Trouble with my hammers.

[Echo4315]

Parameters:
Salinity- 1.026
Nitrate - 2
Phosphate - 0.03
Alk - 9
Calcium- 470
Magnesium 1500

Tank size : 14 gallons
Lights : 2 reefbrite xho26

I've had this hammer for over 6 months now and it's done really well for me. It would inflate and extend fully and and I've fragged it too and the frag is doing really well in a friend's tank. The issue is that for about 6 weeks now it refuses to open. Parameters are stable, flow is good, light is good. It was doing so well and overnight it just decided it doesn't want to come out anymore. The other hammers are doing fine except for one who changed from neon green to purple and is closing up too. My gsp and xenia are also closed up and not doing well. I've tried changing flow, placing the hammer in lower light, adding a skimmer for aeration and waste export and feeding heavier to raise nitrates and phosphates but nothing is working. They have good flesh bands and don't have pests on them and I'm really out of options here. They've been closed since mid July. I'll attach photos of the before and after.

 

[Formulator]

Nitrate - 2
Phosphate - 0.03

Have they always been this low? Soft corals and euphyllia prefer higher nutrients. Like 0.1 ppm PO4 and 10-20 ppm nitrate. They could be starving.

 

[Echo4315]

Have they always been this low? Soft corals and euphyllia prefer higher nutrients. Like 0.1 ppm PO4 and 10-20 ppm nitrate. They could be starving.

It's always been this low but I'm slowly raising the nitrates and phosphates through heavy feedings. I tried iodine dipping as well incase it's a bacterial infection that's underlying and I moved it to lower flow and lower light but nothing is working.

 

[Formulator]

If the flesh band looks good maybe just give them some time. I would stop moving them around. They could be splitting new heads and when they do this, they can close up for a prolonged period, sometimes more than a month.

 

[Echo4315]

If the flesh band looks good maybe just give them some time. I would stop moving them around. They could be splitting new heads and when they do this, they can close up for a prolonged period, sometimes more than a month.

The flesh band shrunk alot when it closed up but it's about 1.5 cm wide currently. I doubt that it's splitting because I've had multiple new heads that I fragged and traded to friends. It opens up minutes after I frag it with no issues ans all the frags are doing super well in my friend's tanks. I will stop moving it around though.

 

[Echo4315]

The flesh band shrunk alot when it closed up but it's about 1.5 cm wide currently. I doubt that it's splitting because I've had multiple new heads that I fragged and traded to friends. It opens up minutes after I frag it with no issues ans all the frags are doing super well in my friend's tanks. I will stop moving it around though. It never closed up when it was splitting but I won't deny the possibility. Corals do weird things for no reason so maybe it did decide to close up. Fingers crossed

 

[Cichlid Dad]

How often do you do water changes?

 

[joeoliver]

i was going to suggest a water change if it's been a while, and run some carbon incase of toxins in the water.

 

[Echo4315]

How often do you do water changes?

Weekly but I'm building up my nutrients so I'll drop it to 2 changes a month or less depending.

 

[Echo4315]

i was going to suggest a water change if it's been a while, and run some carbon incase of toxins in the water.

I did one 2 days ago and I'm running carbon but I'll replace it incase it's old. Can't hurt to change it out.

 

[Koty]

Regardless of P or N concentrations I would carbon dose to get more bacterial growth

 

[Cichlid Dad]

Weekly but I'm building up my nutrients so I'll drop it to 2 changes a month or less depending.

What is your water source