What ate my hammer?!?!?!?

[Fishypapa]

Also, to keep nitrates in check especially in a newer tank, you might want to try weekly 10% water changes. I did while cycling (and still try to each week) just to keep things in check.
But yes, it looks like the nitrates are probably the problem along with the temp and alkalinity.

Make sure you also get a GOOD tester of phosphates (I have the Hanna Checker one) because too much Phos can prevent the corals from binding with the calcium in the water. That's what you need Magnesium for too, to help make it so the corals can absorb Ca.

 

[Fishypapa]

Also, to keep nitrates in check especially in a newer tank, you might want to try weekly 10% water changes. I did while cycling (and still try to each week) just to keep things in check.
But yes, it looks like the nitrates are probably the problem along with the temp and alkalinity.

Make sure you also get a GOOD tester of phosphates (I have the Hanna Checker one) because too much Phos can prevent the corals from binding with the calcium in the water. That's what you need Magnesium for too, to help make it so the corals can absorb Ca.

Oh and for test kits, if you can't/don't want to spend the $€£¥ on a Hanna, then go with. red Sda pro or Salifert.
They'r MUCH better testers than API.

 

[Fishypapa]

Argh double post. Sorry guys

 

[GreenSaltyOne]

Thanks fishypapa. I agree with the 10% weekly water changes. I was planning on doing that and is def. a +1. I will look into nicer test kits as money comes in. For now I am using the regular old school test tubes and dropper. I need to get a skimmer first though, as I feel it will also help with my N problem. My ghetto homemade skimmer isn't cutting it which i figured would be the case, so hopefully everything can hold out til after the first and a few more water changes.

For everyone tagging along, after I cut the bad heads off of the hammer, it has 1 head left that is clinging to life, but the good news - its not getting worse. So stable in my mind is the road to recovery, and once my parameters in the water are right, stable is what she will get.

Thanks again everyone! Hopefully in a few weeks she will be growing, and I can save her.

 

[Fishypapa]

Not getting worse is definitely a good sign so let's hope.
Just a note: I'm using a Red Sea Berlin Airlift 90 in-tank skimmer right now and it's really good. Super quite because all you need to do is turn on an air pump. I think you can get them for around 50-60 online too. You may want to check them out as a skimmer option.

 

[GreenSaltyOne]

Well the hammer died sadly. When i cracked it open i found what looked like a seed so i put that back into the aquarium. It has since split open and has a small white thing sticking out. Anyone ever heard of a branching hammer seed?

Since my hammer is gone I got a new led and skimmer/refugium on the way. And i now do 20% weekly water changes and test my water weekly. I will do that til my tank stabilizes.

My new motto is " when in doubt, change it out ". Water changes work.

 

[Fishypapa]

Sorry to hear your hammer died. (I have a toadstool that is looking pretty poorly but Ive heard they can do that at times).

Water changes are great things, just make sure it RO (RODI) water.

 

[GreenSaltyOne]

Im using brita filtered water. My LFS that has given me poor advice said that would ok. Whats the thoughts on that? Should I test the brita water and use if it tests well? Or just buy water until I can afford an RO?

 

[Fishypapa]

I'd buy the water until you can afford an RO system. Really all the Brita does is use carbon to remove the taste of the chlorine and such. All the metals, phosphorus, and dissolved solids are still in there.

Buying is what I'm doing because I'm saving to get a RODI with Chloramine removal system. (my city supply uses chloramine of course..)

 

[GreenSaltyOne]

Thanks. I will be buying it then cause that would explain my diatom explosion. I'll have my new light and refugium/protein skimmer running thursday so hopefully that will help. The refugium/protein skimmer is a combo HOB unit that will add about 3 gallons of water to the system so with a 25% water change plus the extra 10% water I should be lookin good. My phos still tests at 0 even with the brita water, but its silica thats causing the blooms. I'll look into an RO down the line here soon.

 

[USCGReefer]

Sorry you lost your hammer. Sounds like your LFS needs to check their advice book and study up on correct info.
This is a good place for advice and there are tons of people willing to help.

 

[GreenSaltyOne]

Sorry you lost your hammer. Sounds like your LFS needs to check their advice book and study up on correct info.
This is a good place for advice and there are tons of people willing to help.

Yea it does suck. My trumpets doing ok now that my water has stabilized a little, and i'll have my protein skimmer tomorrow, and my new LED tomrrow . I stopped listening to the LFS for advice....they steered me wrong more than twice. So RC is all I got now....along with the rest of the WWW lol. But you are right....tons of awesome people here who know what theyre talking about

I do have an interesting thing happening though....I found what looks to be a seed inside of the branching hammer....so I kept it in the tank and it split open and something is poking out. I can't find anything online about it. :blown:blowin my mind...if it turns out to be a hammer i'll sh*t my pants. :uhoh2:

 

[Fishypapa]

That would be cool. When I started my tank and bought the live rock I noticed after about 3 weeks that part of the original coral that made the rock had come back, living and breathing so to speak.

Gotta love SOME of the saltwater surprise hitchhikers!