Sick Hammer Coral

[ewelch]

The hammer coral in my 30 gallon reef is looking sickly. It is deflated and showing part of its skeleton in the center. Parts of it are partly inflated. I just tested my parameters, 0 NH3, pH 8.2 and 1ppm Nitrates. My nitrates have been 0 I am a little concerned.
I did recently switch to metal halide lighting and acclimated the tank over the course of a week to 10 hours. I run 120 watts pc actinic (corallife bulbs) and 150 watt metal halide. This effectively doubled my wattage. I was running 120 watts of pc (65 watts 5050 and 55 watts actinic). Any ideas.

 

[Hara]

what are your water test results?

 

[ewelch]

I just test nitrates which were 1ppm, ammonia 0ppm, and pH 8.2. Should I test for anything else?

 

[Devilishturtles]

My torch sometimes deflates for a day, then inflates again the next day. Then again, sometimes it deflates and that head dies. Is anything hosting it? I have clowns hosting in mine, which is what I attributed to loss of the heads. You're water test results are good, although you should also keep an eye on Alkalinity and Calcium too.

You said you can see part of the skeleton in the middle? That's not good. If the head starts to look like it's decaying, decomposing, etc. take the coral out of water and break off that head.

 

[Hara]

calcium and alkalinity would be good to know now.

 

[melosu58]

I would like to know what fish are in the tank. Are there any corals close to it?

 

[ewelch]

It is a 30 gallon with several corals and an anenome. The anenome is no where near the hammer but there it some xenia near it. I also have two clowns and a jawfish in the tank. There is also a cleaner shrimp, half a dozen blue legged hermit, 3 scarlet hermits, 4 turbo snails (large), 2 astea snails, and a couple of emerald crabs. I think thats it. Anything sound 'fishy'. Oh and a sea hare that was in there to clean up some hair algae. Did a great job, none left and tank looks pristine. The lfs said they would take him back when he was done cleaning up. In the mean time I put some caulerpa in there to supplement. Now that I think of it the sea hare is all over the tank at might. Could he be bothering the hammer. He climbs all over everything.
I will check the alk. The hammer has been looking like this for about a week.

 

[ewelch]

My alkalinity is 115ppm. I believe this to be low. Is it? How do I raise it? Could this be the problem with the hammer?

 

[Devilishturtles]

Could be other corals bothering it. Do you run carbon? What is around the torch? Can you list your other corals?

 

[ewelch]

I am not sure about other corals. There is some xenia in the vicinity but I was more concerned with the hammer hurting them. There is a goniopora, a leather, some shrooms, some zoos. The only thing in reach is the xenia.
About the carbon, I only run a small filter in my sump that has a poly/carbon filter. I change that about once a month. When people say they use GAC what exactly are they talking about. I hope that isn't a stupid question.
I am running a CPR bakpak skimmer in my sump and it seem to collect very well. I have only one ph in the main and then use the return from sump for circulation.