Green Hammer Not Looking So Good

[pesto]

I have a three head green hammer and it has been thriving. However, now one of the heads is not looking so good. Can anyone help?

Nitrate (NO2) - <0.3
Nitrate (NO3) - 12.5
Ammonia (NH3+NH4) - 0.00
pH - 8.0
Carbonate Hardness (KH) - 4.0
Salinity - 1.024
Temp - 80 Degrees
Lighting - T5 Nova Extreme 8x54
I do not feed the coral specifically. Fish food in tank is mixed frozen with flake/pellet.

 

[SaltCreep]

It doesn't look that good......but it doesn't look that bad either.

I've got tons of hammer, and sometimes one or two heads shrivel for no reason.

If nothing is touching it....and there is no waterflow directly onto it.....then all you can do is wait and see.


If the head starts to melt and becomes covered with a semi-translucent brown jelly.....then you probably want to get in there and break it off.

I've had the brown jelly a few times and it SPREADS.

 

[pesto]

Thanks! My power heads do indirectly create water flow over the hammer. It is not a large amount of flow but, there is some that occurs. Is this ok or should it get no water flow from the heads?

 

[cujo6984]

your kh is a little low you might want to get that up to at least 7 or 8 min

 

[molsen187]

if the flow is too high it might be making the soft tissue blow up against its bony skeleton which would irritate it. how long have you had it, it might still be adjusting.

 

[pesto]

I added it to my tank on August 26th.

 

[deynon09]

your kh is a little low you might want to get that up to at least 7 or 8 min

Is that meq, or dkh?

 

[stingythingy45]

^^^

+1

????

 

[DoctaQ]

i would imagine dkh
4meq/l is actually pretty good

people usually shoot for 8-12 dkh and about 400 to 450 calcium
if this is your first stony then you should start reading about alk and calc

 

[pesto]

Yes, it is 4 dkh. what is the best way to raise this number to the 8 to 12 range?

 

[stingythingy45]

I would double check that number.I would think everything would be dying if you had a 4 dkh.

Baking soda dissolved in ro/di water.And you would have to raise it EXTREMELY SLOW!
Like a couple days.

 

[stingythingy45]

Here's a reef supplement program to help you out.
Make sure you punch in the gallons at the top.

http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html

 

[stingythingy45]

From Randy's Holmes Farley's 2 part recipe #2.

Recipe #2, Part 2: The Alkalinity Part

Dissolve 297 grams of baking soda (about 1 1/8 cups) in enough water to make 1 gallon total. This dissolution may require a fair amount of mixing. Warming it speeds dissolution. This solution will contain about 950 meq/L of alkalinity (2660 dKH). As mentioned earlier, Arm & Hammer is a fine brand of baking soda to use in these recipes. Be sure to NOT use baking powder. Baking powder is a different material that often has phosphate as a main ingredient.

 

[stingythingy45]

What size tank is this?
If it's small(nano),just do water changes and don't chance dosing.

 

[pesto]

as you suggest, I am going to double check my reading when I get home. It is a 90 gallon tank . . .

 

[stingythingy45]

Yes definitely double check it.
A DKH that low would be really terrible,imo.
A 90 gallon I would have no problem dosing.But again,go slow and check often.I'd only bring it up a few and then stop.
Do you dose anything for calcium,alk or magnesium?

 

[pesto]

According to my "TetraTest Kit" for Carbonate Hardness, my tank is at 4.0 degrees dH. It states that a range of 8 to 10 degrees dH is the preferred reading. I use "Calcium 3" from Red Sea once a week as a supplement.

 

[DoctaQ]

before you start dosing it is good to know what your parameters look like
for a tank that big if you plan on having lots of stony corals you should look into a dosing pump.
CA might be another good parameter to check especially since youre dosing for it

 

[stingythingy45]

"According to my "TetraTest Kit" for Carbonate Hardness"

What's that?
Do yourself a favor,go get a quality test kit.Even API will be better than some.
Without a good test kit you're blind.

 

[pesto]

I have no problem getting a better test kit. Damn, with all the money I have spent it is a drop in the bucket. Maybe it is where I shop but, it is a fairly common test kit. I never thought it was not a quality kit. Which is the most recommended for testing a salt water?