Low alk & hammer not opening

[barry cuda]

One head on my branching hammer is only opening across about half the polyp - the rest is completely hidden within the folds of the head. There are four heads, and the others all look fine. I'm wondering if low alkalinity (6dKH) could be to blame? I'd brought the alk up to 8 before adding this hammer (first stony in this tank) but have been a little careless in watching params over the last few days and my alk has slipped to 6dKH. Is this a likely source of stress on the hammer?

 

[dburr]

IMO, no. I will tell you that I am constantly battling low alk. (until the CR is made ) It will dip as low as 4.5dKH:scared: I don't have a hammer, but my frogspawn is always open.
Give a run down of other parameters. Your other thread said you can't test for phosphate but do you have a LFS that can? I would point my finger their.

 

[barry cuda]

I'm sure any of the several LFS close by could test phosphates...the recurring cyano problem, despite nitrates that are now down to about 5 ppm and still dropping, is enough evidence IMHO that phosphates are indeed high. I'm running a polyfilter now to at least contain the phosphate levels, and am about to order a phosban reactor. I will also be dripping kalk once I get alk/Ca balanced and stable. Hopefully all these things together will eliminate the phosphates and the cyano they're feeding. Temp is solid at 78, ammonia/nitrites 0, nitrates 5 and dropping.
I've never in my short aquarist career read anything to the effect that phosphates are a problem for LPS. Is this indeed something that will hurt them?
It now looks like there were two polyps at the end of that branch, one of which is dead. I can't see any flesh at all on the affected polyp. The others are all looking pretty fat & happy, so I hope this is an isolated problem.

 

[dburr]

I will also be dripping kalk once I get alk/Ca balanced and stable.
Why not now? It will help fight the phosphate and will be going in balanced so can still play with your #'s.
I've never in my short aquarist career read anything to the effect that phosphates are a problem for LPS. Is this indeed something that will hurt them?
Well I thought phosphate in in high numbers was NG for all corals. :thinking: Why would some NOT be effected?
It now looks like there were two polyps at the end of that branch, one of which is dead. I can't see any flesh at all on the affected polyp. The others are all looking pretty fat & happy, so I hope this is an isolated problem.
Did it just disappear or did you notice some was wrong for awhile? No brown jelly or something stinging it or even another critter picking on it? This is your first stony, but what other corals do you have? what is within 6" of it?