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View Full Version : Hammer coral not looking good...


CanuckReefer
03/30/2013, 02:34 PM
My hammer coral was doing awesome for the past 3 weeks, growing and really coming out of the base. Lately it has not come out hardly at all so i looked closer and it looks like the coral is breaking down...

My tests from today are slightly low but not critically low...

Alk - 8.4
Mg - 1200
Ca - 365

What do you guys think the problem is?
Thanks in advance!
http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Spoolin335/Aquarium/image-4.jpg

Also my sandbed keeps getting these bubbles in it. I am assuming its algae, but should i worry about stirring it up weekly to keep it clean?

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Spoolin335/Aquarium/image-3.jpg

maroonman
03/30/2013, 03:05 PM
how old is the tank?
Looks like you have some diatom bloom. When I did my upgrade I had a diatom bloom and my Hammer stayed sucked in for almost a week .

Have you tried a decent size water change?

CanuckReefer
03/31/2013, 12:09 PM
About 8 months old. Now that the sun is up more, my tank is getting more light and thus more algae. I am going to get a piece of black vinyl and cover the side of the tank so it blocks the sun.

As for the hammer head coral, anyone know if the breaking down of the base is due to lower calcium, magnesium? I'm going to start adding some with my top up water.

My water changes are always 10%. The water params are good so I don't get the point of dumping a bunch and replacing it with basically the same quality water.

sporto0
03/31/2013, 01:05 PM
All SPS & LPS require at least a minimumally acceptable level of calcium & magnesium to thrive, that being said, your levels were not awful, is there a possibility the coral was too close to another specimen & was stung?

CanuckReefer
03/31/2013, 01:24 PM
No chance they were stung. I don't have enough coral yet to worry about them being too close together. Ill bump up my levels and hope that rebounds the coral bases.

Does it matter how fast i increase the ca/mg levels?

KatyMunoz
03/31/2013, 01:31 PM
Definitely dinoflagellates

sporto0
03/31/2013, 01:55 PM
You always need to raise levels slowly & measurably, in your case a bump to 400-450 ca & 1300-1350 mg can be done in a day or two, there's a reef calculator on this forum posted by Randy Holmes-Farley, do a search, it will help you calculate how much to add to increase your levels per ppm.

Sk8r
03/31/2013, 02:08 PM
You're low in all 3 numbers. Immediate 30% water change with REEF salt, not regular, then dosing to make up deficit, and once at params in my sig line, put kalk powder in your ato reservoir at the rate of 2 tsp per gallon. As long as your mg doesn't fall from 1300, the other two readings will stay locked as long as the kalk holds out. Don't throw out the dead bits. There may be live tissue inside which will regrow.

CanuckReefer
04/01/2013, 10:17 AM
Thanks guys going to try and fix this today!