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Optimal placement for hammer coral stalks
Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2024 7:16 am
by Stormy
I just picked up a new hammer coral today - was originally planning on grabbing a small frag they had on Monday, but someone beat me to it. Now I've got a three head stalk and I'm wondering about placement. Does the stalk need to be on a rock, or can it touch the sand bed? I'm thinking of putting it between two rocks in my scape - the majority of the stalk is still exposed to water, including the very bottom. First time with a full coral, not just a frag on a plug, so any advice would be great.
Re: Optimal placement for hammer coral stalks
Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2024 8:14 am
by talonix
Hammer corals do best in the mid to top section of the tank, so placing it on a rock would be ideal. You can secure it with some reef-safe epoxy, just make sure it's in a spot where it can stay put. I've found they're pretty hardy, as long as you don't go moving them around all the time. Also, keep an eye on your parameters, they need to be spot on for these corals to thrive.
Re: Optimal placement for hammer coral stalks
Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2024 10:49 am
by Stormy
Alright, I've placed it and I'll see how it settles in before securing it with epoxy.
Re: Optimal placement for hammer coral stalks
Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2024 12:10 pm
by Stormy
My main concern now is the stalk itself - do I need to bury most of it or is it fine to leave it exposed like it is now. The stalk is around 3" long, and I noticed at the LFS they had it stuck in a hole they drilled into the rock.
Re: Optimal placement for hammer coral stalks
Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2024 12:26 pm
by talonix
I'm inclined to think leaving the stalk exposed is the way to go. It allows for some extra room under the branches, and I'm not sure if hammers grow new heads from the stalk like some other corals do, but either way, having some space without being right up against the rock seems like a good idea.
Re: Optimal placement for hammer coral stalks
Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2024 3:07 pm
by tetraTim
I've learned that some corals, like Frogspawns, can grow new heads on their skeleton. What's most important isn't what the skeleton touches, whether that's rock or sand, but rather the flow and light it receives. And from what I've found, Frogspawns are pretty hardy and not too fussy.
Re: Optimal placement for hammer coral stalks
Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2024 4:59 pm
by finnix25
New heads can indeed grow on the stalk, and in my experience, this usually happens closer to the existing heads as the tissue drops down and then recedes once the new head starts forming its own endoskeleton. If you don't have any heads at the base of the stalk, I think you're fine to bury it - that's just my two cents based on what I've seen.
For me, placement is more about flow than level in the tank. As long as the lighting is decent, I focus on finding a spot with moderate, indirect flow. They don't seem to like being blasted with high or direct flow, but they respond really well to flow that's bounced off a rock or coming from a wavemaking powerhead.
Re: Optimal placement for hammer coral stalks
Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2024 6:58 pm
by Stormy
finnix25 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 15, 2024 4:59 pm
New heads can indeed grow on the stalk, and in my experience, this usually happens closer to the existing heads as the tissue drops down and then recedes once the new head starts forming its own endoskeleton. If you don't have any heads at the base of the stalk, I think you're fine to bury it - that's just my two cents based on what I've seen.
For me, placement is more about flow than level in the tank. As long as the lighting is decent, I focus on finding a spot with moderate, indirect flow. They don't seem to like being blasted with high or direct flow, but they respond really well to flow that's bounced off a rock or coming from a wavemaking powerhead.
I think I've got them in a good spot, they're positioned in front of my powerhead but the main current just grazes them, it stirs the branches gently without being too intense. Lighting might be a different story, I'm not entirely convinced I've got enough, so I'm planning to check with my LFS about picking up a second T5-HO unit.