Coral keeping be it in a normal marine tank or an actual reef tank setup has been growing in popularity in recent times and it shows no signs of slowing down due to so many people sharing photographs of their corals online helping to draw more people into coral keeping.
Hammer coral is considered a “beginner friendly” species of coral but this still presumes that you have some experience within the aquarium keeping hobby and that you are able to maintain steady and consistent water parameters as well as the other basics too.
We have noticed a number of people reaching out for advice due to their hammer coral skeleton showing recently so we wanted to publish this article going over the most common problems that we see time and time again when it comes to keeping hammer coral in your aquarium to try and help as many of our readers as possible.
Please note that many beginners will often have multiple problems in their tank at once so be sure to check all possible causes of your hammer coral skeleton showing rather than just focusing on one that you think you have.
Why Is My Hammer Coral Skeleton Showing?
We have our list of the most common reasons that your hammer coral skeleton is showing below but we will be taking a more detailed look at each of them later in the article:-
- Low Quality Water!
- A Lack Of Nutrients And Food!
- Unsuitable Water Flow!
- Issues With Water Salinity!
- Sudden Change In Water Parameters!
- The Placement Of The Coral!
- Unsuitable Light!
- Non-Reef Safe Tank Mates!
- Water pH Levels!
- Low Calcium And Magnesium Levels!
- Ammonia And Nitrate Levels!
- Water Temperature!
Just a reminder, it is very common for people to have two or more of these problems in their tank at the same time so keep that in mind!
Low Quality Water!
One of the most common problems that we see people have with their corals is that they do not have high quality water in their aquarium.
Coral keeping should only be attempted by experienced aquarium keepers who are able to maintain consistent and stable water parameters as even small changes can cause coral stress which will lead to them expelling their zooxanthellae and ultimately dying.
Ideally, you will be using an actual reef tank water test kit rather than a standard water test kit too as they test for more potential problems with your water quality while also being more accurate.
We have seen a number of people using cheaper water test strips think that their water is perfect for their hammer coral only to later find out that the problem was with something the water test kit that they were using doesn’t even test for.
As we mentioned back at the start of the article, just because hammer corals are “beginner friendly” they still presume that you have a couple of month of aquarium keeping experiences as a minimum and that you are able to correctly maintain water parameter requirements in a tank.
A Lack Of Nutrients And Food!
Another very common problem that we see people have with their corals is that they are simply not getting enough food and nutrients into their aquarium water.
Corals are living animals and need to be fed just like any other animal in your care, and it is surprising how many people fail to realize that in many aquarium tank setups, you do actually have to feed your coral.
We know that there are a number of experienced coral keepers on YouTube and social media who set up self-sustaining reef tanks but this is very difficult to do correctly and the vast majority of people will have to actively feed their corals a suitable food on a regular basis.
Unsuitable Water Flow!
Another problem that we see people have with their corals which can cause the coral skeleton to show is having unsuitable water flow within the aquarium.
As you may or may not know, corals come from very specific areas of the ocean where the water quality and flow is perfect for them to thrive in and as a result, they need to have these same conditions replicated as closely as possible in the home aquarium.
Flow is often one of those areas where people make a mistake and think that more flow is better when, in reality, it is quite the opposite!
Hammer corals can technically live in tanks with moderate water flow but in reality, they do much better in low water flow tanks.
If you have a moderate or high water flow tank then this may be enough to cause problems with your hammer coral and cause its skeleton to start showing.
Issues With Water Salinity!
Another common water quality problem that we see people have with their corals is having issues with the salinity of their aquarium water.
Again, this is something that you will need to test for using a reef tank water test kit as standard aquarium test kits do not tend to measure salinity levels.
The vast majority of coral should be kept in water that has a salinity of between 1.024 and 1.026 as this is the range of salinity levels that they are used to in the wild.
If your water falls outside of this range then it is likely that your coral will start to experience problems and its skeleton may start showing as a result.
Sudden Change In Water Parameters!
Large water changes can rapidly change a number of water parameters in your tank causing a range of potential problems with your coral.
We always recommend that you try to stick to the partial water change strategy of 25% total water of less with 15% being the sweet spot in our opinion.
This allows you to change your aquariums water while having minimal effect on the water parameters in the tank allowing your corals to thrive.
We have seen a number of people have problems with your corals simply due to doing a 50% water change every week meaning that the water parameters rarely settle.
The Placement Of The Coral!
Another thing that we wanted to touch on which can cause problems with your coral and cause its skeleton to show is the placement of the hammer coral within the aquarium.
This is something that a lot of people do not think about but it can have a big effect on how well your coral grows and thrives.
Hammer corals need to be placed in an area of the aquarium where they will receive a moderate water flow and plenty of light.
If you place your coral in an area where the water flow is too high then this can cause problems as we mentioned earlier.
Unsuitable Light!
Hammer corals really don’t do too well in high light tanks and a low to moderate lighting intensity of around 80-120 PAR is usually the best option for a hammer coral.
If the lighting intensity in your aquarium is higher than this, especially for a prolonged period of time then this alone can be enough to cause your hammer coral to regress and for its skeleton to show.
Non-Reef Safe Tank Mates!
Another potential problem that we see people have with their hammer corals is having non-reef safe tank mates which can cause problems in a number of ways.
The most common way that we see this causing problems is when fish or inverts start to pick at the coral leading to tissue loss and eventual death of the coral.
This not only causes problems for your coral but can also lead to water quality issues in the aquarium as the coral decomposes.
Additionally, some tank mates can release toxins into the water which can have a negative effect on your corals causing them to regress and eventually die.
Water pH Levels!
Another water quality parameter that you need to keep an eye on is the pH level of your aquarium water as this can have a big effect on your coral.
The vast majority of corals should be kept in aquariums with a pH level between 8.0 and 8.3 as this is the range of pH levels that they are used to in the wild.
If the pH level in your aquarium starts to fall outside of this range then it is likely that your coral will start to experience problems and its skeleton may start showing as a result.
Low Calcium And Magnesium Levels!
Another water quality parameter that can cause problems with your coral and cause its skeleton to show is the calcium and magnesium levels in your aquarium.
Calcium and magnesium are two of the most important elements for coral growth and if they fall too low then it is likely that your coral will start to experience problems.
The ideal calcium level for a reef aquarium is between 400 and 450 ppm with a magnesium level of around 1200-1300 ppm.
If either of these levels start to fall too low then it is likely that your coral will experience problems and its skeleton may start showing as a result.
Ammonia And Nitrate Levels!
Two other water quality parameters that you need to keep an eye on are the ammonia and nitrate levels in your aquarium.
If either of these levels start to rise too high then it is likely that your coral will experience problems and its skeleton may start showing as a result.
The ideal ammonia level for a reef aquarium is 0 ppm with a nitrate level of around 3-5 ppm.
If either of these levels start to rise too high then it is likely that your coral will experience problems and its skeleton may start showing as a result.
Water Temperature!
Another water quality parameter that you need to keep an eye on is the water temperature in your aquarium.
Coral are used to living in water temperatures between 72 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit and if the water temperature in your aquarium starts to fall outside of this range then it is likely that your coral will experience problems.
If the water temperature in your aquarium starts to drop too low then it is likely that your coral will experience problems and its skeleton may start showing as a result.
The ideal water temperature for a reef aquarium is between 72 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit.
If the water temperature in your aquarium starts to fall outside of this range then it is likely that your coral will experience problems and its skeleton may start showing as a result.
