Hammerhead shrinking

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drummev

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Dec 14, 2008
Messages
27
Location
Chicago Suburbs
I got about 3 in wide specimin of hammerhead from another enthusiast. It was nicely inflated when I got it. It has shrunk a lot in 2 weeks and I fear it may die. I have moved it once to get it more water motion from my little wave maker.
I feed my corals 5 drops of Iodide daily, calcium and stronium supplement weekly also, all kinds of dried foods that I mix with water from the tank. What am I doing wrong with this coral? I've read somewhere they like brine shrimp, should I put a tube in there and feed it?
I have 2 clowns, a six-line wrasse, a very small non-aggresive yellow tail damsel and a mandarin goby (also a red scooter goby). Non of this fish seem to bother the coral.
Can anyone suggest anything?
Thanks!
 
lets get some water parameters! what other corals do you have? im assuming you cycled the tank?
 
Saw this in your tank info...

24 Nano with 2 Ocellaris Clowns, 1 yellow tail Damsel, 1 six line wrasse, one red scooter blenny, one mandarin goby,...

Is the tank we're talking about a 24g? If so, that's a huge bioload for a small tank and I'm thinking your water parameters aren't the best. As HoCkEyGmC mentioned, giving us some test results for ammonia/nitrites/nitrates as well as you salinity and pH would help us help you.

Also... are you testing for iodide? In my opinion, there's really no reason to be dosing your tank for iodide. It's something that can easily be overdosed - especially if you're not testing for it with a very accurate test kit.

I'd say the culprit is most likely iodide OD, but that's just a guess.
 
I don't think the bioload is a problem at all, but I do think the Iodide is more likely. What are your water tests coming at including iodine?
 
Thanks!

I tested for ammonia- none, and nitrates - none, my water PH is 8.4, my salinity is 1.025. My temp is 77 degrees. I agree it is a big bio-load but I do have 35 lb of live rock in the tank and in the back of tank along with the normal nano-cube sponge, charcol pack and ceramic rings.

I was told by the LFS to add this iodide for the corals specifically. I am doing a 20% water change tonight and stop all iodide drops. I'll let you all know how this works. Hopefully he is not too far gone and will revive. He was a beautiful specimin.
 
Also to HoCkEyGmC, yes, the tank is cycled, and I have now given h2o parameters (all except calicum which was 400 last week, I'll test again after H20 change today) My other corals are 3 mushrooms about the size of a 50 cent piece, one mushroom about the size of a dime, one finger leather about 4 in high, one toad stool leather about 1.5 inches high, one small 1 in toadstool, one disc coral, one purple clam coral, some small green polyps (about 6 buds) and a stalk of candy cane with about 10 heads. Also 2 xenias All the other corals look great. The fish all seem healthy and active. No one looks stressed. I have snails - the kind that burrow in the sand and have the tails sticking out. I have a feather duster worm, a small sea cucumber, a small (50 cent piece size) red bearded scallop and some regular snails.
I test water at least weekly,if not bi-weekly. I do water change weekly 20%. I am adding calcium/stronium 1/4 teas liquid weekly for the corals as LFS said they need more calcium/stronium.
I have question about calcium test but will start new thread for that.
Thanks for all the feed back!
 
If you're keeping up on your water changes and using a quality salt mix you shouldn't have to do all that dosing. I'm guessing your LFS was trying to sell you some supplements? One thing I've learned from reading on this forum is never add anything you don't test for first.
 
More supplements than I need

Yes, it does seem like when I ask for information the answer always involves buying something- I probably have more supplements than I'll ever need. I was told they 'can't get too much calcium' so even if I put in extra it wouldn't hurt. Don't know if that's true.
I did the water changed and stopped the idodide drops. I also asked at the LFS where I purchased water and they think I may have him too close to other corals. I moved him away from all corals. He doesn't look any worse today. Will let you know if this hammerhead frogspawn brightens up. Thanks again!
 
If you're keeping up on your water changes and using a quality salt mix you shouldn't have to do all that dosing. I'm guessing your LFS was trying to sell you some supplements? One thing I've learned from reading on this forum is never add anything you don't test for first.

