Hammer Receding

[hangle]

Hello, I’m looking for some help with a hammer coral. I purchased my first hammer 2 weeks ago and it seems to be receding. There is now a brown spot where it connects to the skeleton and it doesn’t open very much. I have an Acan, GSP, and Ricordia mushroom that seem to be doing great. Any ideas what I could do to help it out?

Tank is 3 months old.
21” AI blade at 30%, tank rest mount

78 f
7.80 ph
1.025 sg
6.5 nitrate
0.11 phos
10.2 dkh
390 cal
1420 mag

2 weeks ago

Tonight

 

[NonstopSoda]

Everything else parameter wise looks ok, the calcium and alk are on the low side and so is PH. other than that i would say it might need more light. The brown stuff might be brown jelly disease but i do not know for sure.

 

[Formulator]

I don’t see anything in the chemistry that would explain this. I suspect it could be light. Why only 30%?

 

[NonstopSoda]

how far above the water is the light also?

 

[Formulator]

calcium and alk are on the low side

I think you must have misread the alk… 10.2 dkh is borderline too high for a new tank.

 

[hangle]

Thanks all for the responses. The light is 2” above the water line, the tank is 16” tall, 9” from the hammer to the light. I do t have a par meter but I saw another thread where someone was running the same light at 43% on raised mounts on a taller tank and they said they had good par readings there.

 

[NonstopSoda]

I think you must have misread the alk… 10.2 dkh is borderline too high for a new tank.

You are correct! I was in the middle of my shift at work while typing that out

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I would rent a par meter, when I see any leds lower than 50%, I really question the lighting that, led light people are always so concerned about turning the lights up lol.

But I feel that something else is going on, weak lighting won't kill a coral in only 2 weeks, it takes months to die from low light.

A full tank pic will help, lets see whats going on. What do you have for flow in the tank?

 

[hangle]

Good idea about renting a par meter, I’ll have to check around. I’ve got a dual RFG nozzle on a nautilus return pump at 300gph, and a hygger 1600gph powerhead at 40% wave mode. Everything seems to like the flow but I don’t know lol.

 

[kevgib67]

I agree that your parameters aren’t causing this and a few could use some tweaking, I would suggest increasing nitrate to 10-15 as well. If it’s not your parameters that only leaves light and flow. Both need to be medium.

 

[hangle]

I’ll increase the light intensity and work on getting the nitrates up and see if that does it. Appreciate all the help!

 

[Purpletang92]

Usually when LPS do this it means too much flow, if it were to turn brown and pull back like it is now that could indicate a nutrient imbalance. Highly doubt it’s your lighting.