying off.

It is always the same, the poylps would get very flacid and limp. They would not extend or look full even during peak light hours. Eventually, I would start to see some of the skeletal tissue. Then right before they would croak, it would secrete long fine, hair like substance...slightly white/transparent in color...sometimes as long as 2". Once that happen, then the polyps would just fall off and the whole skeletal tissue would be exposed.
The rest of the colony would look fine, until the next one would go...then the next...I went from 30 down to less 10 now. sad.

I have started cutting off the good ones and separating them to different places in the tank. BTW, when I started to cut the coral branch I was surprised how brittle it was. Was entire branch infected at its core??

All the other corals, inverts and fish look great!
Water parameters: 79-80F, 1.025, Ca 430-450, dKh 9, Mg 1500. I do a 15% water change every week with fresh RO/DI water mixed with Red Sea Salt.

I've thought about just getting rid of it altogether what is left. I have feeling what has been infected isn't going to stop until everything is dead.

What should I do?

 

[FamilyTank]

Bump and following

 

[cincyjim]

Mine did very similar to yours. For some odd reason I cannot raise Hammers or Duncans. Other corals fair pretty good but those two just don't do well in the tank and end up perishing.

 

[Uncle99]

IMO mag is a bit on the high side at 1500, should be like 1350, but this would not kill.

 

[jayball]

BTW, when I started to cut the coral branch I was surprised how brittle it was. Was entire branch infected at its core??

Branching Euphyllia has always had a weak, brittle, almost hollow skeleton IME.

I have never been able to figure out what makes a Euphyllia healthy and happy long term. I have some that started strong and melted away how you stated while established colonies did not blink.

Stick it out and hope for the best, splitting and moving to a couple spots in the tank may be your best chance to have some survive.

How old is the tank?

 

[Sk8r]

---it may want to be atop the rockwork: they take strong light. And do you have any softies that might be spitting chemical into the water?

 

[RioReefr]

Thanks for the replies.
I got this tank second-hand 7 months ago. I think the previous owner had it at least 2-3 years, maybe more. When I got it, there was not a single dead or dying bud.
This all just started happening 2 months ago (when I already had it 4-5 months). I did not think much about it when the first one died, I thought maybe some fish pecked at it. Then it started getting worse and worse. As I write this, I am noticing another 2 buds are gonners.

My other corals:

1 Very large Devil's Hand Leather coral (doing great)
3 Duncan frag corals (already showing other heads)
Lots of various mushrooms (green hairy, red java, green, chalice, etc all doing well)
Kyptonite Trumpet frag coral (good)
Blue-Green Trumpet large coral (good)

It is so discouraging because IMO everything is looking better and things are growing.

 

[Jesterrace]

At one point, my green hammer coral was thriving and I had over 30 buds in the colony. Then about 2 months, one-by-one each bud starting dying off.

It is always the same, the poylps would get very flacid and limp. They would not extend or look full even during peak light hours. Eventually, I would start to see some of the skeletal tissue. Then right before they would croak, it would secrete long fine, hair like substance...slightly white/transparent in color...sometimes as long as 2". Once that happen, then the polyps would just fall off and the whole skeletal tissue would be exposed.
The rest of the colony would look fine, until the next one would go...then the next...I went from 30 down to less 10 now. sad.

I have started cutting off the good ones and separating them to different places in the tank. BTW, when I started to cut the coral branch I was surprised how brittle it was. Was entire branch infected at its core??

All the other corals, inverts and fish look great!
Water parameters: 79-80F, 1.025, Ca 430-450, dKh 9, Mg 1500. I do a 15% water change every week with fresh RO/DI water mixed with Red Sea Salt.

I've thought about just getting rid of it altogether what is left. I have feeling what has been infected isn't going to stop until everything is dead.

What should I do?

How long do you run your lights? What lights are you running? Also, where is the hammer in regards to the powerhead?

 

[RioReefr]

How long do you run your lights? What lights are you running? Also, where is the hammer in regards to the powerhead?

See my AI Prime HD light schedule. You can't see in the photo, but basically a slow ramp up, then a slow ramp down with 20 minute respiration intervals. 8am - 8pm.

My powerhead is placed on the right-side, slightly (10 degree) pointed up, about 1/3 the way down. When the hammer coral polyps are full and extended, they slightly move back and forth. I would describe the flow as low-to-medium. The hammer coral is on the sandbed.