All good advice
 
Yes, it does seem like when I ask for information the answer always involves buying something- I probably have more supplements than I'll ever need. I was told they 'can't get too much calcium' so even if I put in extra it wouldn't hurt. Don't know if that's true.

Kinda true, but not really. Too much calcium - by itself - will not kill anything. But dosing too much calcium to the point that it starts precipitating out of your water will start to also cause issues with your alkalinity. And when your alkalinity starts dropping, you could start having problems with your pH. And when...

You get the idea.

I did the water changed and stopped the idodide drops. I also asked at the LFS where I purchased water and they think I may have him too close to other corals. I moved him away from all corals. He doesn't look any worse today. Will let you know if this hammerhead frogspawn brightens up. Thanks again!

I think water changes and stopping the dosing of everything is your best bet it getting the thing to pull through. Just FYI... a "hammerhead" and a "frogspawn" are two different types of coral within the same family (Euphyllia). They both require the same living conditions, but figured I should just bring it up. You either have a "frogspawn" or an "anchor/hammer"... but not both!

Also... when introducing corals to your tank, unless they're showing severe signs of distress, it's best to avoid the temptation to constantly move them around. Everytime they get moved, there's a new set of conditions they have to get used to, and it can take a few days for them to do that. I try to sit on my hands for at least a week before moving a coral to a different location.
 
I'm confused about what he is myself!

The seller (a private person) told me he is a hammerhead frogspawn. I went to the LFS and my coral looks just like their frogspawn. The tips are in a hammerhead shape-an elogated head (instead of round) and green. His stalks are light beige. He is very pretty when full, now he is shrunk so much he looks sad.
 
I`ll tell you what. here is my hammer coral

100_1013-med.jpg


and my frogspawn. Did it look either one of these

100_1952.jpg
 
The top one

It looks like the one with the Clown fish in it. I actually got mine hoping my 2 Ocealaris Clowns would take to it. The guy I got it from said he had a clown that liked to live in it. I wanted a Pink tip but found out that was dangerous to coral so I have my pink tip in a 10 gal with a Clarkii (who loves it.)
They are doing well.
My 2 clowns in the nano don't bother with the hammerhead, but it's only been there since Dec 6 and it shrunk, Maybe once it gets healthy (hopefully) they'll like it.

Thanks for clearing that up. The frogspawn in the LFS looked a lot like what I have.. but it is definitely like the photo you have with the clown in it.
 
I just went back and re-read your tank description and I guess I missed it the first time but a 24 gallon tank is too small for a mandarin. Please tell me your LFS didn't say it would do fine in that tank? They rarely eat anything but live foods and your tank isn't well established enough to provide an adequate food source...not to mention that the scooter blenny is competition for live foods.
 
Photos of Hammerhead (frogspawn)

I'll let the community weigh in on identifying this coral. I've taken 2 photos- one so you can see what else is around him and another closer up.

To the Mandarin Goby issue - he is a Green Mandarin Goby - Pterosynchiropus splendidus and yes the LFS said he would get along fine in the tank. He does seem to eat off the live rock. I've read at other sites he requires at least 20 gal tank (FreshMarine.com - Green Mandarin Goby - Pterosynchiropus splendidus - Buy Cheap Striped Mandarinfish at Wholesale) but of course they are selling them also!

I would hate to have to get rid of him, plus I'm not sure how I'd catch him- the tank has a lot of rock with corals on the rocks. I don't want him to die and have poured 3 bottles of copepods in the tank, hoping they will breed and be enough to feed him. The scooter blenny stays at front of tank or on top of rocks, the Mandarin stays behind rocks and lower levels of rocks. He comes out, not shy, but is always in areas the blenny does not go in.

What's the opinion? Should I try to find a new home for him or is there hope for him in my tank? The guy who sold me the coral also felt the tank was not mature enough to support him.
 

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I am happy to hear that you have researched your mandarin's needs and I hope that he is happy and healthy in your tank. I thought about putting one in my 55 gallon but the thought of watching him starve is just too sad. Good luck!

EDIT: definitely looks like a "hammer coral" to me. Euphyllia parancora I believe?
 
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