Hammer coral deflating and droopy

[prettyhappyreef]

Hello
Recently my hammer corals that I have had for >6months have started to wilt and deflate. For a while I was just keeping an eye on them to see if they would recover, however, it seems to be spreading to some of my other hammers and one hammer has completely lost a head.

Tank has been up for 2 years
Alkalinity: 10.3
Calcium: 454
Magnesium: 1450
Nitrate: 3
Phosphate: 0.09
Salinity: 1.025
Temp: 24.7

Most of the hammers look fine still, so we are confused and concerned about what could be causing this issue. Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[dwest]

My euphyllia are my canary in a coal mine. When they don’t look good, I do a water change and that usually perks mine up. Even now that I do daily 1% AWC, the same applies and I do a 10% change.

 

[prettyhappyreef]

We did a 50% water change last week and it did not change anything unfortunately.

 

[ReefNewbie909]

Have you tired spot feeding it some Redsea AB+ or reef roids?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

We did a 50% water change last week and it did not change anything unfortunately.

That's a big change. What were your parameters prior to the water change, and what was you water change schedule/amount prior to the 50% one?

 

[Mystersynyster]

Your parameters seem fine, nothing too close to sting or upset it. Have you noticed a brown jelly growing on any of them. My hammers do tend to recede a little when they are branching a new head

 

[prettyhappyreef]

Have you tired spot feeding it some Redsea AB+ or reef roids?

I am feeding Reef Roids tonight; I had not considered additional nutrition.

 

[Mystersynyster]

I am feeding Reef Roids tonight; I had not considered additional nutrition.

I have never been able to get my euphillia to take any kind of food, jealous

 

[prettyhappyreef]

That's a big change. What were your parameters prior to the water change, and what was you water change schedule/amount prior to the 50% one?

Nitrate was 5
Phosphate was 0.1
Alkalinity was 9.54
Calcium was 450
Magnesium was 1290 (did some magnesium dosing when the first head showed issues)

The salinity is quite stable
PH swings from 8.0 to 8.3 in a 24 hr cycle

 

[prettyhappyreef]

I have never been able to get my euphillia to take any kind of food, jealous

I am not sure it will work, but they always get super slimy with reef roids in a slurry

 

[prettyhappyreef]

Your parameters seem fine, nothing too close to sting or upset it. Have you noticed a brown jelly growing on any of them. My hammers do tend to recede a little when they are branching a new head

I have not seen any brown jelly (thank goodness). I have been VERY worried about it.

all the other hammers and the gold frogspawn seem super happy,the bright green ones get VERY poofy throughout the day, along with the gold hammer and gold frogspawn (my prize corals)

It is just the purple tipped one with green stalks that are getting deflated tentacles.

It took about a month for the one to lose its head and it all came off at once. It shed the entire head as a bunch rather than some tentacles.

 

[Mystersynyster]

I am not sure it will work, but they always get super slimy with reef roids in a slurry

Mine as well, the food always gets pushed away to the side. The Mag swing may have some to do with it. Mag has been a huge factor in my hammers and frogs health
Alk-9
Cal- 450
Mag- 1450
Ph- 8.3
Above all keep the parameters stable, don't chase numbers

 

[Mystersynyster]

I have not seen any brown jelly (thank goodness). I have been VERY worried about it.

all the other hammers and the gold frogspawn seem super happy,the bright green ones get VERY poofy throughout the day, along with the gold hammer and gold frogspawn (my prize corals)

It is just the purple tipped one with green stalks that are getting deflated tentacles.

It took about a month for the one to lose its head and it all came off at once. It shed the entire head as a bunch rather than some tentacles.

So I have the same hammer, blue tip green tentacle Indo hammer. When I bought mine about a year ago I got it cheap, was not doing good at LFS, it had three heads, my parameters dropped while I was away and I lost a head the same way. The whole head bailed, even watched it float around my tank in hopes it would reattach, never did. Kept tank stable since now hammer has 7 heads. I guess just closely monitor parameters, and make sure no flatworms on the base. You could always do a dip if you are worried

 

[Mystersynyster]

Not the best pic but he seems very happy now

 

[Mystersynyster]

It did look like your green tip is really close to your purple, even though frogs and hammers can be kept together make absolutely sure the skeletons DO NOT touch

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Nitrate was 5
Phosphate was 0.1
Alkalinity was 9.54
Calcium was 450
Magnesium was 1290 (did some magnesium dosing when the first head showed issues)

The salinity is quite stable
PH swings from 8.0 to 8.3 in a 24 hr cycle

Maybe too much of a magnesium swing...

 

[prettyhappyreef]

Maybe too much of a magnesium swing...

Unfortunately the first head was looking deflated BEFORE dosing magnesium over a week, and the other heads are looking bad AFTER the dosing over a week.

It just seems odd that the problem first appeared before the dosing.

 

[prettyhappyreef]

So I have the same hammer, blue tip green tentacle Indo hammer. When I bought mine about a year ago I got it cheap, was not doing good at LFS, it had three heads, my parameters dropped while I was away and I lost a head the same way. The whole head bailed, even watched it float around my tank in hopes it would reattach, never did. Kept tank stable since now hammer has 7 heads. I guess just closely monitor parameters, and make sure no flatworms on the base. You could always do a dip if you are worried

I haven’t seen any flat worms, but will make sure to take a look. I may try to bust out my cheapo microscope.

I moved the two halloween hermit crabs to the sump just in case, but they have been in the tank for over a year so I am just eliminating possibilities at this point.

 

[prettyhappyreef]

Also, thank you all for trying to figure this out with me. It is great to have the support.

 

[AquaLogic]

What was the problem?