URGENT HELP with Hammer Coral!

[nycmarisol]

My husband just emailed me at work to tell me that one of my hammer's little arms was floating in the tank. WTH!? Is this the polyp bailout? He has been so happy since we got him last week. Only thing I can think of is my Ca is low (360). I haven't tested Alk, but all other parameters are good I think (listed in my tank desc)

Please help! I am freaking out and have class right after work.

 

[bertyboy69]

Were you in the tank moving the coral at all? I know when i got mine and was trying to find a good spot for him one or two of the polyps came off .
I never saw it again as i left it in its place and it has been fine ever since.

Good luck !

 

[nycmarisol]

Well, it's been in there for about a week now, but the first and second day I had him I did move him a couple of times because I just couldn't find a low current/safe/ away from other corals spot. After day 2 I haven't moved at all. Day 4 I did try to cut a mushroom off that was really close to him and I could tell he was trying to avoid. All that did was create slit mess everywhere. I told myself he would just have to deal with the couple of mushrooms near him. This morning I noticed t clowns were swimming around him a bit but not diving in or anything. He has been nice and big every day since I last moved him.

 

[bertyboy69]

Well i mean i am by no means an expert so i will let others chime in for possibly causes im sure it will help if you posted all the params of your tank , but i dont think it will be a huge deal just keep an eye on it if its not openeing up then maybe you have something to worry about but i would just leave the tank be keep your hands out for a while and let it be .
Some may say to dip it in certain healing fluids or something nut i dont know much about them ive never used them and think its all unnecessary ive never lost a coral , just watch it for a day or two and wait for others to chime in

 

[nycmarisol]

 

[nycmarisol]

That was the third day. It has been twice maybe three times the size (daytime) since then.

 

[FaviaFreak]

can you see any exposed skeleton?

you have to stop moving it around if you can help it, that only stresses it out and makes things worse

 

[nycmarisol]

Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 0
PH 8.2-8.4
Sp. Gravity 1.023
Ca 360
Mg 1700

 

[nycmarisol]

I haven't moved it since last Wed. I did clean the glass around it with the magnet yesterday and it retracted a bit.


Can't see the skeleton, except for the bottom"branches" at night when it isn't quite as puffed up.

 

[FaviaFreak]

if it's a single polyp that came off, no biggie, just leave it be.... however....

just keep an eye for any exposed skeleton because that is usually the sign of brown jelly settling in

 

[nycmarisol]

Good advice BertBoy. I have the new mom syndrome I think!

 

[nycmarisol]

Favia, yes just a single polyp. Thank you so much. I will keep you posted. I don't know what I would do without MR and it's amazing members!

 

[FaviaFreak]

please keep us posted

 

[saltwaterinbrooklyn]

Try dosing strontium , it helps them stick to skeleton better

 

[Tonyscoots84]

Jus pointing out ur mag is a lil high n ur cal is a lil low

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php

 

[Dre]

Nothing to worry about. It happen sometimes more often than not in my tank. Sometime fish playing/casing each other can smash off tentacles which sometimes land on soft coral with devastating results. If a head is dividing small tentacles can also disperse in the water column.

 

[Dre]

Don't dose strotinum if you don't have a strotinum test kit. In your case that's a waste of money. Besides the coral is healthy. Keep doing what you're doing. Your tank look better than alot i've seen...

 

[basiab]

Looks nice to me. But I never had luck with the wall type.

"I told myself he would just have to deal with the couple of mushrooms near him."
I wouldn't rely on that. Mushrooms can realy burn most corals that they touch.

 

[albano]

Looks nice to me. But I never had luck with the wall type.

Hard to tell from pic, but looks like branching to me

 

[nycmarisol]

basiab- Yeah he definitely hates the mushrooms near him, but I'm so afraid of moving him. It's like I have to pick a poison! Do any exerienced reef keepers live near upper east side that would want to help me with my tank in general? Almost every single rock has mushrooms on it. The other thing is that I have him there just bc there is too much water flow in the sand (even though its a bit further down) and eventually I want to put him somewhere else but need to glue down defintely. Does anyone have experience with gluing coral down?