Hammer Coral Sudden Damage?

[Nick711]

Just noticed my hammer coral, on one side, suddenly has polyps darkening in color & some white fluffy marks on flesh. It was perfectly normal yesterday and as you can see from second photo is otherwise fully extended. I did notice what I believe to be hydroids around it last night that I was unsuccessful in removing. Could those be the cause or is this signs of something else?

Lastest parameter readings from Aug 2. No changes to tank other than a 10% water change with Reef IO yesterday. Planning to retest shortly.
Aug 2
Salinity 1.026
Nitrate 7.2
Phosphate .11
Alk 9.2
Calcium 538
Magnesium 1320

Any idea what this could be causing this? Should it be dipped?

 

[Propane]

Your higher calcium might be stressing it out.

 

[Chuck Foltz]

Really need to see these parameters over time. This is suggestive of an environmental change but hard to diagnose that with just static numbers. Do you keep a log?

 

[Nick711]

Your higher calcium might be stressing it out.

Calcium has always ran a bit at the high-end and it has never shown such signs, which I thought was odd

Really need to see these parameters over time. This is suggestive of an environmental change but hard to diagnose that with just static numbers. Do you keep a log?

Sure - since hammer has been added here are the ranges. Each has probably 4-5 samples incorporated.

Salinity 1.025-1.026
Temp 77
Phosphate 0.06 - 0.17
Nitrate 1.4 - 8.7 (has consistently been 5-8 for nearly a month)
Calcium - 472 - 564
Alkalinity - 8.7-9.4
Magnesium 1320 - 1380

Todays readings:
Phosphate 0.08
Calcium 528
Alkalinity 9.4
Magnesium 1380
Salinity 1.026

Salinity - Tropic Marin Hydrometer
Mag - Salifert
All other - Hanna

 

[Nick711]

While performing today’s tests, it has now completely closed up as well

 

[Nick711]

To add, other tank inhabitants -
Pair of clowns
Pair of coral banded shrimp
15x RFA (on other side of tank)
Anthelia
Clove polyps
(2) Favia
Acan
Galaxea
Assorted mushrooms
Toadstool
Chalice
Gorgorian
Misc snails / hermits / 2x urchins

None of the above mentioned coral or anemones are near the hammer, who has its own rock. Lighting has not changed at all and in recommended par range. Flow has not changed at all.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

how long you had it, is it new? Or been there long and just now started acting up?

 

[Nick711]

how long you had it, is it new? Or been there long and just now started acting up?

About 5-6 weeks. Has been thriving otherwise

 

[Nick711]

I just tried a CoralRx dip as an added precaution so it’s understandable ticked off for the moment. I guess I’ll continue to monitor, but at a loss for the sudden decline in health.

Feed a couple times a week including reef corals, coral frenzy, reef nutrition ab+, frozen mysis

Thanks everyone for the replies

 

[nothing_fancy]

These are hardy corals, I'd say a month is probably how long these things usually take to go south. In other words, something could appear to be thriving but is actually not thriving. however, I don't think this hammer looks horrible. Lps I usually give a couple months before I consider it healthy, sps for me if its gonna go its gonna happen within the first 2 weeks of acclimation. I would say something in your parameters is swinging, could be alk, could be temp, might check out how your mixing your salt and make sure your RO is not compromised

 

[csturgis1989]

I just tried a CoralRx dip as an added precaution so it’s understandable ticked off for the moment. I guess I’ll continue to monitor, but at a loss for the sudden decline in health.

Feed a couple times a week including reef corals, coral frenzy, reef nutrition ab+, frozen mysis

Thanks everyone for the replies

Did you notice anything that came off after the dip? If everything else in your tank is doing fine then it is probably something local to the coral itself.

 

[Nick711]

These are hardy corals, I'd say a month is probably how long these things usually take to go south. In other words, something could appear to be thriving but is actually not thriving. however, I don't think this hammer looks horrible. Lps I usually give a couple months before I consider it healthy, sps for me if its gonna go its gonna happen within the first 2 weeks of acclimation. I would say something in your parameters is swinging, could be alk, could be temp, might check out how your mixing your salt and make sure your RO is compromised in some way.

Thanks for the reply and thoughts. I agree the pics don’t look horrible, but it alarmed me nonetheless considering everything else in the tank is doing well and it’s the first issue I’ve had with this coral.

I guess the swings are certainly possible. I run an IM Helio dual heater setup constantly set on 77, but otherwise am not actively monitoring temp. Maybe I can try testing Alk at a few different points in the day as well to see if that is changing.

RODI TDS 0 (recently replaced resin as it was starting to creep up to 1-2).
Only use dedicated brutes to store RODI and for SW, no cross contamination to note, etc. I try to take all the appropriate precautions, but I have never sent out for an ICP which is something I’ve been considering to make sure everything checks out.

Did you notice anything that came off after the dip? If everything else in your tank is doing fine then it is probably something local to the coral itself.

A couple misc. white / translucent specks & debris & maybe an amphipod but nothing else easily identifiable to the naked eye.

 

[nothing_fancy]

Thanks for the reply and thoughts. I agree the pics don’t look horrible, but it alarmed me nonetheless considering everything else in the tank is doing well and it’s the first issue I’ve had with this coral.

I guess the swings are certainly possible. I run an IM Helio dual heater setup constantly set on 77, but otherwise am not actively monitoring temp. Maybe I can try testing Alk at a few different points in the day as well to see if that is changing.

RODI TDS 0 (recently replaced resin as it was starting to creep up to 1-2).
Only use dedicated brutes to store RODI and for SW, no cross contamination to note, etc. I try to take all the appropriate precautions, but I have never sent out for an ICP which is something I’ve been considering to make sure everything checks out.



A couple misc. white / translucent specks & debris & maybe an amphipod but nothing else easily identifiable to the naked eye.

Nice, ya sending out a test would be good. ATI test really helped me, I had elevated tin levels that I was able to trace down to the type of ceramic filter media I was using. Sounds like you're doing everything right so it could be just tough luck or perhaps something deeper that a test will reveal.