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Newb needs some tips.

683 Views 2 Replies 2 Participants Last post by  Tsannik
Hello, I have kept marine fish for a few years now and recently have decided to start doing corals. I picked up a 2 headed frag of hammer coral, found it a spot in the tank it loves (it is out and open more so than it was in the store). Everything is going well so far, but I do have some questions. Do I need to place some rock near it to grow on? If I leave him in the "open" like he is now (he is about 2-3'' away from a couple surrounding pieces of live rock) will he not grow? Or grow and just attach to substrate? I guess I am just really unclear as to how to set it up for proper future growth of the coral. So any tips or friendly advice from experienced folk would be appreciated.

Edit: Forgot to mention he is currently attached to a little concrete "plug".
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he is not an encrusting coral, hammer corals and other LPS corals grow their own skeletons. So if you do want him to grow keep your calcium and magnesium at proper levels with water changes and he should grow if all other conditions are good. With only one coral or light stocking water changes is all you need. Most suppliments are a complete waste of money, likely that the same $ amount of that suppliment is found in that $ amount of salt and you get all the other bennefits of a water change along with it. Welcome to reef keeping and Good luck! If he is happy with the light, flow and water quality there is a good chance some other LPS corals my take a liking to it as well.... if you end up getting more corals be sure not to put any non euphylia coral within 4-6" of the hammer coral or it WILL sting it some day and likely kill it. Any other hammer, frogspawn or torch.... maybe even a bubble coral, should be able to go in near your current hammer as long as it does not over compete for lighting they should not sting eachother. Your hammer may also like some food, you can target feed mysis or brine or chopped squid or other foods into their mouth with a turkey baster. Avoid target feeding pellets with copper additives as copper is not good for inverts, but most of them have a VERY low dose and should not effect corals unless you are very lax on water changes.
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Thanks for the info. I do partial water changes about once every week to week and a half, think that will suffice? I bought some plankton and have been adding some to the water, as well as squirting him with it every couple days. I feel bad because now I spend 75% of my time staring at the hammer and my fish have to swim in between us to get my attention :)
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