what makes hammer corals send out sweepers?

[gfk]

i have some branching hammers that ive had for about 11 months, and it just recently started sending out sweepers.

at first it was just 1 or 2 but now a few tentacles per head are shooting out.

anything i can do to stop this short of removing them?

[Zoalander]

Have you been feeding them, what kind of light are they under?

[Asuran]

my hammer under 250w MH i havent seen its sweeps out yet... been about 3 weeks in my tank... its not sitting directly below the light kinda off to the side but opens up nicely during light hours

[gfk]

theyre under 130 watts of PC in a 20 gallon

i feed the fish right over them so im assuming food falls down to them. i mean in a 20 gallon tank as soon as i put the pumps back on after a feedining they have to get food

[llamart]

There is nothing wrong with it...My Bubble Coral generally puts its sweepers out during the evening, probably because that is when I feed the tank.

Are you worried about or do you just not want it to happen?

[Zoalander]

If you don't want it to happen then you need to put it in stronger lighting, higher flow. and target feed it. That may help or it may not. I like it when my frogspawn extends to I keep it in lower light and lower flow when I can.

[gfk]

i sold part of it to the lfs just now and got some blastos and the other part im putting off to the side by its self in higher flow