Help save my sad hammer coral

[gimmea250swb]

Short background on me getting rid of my algae a few weeks ago here. I have a hammer and torch and the hammer has nearly withered away. I'd like to save it if I can. I moved the torch in a lower flow area and it kept getting smaller. LEDs were lowered to reduce light and algae. They're now at 40%.

Parameters:

NH3: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 5
PO4: 0
Salanity 1.025
pH: 8.1
Alk: 6.44
Ca: 433
Mg: 1246

My research suggests PO4 and Alk could be low.

I asked my LFS guy to come by on a consult run, but he didn't show up Saturday or Today. Grrr.

Torch seems fine, but its tentacles seem a little thin. Zoos, Japanese toadstool, ricordia all seem fine.

 

[gimmea250swb]

 

[griss]

I’m not a big LPS person so, likely can’t help much but, Alk and PO4 are definitely low. All other parameters look good.

 

[kharmaguru]

Hard to tell in that pic but if that's a couple small vermetid snails on the side of the branch, make sure their nets aren't bothering the coral. Just snap them off with pliers.

 

[griss]

Hard to tell in that pic but if that's a couple small vermetid snails on the side of the branch, make sure their nets aren't bothering the coral. Just snap them off with pliers.

Good eye

 

[gimmea250swb]

 

[gimmea250swb]

Hard to tell in that pic but if that's a couple small vermetid snails on the side of the branch, make sure their nets aren't bothering the coral. Just snap them off with pliers.

Sorry, I’m not sure what I’m looking for. Could you point it out?

It may already be too far gone.

Ant recommendations on bumping my PO4 and Alk? Just dose it? I’ve got some all for reef from when I bought the tank

 

[griss]

What I think he sees is here:

Possible vermetid snail.

If you want to only raise Alk (and not Ca and Mg), you can drip Kalkwasser (I use pickling lime, same thing) instead of buying hobby sold Kalk powder, a liquid Alk Solution or you can use Soda Ash. One thing to remember, don't raise the Alk too quickly...not more than 1dKH in 24 hours.

To raise phosphate, you can use a commercial phosphorus supplement.

 

[wvned]

BRS has calculators to figure out how much to add. The result is linear based on system volume. An amount to raise 1 dKH from 6-7 will be the same to raise it from 9-10. 1/2 that amount would give you 1/2 the increase.

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/reef-calculator
Soda ash (what I use) = cooked baking soda. Part of 2 part dosing
Sodium bicarbonate = baking soda
Both of these are found under the alk calculator.
Where it says liquid means you have made a saturated solution of the chemical in water.
I never add dry to my system.
Kalk= pickling lime available in many groceries in the canning supplies. Adds balanced calcium and alkalinity. This is found under the calcium calculator. Pickling lime is a food-grade form of calcium hydroxide.
The 2 main ways to use kalk are as a solution in make up water or to dose it separately.

To make LPS happy you have to get light, flow and chemistry correct. It takes all 3 together.

There is still a lot of life in that frag and if you get them right it will grow back.

I once had a tiny one like that. I have 2 bigger than my head now.

You must watch magnesium as it is what keeps all the ions you are adding in solution and keeps them from precipitating out.

 

[kharmaguru]

Not really seeing it in your close-up. Vermetid look like this for future reference.

They cast out a net or string to capture bits in the water and if that contacts coral polyps, it bothers them and makes them retract. Vermetids love the stocks of LPS to plant themselves and that's what I thought I could see in your first pic.