hammer coral killing hairy mushroom?

I have three beautiful hairy mushrooms. I have had them for about a month. I purchased a hammer coral and put him/her in the tank. It is about 5" away from the mushrooms. Well now they are looking really sad. Everything else in the tank is still looking beautiful. Could the hammer be attacking my shrooms.

The only levels I have tested are:

PH 8.3
salinity 1.024
Nitrates are 5.0
Nitrites are .05

temp 78

15g high
150 w metal halides

 

The hammer coral has sweeper tentacles that can reach a long ways and if it senses any corals trying to invade its space they send out the sweepers to sting the intruder to death about a foot area is needed from any corals All corals of the Euphylla family have some nasty sweepers . Like the elegance and a hammer will sting aptasias to death

 

it could be possible, hammers have one of the most potent stings of all common corals. Their sweepers can reach several inches in length. However, I would think 5" is far enough away. Are they down stream of them or upstream?

 

They were down stream. I moved the mushrooms up and the hammer towards the front. They are now 12 inches and the hammer is down stream from the shrooms. I think one of them is a goner. The other two are starting to look a little better.

 

Ok i measured it was more like 4" apart.. eesh.. they are now more then a foot apart.

 

Take this for what its worth but look at the hammer and estimate how long the tentacles look to be when fully open and pumped up then add 3 " minimum and 6" maximum to the length estimate then you have the total range the sweepers can go out..

 

Well I isolated my hammer. He has is own corner so he can sprawl out and leave everyone alone!!!! Thanks everyone!!!

 

Could very well be.
But you can use this to your advantage. I "strategically" place my GSP's around my torch Has drastically cut down on the pruning I need to do