Unhappy hammer and montipora corals

EnderTurtle

BAR - Sponsorships
I have a 40breeder set up since February of this year so about 4 months now. Fully cycled.

My hammer has retracted greatly and doesnt appear to be taking in any water. His tentacles are there they're just really small. Still green. He doesn't look well. He was looking awesome for about 2 months and just recently worsened.

My Montipora Cap was vibrant orange/red when I got it but is now a dull red color.

My Montipora Undata was a green with blue polyps color and is now a brown with blue polyp color. I noticed the color loss when I was dipping it. I might have dipped it too long? It has been about 1 month since I've dipped them and both montiporas were dipped and bought at same time.

I know the montipora undata was in an sps tank and was positioned about 1.5 feet from a set of kessil 360s. I placed it high up in my tank and it has still turned brown but the poylps are open and just fine.

Should the montiporas be higher up in the tank?

Should the hammer be shaded?

I guess I need help with coral placement and light intensity. I have two kessil 350W placed over my breeder and they are 8 inches from the top of my tank. My tank is 16 inches tall.

Water parameters are:

Calcium 480
Alkalinity 8
Phosphates close to 0
pH 8.3?
Ammonia: Didn't measure.
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 0 or close to it

I have a reef octopus NWB110 in my 20gallon tall sump. With a baseball size chaeto algae. He doesn't seem to be growing which Im attributed to how low nutrient my tank is. I've had the algae for about 1 month now. Haven't had to cut it.

My alkalinity was sitting at 10-11 for a while and recently dropped to 8. I believe this might be a reason why my hammer is unhappy.

yFqFr9J.jpg



3G7FUAO.jpg
 
Last edited:
I tried placing the hammer in full shade on the bottom for about 1 week and noticed no increase in health.

Kessil settings are at a constant 50% blue intensity and 20% white intensity for 10 hours a day.
 
I tried placing the hammer in full shade on the bottom for about 1 week and noticed no increase in health.

Kessil settings are at a constant 50% blue intensity and 20% white intensity for 10 hours a day.


I had an issue with my SPS running my AI Hydra 52 and I had to decrease my max intensity to 35%. Maybe the Kessils have the same setting where you can have you different types of LEDs at one level, but your overall intensity of the fixture lower.
 
See I heard that montiporas will brown if they are not getting enough light. Bleach if they get too much.
 
how long have you had the cap? I am just recently told that browning is a normal part of adjustment to new conditions.

how much flow is the hammer getting? mine retract in too much flow.
 
Not much flow at all I have a wp-10 on else mode. His tentacles barely move. I put him in the shade at the bottom again. No flow.

:( I'm worried these kessils are too much for my tank. I want an lps tank. The zoas I have on the bottom appear to be doing okay under my kessils. I even have radioactive dragons eyes half way up the tank appear to be getting good growth. So I imagine the lights aren't too intense for the hammer.
 
Back
Top