my hammerhead hard coral is dying on me

[saltwater]

I am new to the forum and i have a problem.:?

my hammerhead hard coral is dying on me it is two weeks old to my tank and was doing well up to now,

it is not coming out and tear is spaces where their is heads missing , i have don a water test and the results are :

API reef master test kit

PH 8

Phosphate 0.ppm mg/l

nitrate 40 ppm mg/l :shock: to high

calcium 16 drops = 320 ppm mg/l (feel is to low :yikesu:)

k h 9 drops =9 dkh 161.1ppm kh

salt 1.026 @ 20c

sera aqua test kit ph 8, salt 1.026@ 20c

kh 7 drops =7 dkh

ammonia 0.03 mg/l

nitrite 0.0 mg/l

nitrate 40 mg/l (to high )

phosphate 0.0 mg/l

copper 0.0 mg/l calcium 220 mg/l low ?:question:

selifert test

magnesium 0.035 mg/l 1465 ppm

have don a 30 % water chang to get the nitrates down but i feel the calcium is still low ??? haven't ree tested yet

what can i add to increase the calcium , i was thinking ( red sea success calcium + 3 ) as a supplement

please say if you feel i need to do any thing ells to my tank,

the lighting is juwel high lite T5 tubes

1x 35w blue + 1x 24w blue
1 x 35w marine white + 1 x 28w marine white all an for 12 hrs

my leather corals are doing well no prob,s with them
many thanks

 

[Melosu58]

Your lighting needs to be HO (high Output). From looking at those bulbs it`s not enough lighting. I would suggest a T5HO system. BTW it`s a hammer coral or anchor coral. Not a hammerhead.

 

[bjohanson1234]

Also, the nitrates can be causing it stress. Especially if it came from a low nitrate system

 

[winyfrog]

what fish and inverts do you have in the tank?

 

[yote]

How much water flow do have on it?
To much flow can tear the fleshy part which will kill the coral.

 

[Bifferwine]

I don't think calcium is your problem. Your calcium level is fine for that type of coral. It is most likely one of the things someone asked about above.

 

[JAG107]

I'm with Yote on the flow, they do best with low to very moderate flow. The nitrates aren't helping, but I don't think that's the killer. Is there a fish or invert that is nipping at it?

 

[saltwater]

the water flow is not as strong as the tank it was in at the lfs
W,T,H
i have just spotted that my 2 clown fish are having a go at it and just pulled sum of the dead bits off it,:censored:

i will have to get sum egg crat and make up a cage to cover it to keep them off:umbrella:

and hope it may recover

i have only up graded to the juwell high lite T5s as it stated that thy give off +150% more lite and i have fitted their reflectors i will replace the the 24w blue with a 35w and the28w marine white with a 35w ,

i went with thees tubes as thy are the only ones of this wat that will fit in my hood
have to go as the clown,s are pulling my hammer coral to bits right now :frustrat:

 

[saltwater]

my tank from the front

sorry a bit blurry not in focus :Cheers:

found this in the tank last time i cleaned off the hear algae,think it is a rock boring urchin ??? from what i can find out but i may be wrong

protection from killer clowns


not to good at the pic,s yet will get them bigger next time :cheerful:

now looks as if their is a big divers cage on the bottom :sfish::D lol
do you think it will recover is their any thing i can do / put in to help

 

[dcantucson]

From what I can see, It looks like a goner. Sorry. :(
You did a great job protecting it though.

 

[yote]

The tank looks good.
But I have to agree with David.From the pic,it looks like all thats left of your hammer is the skeleton.BUT,If theres any flesh left,it may come back.At least I hope it does.

 

[saltwater]

all that is left is sum flesh that looks as if it is dead i will leave it in for now just Incas it cums back but i don't think it will

i am going to do a substantial water chang (3/4 of the water) this week end and clean off the hear algae that has reappeared and add sum new live sand , or do you think this is to much all in one go

many thanks
sw

 

[yote]

JMO,But I wouldnt do more than 50%.Just try to remove as much of the algae as possible while you siphoning out the water.

 

[JAG107]

Well, if there is a little flesh left, there is a slight possibility of it recovering, but that will take a long time, and very stable conditions for it to get happy again. Good luck, I hope it pulls through for ya, you did a good job protecting it from the clown it looks like.

 

[saltwater]

well all that is left of my hammer Coral is the skeleton, i kept the clowns off :Dbut then i find a hermit crab finishing it off:frustrat:

think that if i get a new hammer coral i will fix a shelf to the side of the tank:D, and put the Cage on over the hammer to keep the clowns off:sfish:, and off the bottom etc to keep the hermits off

as it's Christmas eave hear i wish you all a very happy christmas and a happy new year :Cheers::Cheers::Cheers:

from saltwater :Cheers: and family in the U,K

 

[dcantucson]

:Cheers::Cheers: Happy Christmas and New Year to you to saltwater. :Cheers::Cheers:

 

[Bifferwine]

Sorry to hear about your coral :( Better luck next time. Merry Christmas to you!

 

[Melosu58]

I`m thinking the clowns were just hosting it or something. My clown lives in my hammer coral.