Hammer Corals

27 hammer corals for sale, including gold, hologram, rainbow and bicolor morphs

Shop aquacultured hammer corals for sale, from gold and hologram lineages to rainbow, plum, and bicolor morphs. Named for tentacle tips shaped like a hammer or anchor head, Euphyllia ancora and Euphyllia parancora grow in both fused wall and branching forms... Read more Show less

Shop aquacultured hammer corals for sale, from gold and hologram lineages to rainbow, plum, and bicolor morphs. Named for tentacle tips shaped like a hammer or anchor head, Euphyllia ancora and Euphyllia parancora grow in both fused wall and branching forms and sway continuously under gentle flow. Hammers are among the hardiest Euphyllia corals and a natural first step into LPS keeping. Every hammer frag here is grown in our own systems and ships with a live arrival guarantee.

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Popular live coral picks

Compare Hammer Corals

Compare our most popular live corals by care level, lighting, flow, growth, placement, and temperament — from beginner-friendly softies to advanced SPS.

Rainbow Hammer Coral

Starting at $129.99

Care Level: Moderate
Flow: Moderate
Lighting: Moderate
Growth rate: Moderate
Placement: Low–Mid
Temperament: Aggressive

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Hologram Hammer Coral

Starting at $99.99

Care Level: Moderate
Flow: Moderate
Lighting: Moderate
Placement: Mid–Low
Temperament: Aggressive

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Rainbow Hammer Coral - Multihead

Starting at $159.99

Growth rate: Moderate

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Green Splatter Hammer Coral

Starting at $99.99

Care Level: Moderate
Flow: Moderate
Lighting: Moderate
Growth rate: Moderate
Placement: Mid–Low
Temperament: Semi-aggressive

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Plum Hammer Coral

Starting at $134.99

Care Level: Moderate
Flow: Moderate
Lighting: Moderate
Growth rate: Moderate
Placement: Mid–Low
Temperament: Aggressive

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Bicolor Hammer Coral

Starting at $89.99

Care Level: Moderate
Flow: Moderate
Lighting: Moderate
Growth rate: Moderate
Placement: Mid–Low
Temperament: Aggressive

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Hologram Hammer XL Coral

Starting at $159.99

Care Level: Moderate
Flow: Moderate
Lighting: Moderate
Growth rate: Moderate
Placement: Mid–Low
Temperament: Aggressive

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Green Splatter Hammer Coral

Starting at $99.99

Care Level: Moderate
Flow: Moderate
Lighting: Moderate
Growth rate: Moderate
Placement: Mid–Low
Temperament: Semi-aggressive

View details

Answers

Hammer Coral Care FAQ

Are hammer corals hard to keep?

Hammer corals are among the easier large polyp stony corals and are widely recommended as a first LPS. They want moderate light, gentle to moderate flow, and stable alkalinity, calcium, and salinity, all of which a well-established reef already provides. They are not suited to a freshly cycled tank, and they do need generous spacing because of their sting, but given a mature system and a sensible placement they are forgiving and long-lived.

What is the difference between wall and branching hammer coral?

The difference is skeletal. A wall hammer, Euphyllia ancora, grows a continuous fused skeleton with tentacles running along a meandering ridge, producing a dense sheet of movement. A branching hammer, Euphyllia parancora, puts each head on its own separate stalk, which gives an open, airy colony and makes fragging far easier. Branching forms are more common in the hobby for exactly that reason, while established wall colonies are more dramatic and generally more expensive.

Where should I place hammer corals in my tank?

Middle to lower rockwork with moderate light and gentle, indirect flow works best. Aim for current that keeps the tentacles drifting rather than pinned flat, and mount the colony where the heads can hang freely. Because hammers extend sweeper tentacles several inches at night, leave six inches or more between a hammer and any non-Euphyllia neighbor, and plan for the colony widening as it branches.

Will hammer corals sting each other?

Same-species hammers grown into contact usually tolerate each other, which is why multi-head colonies grow so densely. Different Euphyllia species are a different matter: hammer, torch, and frogspawn can and do sting one another, with torch generally the most aggressive of the three. Many reefers still grow all three together in a Euphyllia garden, but the safe approach is to leave a few inches between species and let them close the gap on their own timeline.

Do I need to feed hammer corals?

Not strictly, but it helps. Hammers are photosynthetic and will grow under good lighting alone, though small meaty foods such as mysis shrimp or prepared LPS blends once or twice a week visibly accelerate new head production. Feed while the tentacles are extended, keep portions modest, and target individual heads rather than broadcasting food into the water column.

Live coral buying guide

What are hammer corals?

Hammer corals are large polyp stony corals in the genus Euphyllia, named for tentacle tips that flatten into a hammer, anchor, or kidney shape. The wall form is Euphyllia ancora and the branching form is Euphyllia parancora. Both keep their tentacles extended through the day, so a colony is in constant motion under gentle flow. Along with torch and frogspawn they form the core of the Euphyllia group that most reefers build a mixed reef around.

Hammer coral morphs and lineages

Hammers are traded on tip color and contrast, and named lineages hold their value well:

Gold and golden hammer — warm yellow-gold tentacles, one of the most consistently in-demand morphs and a strong value colony builder.
Hologram hammer — multi-tone tentacles that shift color across their length, producing a shimmering effect under blue-heavy lighting.
Rainbow and grail morphs — lineages carrying three or more distinct colors across the tips and body, priced at the top of the group.
Bicolor, plum, and splatter morphs — two-tone tips or contrasting speckling, offering strong visual impact at a more accessible price.

Hammer coral care: light, flow, and stability

Moderate light and gentle, indirect flow are the targets, with stability mattering more than any single number. A hammer builds skeleton continuously, so alkalinity and calcium swings show up quickly as retracted heads or tissue recession; track them with reliable water testing equipment and check your reef lighting coverage before moving a colony up the rockwork. Avoid placing a hammer in direct powerhead flow, which folds the tentacles back and abrades tissue at the skeletal edge.

Spacing hammers in a mixed reef

Hammer sweepers reach several inches after dark, and the damage they do usually appears before the cause is identified. Watch the tank an hour after lights out to see the real footprint, then leave six inches or more between a hammer and any non-Euphyllia coral. Account for growth too: a branching hammer adds heads outward year over year, so a gap that looks generous today can close within a season. Keep hammers clear of chalices in particular, which reach even further.

Growing a Euphyllia garden

Hammers are the usual foundation of a Euphyllia garden, with torch and frogspawn filling in around them for contrast in tentacle shape. Compare torch corals and frogspawn corals, see the whole genus together in Euphyllia corals, or look through established multi-head pieces in coral colonies.