Is my purple neon orange-tipped hammer coral doomed?

[Aurixor]

Having some trouble with this coral and was hoping for some insight. It was fully opened about 4 days ago but has looked like this ever since.

My current parameters are:
Salinity - 1.0245
Temp - 79.7
PH - 8.07
Ammonia - 0
Nitrate - 0
Phosphate - 0
Calcium - ~420
Alk - 9.6dkh
MG - ~1420

If more pics are needed let me know.

[Aurixor]

Having trouble with the pic, check this thread for the image instead - http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showt ... ?t=2475672

[floralix]

Looks like a wall hammer to me. Not exactly known for their high success rates. You mentioned you've had it for 4 months, right? The flow's been a concern for me. I checked the pic and it seems like there's hardly any flow around it - those tentacles are just hanging down. I'd recommend trying a spot with a bit more flow, see how it does. My hammers have always done best with a gentle rocking motion.

I had a torch that did something similar a few months back. It just wouldn't puff out no matter what. Took me three moves to find the sweet spot. You might want to check for any algae near the base, where the skeleton meets the flesh. Algae growth or trapped pieces can cause them to stay closed.

Keep a close eye on it, and if you notice any brown slime developing, I'd remove it ASAP to prevent any other LPS from getting infected.

[Aurixor]

Just picked him up, moved him back to where he was happy before. Thought maybe the other hammer might've stung it, and then this happened.

[rustyfox9]

I think it might be a total bailout. I've tried moving it back to where it was happy before, but I'm not sure if that's going to make a difference. I'm starting to think that the other hammer might have stung it, and that's what's causing the problem.

[floralix]

Honestly, that pic is really unclear to me. It almost looks like it's deteriorating or something. I'd be on the lookout for slime, any brownish stuff forming. If I were you, I'd take it out and give it a sniff - if it smells rotten, that's a bad sign. What I can make out doesn't look good.

[Stellaluna]

As a last resort, I've had to cut off the dead area of the skeleton on occasion. Then I dip it in Lugol's twice a day for a week or more, until I see results or it's gone. At this stage, you're already racing against the disease, so you need to act fast to save what's left. Lowering the temp a few degrees can also help slow down the bacterial infection, giving you a bit more time.

[felinxo]

Wall hammers, notorious for being a challenge in our tanks. Typically they come in damaged or cut, which leads to infections that often go unnoticed until 4-6 weeks post-collection.

[zeno9]

I've had my fair share of struggles with wall hammers, and honestly, I've given up on them. My experience has been that they slowly decline over 1-2 years, with the tissue receding from one side to the other. I've had a few pieces that I thought would thrive, but they all ended up meeting the same fate. I even splurged on an Australian bright yellow, thinking it would be different, but it too vanished into thin air. Meanwhile, my other corals, including SPS, are doing great. I'd love to hear from fellow reefers who have successfully kept wall hammers for over two years - what's your secret?

[felinxo]

I've had my fair share of struggles with wall hammers, and honestly, I've given up on them. My experience has been that they slowly decline over 1-2 years, with the tissue receding from one side to the other. I've had a few pieces that I thought would thrive, but they all ended up meeting the same fate. I even splurged on an Australian bright yellow, thinking it would be different, but it too vanished into thin air. Meanwhile, my other corals, including SPS, are doing great. I'd love to hear from fellow reefers who have successfully kept wall hammers for over two years - what's your secret?

I've had some success with them, but like I mentioned in my thread, it's a real challenge. I'd love to hear from others who've managed to keep them thriving long-term.