HELP!!! Hammer coral bleaching...

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cjpf

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Apr 29, 2012
Messages
12
Location
State College, PA
Hello guys, I need help with a hammer coral I have. Let me start with the basics. It is a 55Gal tank that has been running for a little over a year. The current livestock is two green chromis, one six line wrasse, a chalk bass, a orange skink clown, diamond goby and two cleaner shrimp. I also have some mushroom corals, pulsing xenia, gsp, and a kenya tree. The other corals are all fine. I currently have a six T5 fixture with three white and 3 actinic. The tank is kept a 78, and the hammer is located on the sand bed. I also add fuel from seachem every two weeks when I do a water change. Any ideas what could be going on with the hammer? Its been in the tank for close to 5 months. The nitrites and ammonia are 0, while the nitrates read zero but there is a little bit of algae in the hob refugium.

Any advice would deeply be appreciated!
 
You need a T5HO system. It needs to be a high output lighting system. You might want to move it up to the top level. Npt getting enough lighting.
 
Bleaching means to much light! Or bad water conditions!
 
How long has it been turning white? When's the last time you changed your bulbs?
 
Stop using Fuel. It's not for LPS and softies. It's mainly for SPS though there are much cheaper alternatives. Hammers are omnivores and get what they need from the light but do really well with meaty foods - I recommend PE mysis shrimp because of the fatty acids and other good things. Feed them one per head 2-3 times a week and you'll see growth. Softies don't need anything but good light.

Get a Salifert nitrate kit. You may be using API and they're not very accurate.

+1 on the lighting. If you can afford about $250, you could upgrade to LED's that would allow you to grow ANY corals you wanted.

Also, what's your flow situation? How many power heads and what's the sump situation like?
 
Stop using Fuel. It's not for LPS and softies. It's mainly for SPS though there are much cheaper alternatives. Hammers are omnivores and get what they need from the light but do really well with meaty foods - I recommend PE mysis shrimp because of the fatty acids and other good things. Feed them one per head 2-3 times a week and you'll see growth. Softies don't need anything but good light.

Get a Salifert nitrate kit. You may be using API and they're not very accurate.

+1 on the lighting. If you can afford about $250, you could upgrade to LED's that would allow you to grow ANY corals you wanted.

Also, what's your flow situation? How many power heads and what's the sump situation like?

I wouldn't feed it, that will probably stress it out more. They don't need any food. Mine grows fine without it. I think you need more light as well. Move it up
 
Thanks for all the replies, I will try moving it up. However, I had it in the sand bed because that's the place with the least water flow. From my understanding they don't like strong flow, correct? I mean I only have the return point and a Marineland 1200 power head generating water movement
 
True but ime they will learn to accept more flow. Mine used to be in super low flow, then I added an mp10 and now he's in moderate flow and is fine
 
Bleaching is not from lack of light. Browning would be IME. Marineland 1200? DO you mean this-
http://www.petmountain.com/product/aquarium-powerheads/11442-526460/marineland-marineland-maxi-jet-water-pump-and-powerhead.html?utm_source=googleproductads&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term={keyword}&gclid=CNK1n_Wqq7wCFQHNOgodukkAkA

If so, how do you have it set up? If it's not set up to be pushing 1300 gph, then you don't have nearly enough flow in the tank. I wonder if your nutrient levels are high.
 
Yes, that's the one. However, I used to have 2 of the 1200 and one 600 in the tank. It seemed that everyone including the fish hated it because it was too much. Then I gradually removed them until the corals and fish seemed to like it better. They are/were set up as circulation pumps. The calcium is at 400ppm, phosphate 0.05, nitrate 0 ppm, amonia 0 and nitrite 0. Alkalinity is around 8dkH or 143.2 ppm KH.
 
Yes, that's the one. However, I used to have 2 of the 1200 and one 600 in the tank. It seemed that everyone including the fish hated it because it was too much. Then I gradually removed them until the corals and fish seemed to like it better. They are/were set up as circulation pumps. The calcium is at 400ppm, phosphate 0.05, nitrate 0 ppm, amonia 0 and nitrite 0. Alkalinity is around 8dkH or 143.2 ppm KH.


Your cal is at the bottom of where it should be, and your all is low as well. Bleaching is caused by too much light or bulbs going wacko, which is why I asked when the last time you changed them.
 
Your cal is at the bottom of where it should be, and your all is low as well. Bleaching is caused by too much light or bulbs going wacko, which is why I asked when the last time you changed them.

thank you for the reply. I have not changed the bulbs in about 7 months. However, they seem to be working for the other corals -though I know the hammer requires more light than the other ones. How often should you change them?
 
I like this thread because it has shown me that some people really have no idea, but still give conflicting advice!
I have not been in this hobby a very long time, so when I have a problem I ask here and ask google! Google it! What causes bleaching in coral! Stress and too much light!
 
Bleaching is caused by stress. Whether that be to much light, poor water quality, acidic water, etc... To much light is not the only trigger for a coral to start bleaching
 
Sorry I was just making my point about earlier comments that not enough light causes bleaching!
 
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