Hammer Coral

Hammer Corals for Sale

Hammer corals (Fimbriaphyllia ancora, long sold as Euphyllia ancora), also called anchor corals, are named for the distinctive hammer- or anchor-shaped tips on each tentacle. Available in branching and wall forms, they glow under blue light in golds, greens, and neon “toxic” morphs, swaying gently with the flow to bring constant motion to a reef.

Most of our coral is aquacultured or conditioned in our Key West systems. Product listings identify the source when known. Each order ships UPS Next Day Air under our Live Arrival Guarantee. Hammers share the same easy Euphyllia care as our torch corals and frogspawn corals — or browse all of our LPS corals.

Hammer, torch and frogspawn, and which one to buy

All three were long grouped as Euphyllia, and they want nearly identical conditions. A 2017 genetic study moved hammer and frogspawn to Fimbriaphyllia; torch stayed Euphyllia. Hammer (F. ancora) has tentacle tips shaped like a hammer or anchor head. Frogspawn (F. divisa) has branched, knobby tips that look like clustered eggs. Torch (E. glabrescens) has long, straight tentacles with a distinct rounded tip. Hammers and frogspawn come in wall and branching forms — branching splits into separate heads on its own stalks, wall stays as a continuous ridge. Branching is easier to frag later and generally worth the small premium.

Euphyllia care, in numbers

Light: 75–150 PAR.

Flow: gentle and indirect. Tentacles should sway, not whip. Direct powerhead flow is the most common reason a Euphyllia stays closed.

Placement: lower to middle rock with at least six inches clear on all sides.

Water: alkalinity steady between 8 and 9 dKH. They tolerate nutrients well.

Common problems

Brown jelly. The one emergency. A brown mucus mass consuming tissue, spreading fast, and it will move to every other Euphyllia in the tank. Remove the affected head immediately.

Will not open after shipping. One to three days is normal. Moving it repeatedly restarts the clock.

One head retracted, others fine. Mechanical — a neighbor or a flow stream hitting that head.

Questions we get asked

Can I keep all three together?

Usually yes, with spacing. Torches are the most aggressive of the three.

Wall or branching, which should I buy?

Branching hammers grow as separate heads on their own stalks, so they are easier to cut later and they fill a space faster. Wall hammers stay one continuous ridge and look like a single animal. Branching usually costs a little more and is worth it if you ever plan to frag.

How many heads will I get?

Every listing says what is in the photo. A frag is usually one to two heads, a colony is three or more. The photo is the animal that ships.

How fast do they grow?

In a stable tank with steady alkalinity, a branching hammer will usually add heads within a few months. Wall hammers spread along the ridge rather than splitting.

Mine closed up after shipping. Did I kill it?

Almost certainly not. One to three days closed is normal after a box. Leave it in low flow and moderate light and do not keep moving it.

Can I put a hammer next to a torch?

Give them space. Torches carry the longest sweepers of the three and will reach a neighbor at night that looked safe during the day. Six inches clear on all sides is the working minimum.

Do you ship to my state?

Anywhere in the lower 48, UPS Next Day Air on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. We do not ship to Alaska or Hawaii.

Shop hammer corals by name

These named hammers each have their own listing: Hologram, King Pure Gold, Prince of Darkness, Ultra Gold Tip Branching, Ultra Lavender Branching, Ultra Yellow Branching, Gold Branching, Ultra Teal Glow Wall, Crystal Ember Wall, Raspberry Wall, Neon Green Stem Splatter Branching, Green and Blue Stem, Aussie Branching Toxic Splatter, Toxic Splatter Frammer and Gold Frammer.

How it ships from Key West

Hammer corals ship UPS Next Day Air on Tuesdays and Wednesdays only, so no box sits in a hub over a weekend. We ship to the lower 48. We do not ship to Alaska or Hawaii.

• Shipping charge: $30 for qualifying Florida livestock orders under 6 lb, and $50 elsewhere in the lower 48. The shipping charge is per order.
• Free livestock transportation: on qualifying livestock subtotals of $299 or more. WYSIWYG pieces count toward the $299. Dry goods do not.
• Box & Handling Fee: $10 per livestock box, and it still applies on orders with free livestock transportation. A box carries up to 6 lb of packed livestock. Heavier orders go out in additional boxes, each with its own $10 fee.
• Live arrival: if something arrives dead, photograph the animal inside the unopened bag within 4 hours of UPS delivery confirmation and send it with your order number.