Lighting
50-140 PAR is a starting range; fleshy tissue should expand without paling, stretching, or pulling against skeleton.
LPSBeginnerCare score 4/10
Branching Hammer Coral
Fimbriaphyllia paraancora
Branching Hammer Coral LPS guide for identifying separate branching heads, choosing low placement with moderate flow, and managing head recession on individual branches when kept near Hammer Coral and Frogspawn Coral.
Compare separate branching heads, care range, and nearby lookalikes while checking an ID.
Snapshot
Quick Care Snapshot
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Care score
- 4/10
- Placement
- Low
- PAR range
- 50-140 PAR
- Flow
- Moderate
- Aggression
- Moderate
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Minimum tank age
- 3 months
- Minimum tank size
- 15 gallons
Images
Reference Photos
Photos are shown only when a source includes reusable license metadata. Always verify appearance against the coral in your own lighting and flow.
Primary reference: Bondolo
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 3.0
One legally verified reference photo is attached to this entry.
Ranges
Water Parameters
These ranges are approximate starting points from the coral database and should be adjusted to the stability and history of your system.
- Temperature
- 76-80 F / 24.4-26.7 C
- Salinity
- 1.024-1.026
- Alkalinity
- 8-9.5 dKH
- Calcium
- 400-460 ppm
- Magnesium
- 1250-1400 ppm
- Nitrate
- 2-20 ppm
- Phosphate
- 0.03-0.12 ppm
Care
Care Notes
Flow
moderate indirect flow should move tissue gently without folding it into sharp skeleton or neighbors.
Stability
For Branching Hammer Coral, verify salinity and alkalinity trends before changing placement; repeated moves and direct corrective swings can irritate fleshy tissue.
Variability
Branching Hammer Coral requirements vary by specimen, aquaculture history, shipping stress, and tank maturity; use these ranges as starting points, not guarantees.
Feeding
Feeding
- Benefits from feeding
- Yes
- Food types
- mysis, small meaty foods, LPS pellets
- Frequency
- weekly when feeder tentacles are visible
ID
Identification
Key features
- separate branching heads
- hammer-shaped tentacle tips
- fleshy Euphyllia-type polyps
Common colors
- Green
- Gold
- Purple
- Teal
Similar coral references
How to tell apart
Distinct branch heads separate it from wall hammer forms with continuous skeleton. For Branching Hammer Coral, start with separate branching heads, hammer-shaped tentacle tips, and fleshy Euphyllia-type polyps before checking color. Compare it with Hammer Coral and Frogspawn Coral by looking at corallite walls, polyp shape, tissue inflation, and where recession begins, especially after polyps or tissue are fully extended. Because trade photos can exaggerate color, skeleton shape, polyp layout, and expansion pattern are stronger clues than color alone.
Placement
Compatibility
Compatibility depends on specimen size, flow, growth, aggression, and spacing. Use these references conservatively and watch for contact over time.
Usually compatible with spacing
Use caution near
Avoid close placement with
Spacing recommendation: keep about 3 inches of clearance, then adjust based on extension and neighboring coral response.
Troubleshooting
Common Problems
Use these as troubleshooting checks, not a diagnosis. Symptoms may point to more than one issue.
Branching Hammer Coral head recession on individual branchesOpen for symptoms, likely causes to check, and practical next steps.
Symptoms that may indicate it
- one branch closes while adjacent heads still look normal
- Branching Hammer Coral shows less normal extension, inflation, or feeding response than its recent baseline
- changes are localized rather than a confirmed single-cause condition
Likely causes to check
- local tissue damage, detritus trapped between heads, or a parameter swing
- recent placement, lighting, flow, or chemistry changes affecting Branching Hammer Coral
- possible irritation from neighbors, pests, detritus, or handling depending on the coral group
Quick checks
- check Branching Hammer Coral alkalinity trend and look for nearby stinging contact
- reduce direct flow if tissue is pressed against skeleton
- increase spacing and observe the coral under white light and after lights out
Checklist
Common Mistakes
- inspect individual Branching Hammer Coral heads instead of judging only the whole colony
- placing Branching Hammer Coral before confirming separate branching heads and its spacing needs
- using Branching Hammer Coral color or trade name alone instead of comparing it with Hammer Coral
- changing light, flow, and chemistry together when Branching Hammer Coral looks irritated
- ignoring fleshy tissue protection from direct flow when keeping Branching Hammer Coral
Compare
Similar Corals
Hammer Coral
Fimbriaphyllia ancora / Fimbriaphyllia paraancora
- Category
- LPS
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Aggression
- Moderate
Frogspawn Coral
Fimbriaphyllia divisa / Fimbriaphyllia paradivisa
- Category
- LPS
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Aggression
- Moderate
No verified photo yet
Octospawn Coral
Fimbriaphyllia spp.
- Category
- LPS
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Aggression
- Moderate
Neighbors
Compatible Corals
These corals are usually compatible with spacing, observation, and stable conditions. This is not a guarantee.
Usually compatible with spacing
Duncan Coral
Duncanopsammia axifuga
- Category
- LPS
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Aggression
- Low
Usually compatible with spacing
Candy Cane Coral
Caulastrea furcata
- Category
- LPS
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Aggression
- Low
Usually compatible with spacing
Blastomussa
Blastomussa wellsi / Blastomussa merleti
- Category
- LPS
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Aggression
- Low
FAQs
FAQs
Is Branching Hammer Coral beginner friendly?
Branching Hammer Coral can be beginner friendly in a stable reef, but still needs acclimation, space, and observation after moves.
Where should Branching Hammer Coral be placed?
Start Branching Hammer Coral low in the tank or on the sand/low rockwork when its tissue form allows it. Use 50-140 PAR and moderate flow as a starting point, then adjust from tissue extension, color, and nearby coral response.
Should I target feed Branching Hammer Coral?
Branching Hammer Coral may benefit from careful target feeding with mysis, small meaty foods, and LPS pellets. Use the listed frequency as a starting point: weekly when feeder tentacles are visible. Feed only when the coral accepts food and avoid forcing food into stressed tissue.
Can Branching Hammer Coral touch other corals?
Give Branching Hammer Coral about 3 inches of clearance as a starting point. Its database aggression level is Moderate. Use caution near Favia, Favites, and Chalice Coral. Avoid close placement with Torch Coral and Elegance Coral. Compatibility is not a guarantee, so check contact points as colonies expand.
What should I check if Branching Hammer Coral looks stressed?
Use this as a troubleshooting check. For Branching Hammer Coral, one branch closes while adjacent heads still look normal and Branching Hammer Coral shows less normal extension, inflation, or feeding response than its recent baseline can indicate Branching Hammer Coral head recession on individual branches. Likely causes to check include local tissue damage, detritus trapped between heads, or a parameter swing and recent placement, lighting, flow, or chemistry changes affecting Branching Hammer Coral. Start with these database checks: check Branching Hammer Coral alkalinity trend and look for nearby stinging contact and reduce direct flow if tissue is pressed against skeleton.
What stability issue matters most for Branching Hammer Coral?
For Branching Hammer Coral, verify salinity and alkalinity trends before changing placement; repeated moves and direct corrective swings can irritate fleshy tissue. The database lists 3 months as the minimum tank age and 15 gallons as the minimum tank size. For LPS-style care, protect fleshy tissue from repeated moves, direct flow, and abrupt chemistry corrections.
Coral Identifier
Identify Branching Hammer Coral.
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Use the app to compare photos, lookalikes, and key visual clues when you want a second pass on an ID.
Compare separate branching heads, care range, and nearby lookalikes while checking an ID.
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