Hammer Coral receding

[BL1]

A couple days ago I found the front of my hammer fell into the sandbed, I thought I had caught it fairly quickly. But, apparently not quick enough, the polyps have started receding and I'm starting to see it's skeleton. Will it stop receding or is it going to continue? This isn't a branching hammer either so it's not like I can just break off the effected branch.

 

[BL1]

Anyone?

 

[Bifferwine]

If it was physically damaged in just that area, that's where the receding should stop. If it gets infected (look out for a brown jelly) then it could spread to the whole coral.

 

[BL1]

If it was physically damaged in just that area, that's where the receding should stop. If it gets infected (look out for a brown jelly) then it could spread to the whole coral.

Thanks Biff, I guess I'll just have to wait and keep an eye on it.

 

[BigH55]

Looks like damage to me too. +1 on what biff said. I would spot feed it a couple times to encourage faster growth. It should be fine, but it may recede more slightly before it stops. BTW, very nice block hammer. Would be a shame to see it perish.

 

[BL1]

Thanks BigH, it definitely would be it's by far the biggest coral I've got in my tank, it would be a big loss for me.

 

[dcantucson]

I think it will be fine. But I do wonder if that dead part will grow back? Keep us posted, please.

 

[the reef kid]

This happened to my torch. One head was totally gone, one was partially gone. The one that is totally gone never came back, the one that was half dead came back just fine.

 

[Melosu58]

Not any fish messing with it?

 

[BL1]

It's too hard to tell, anytime I come to the tank the fish don't leave the front of the glass so it's hard to say what they do when I'm not watching.

 

[Sunshine]

My Clarkii use to host my Hammer. Now he hosts my Coco Worm tube :dunno:

 

[yvr]

If you see any brown jelly ie. necrotic tissue, you can use airline tubing to siphon off the dead/necrotic tissue and give the coral a bath with an Iodine solution like TM Pro Coral Cure or similar product. The iodine will act as an antiseptic and hopefully kill prevent the spread of the tissue necrosis.

 

[BL1]

If you see any brown jelly ie. necrotic tissue, you can use airline tubing to siphon off the dead/necrotic tissue and give the coral a bath with an Iodine solution like TM Pro Coral Cure or similar product. The iodine will act as an antiseptic and hopefully kill prevent the spread of the tissue necrosis.

Thanks, haven't seen any yet and hopefully don't. That killed off my last purple hammer.