Is the Plum Hammer Coral branching or wall-forming, and how should I frag it safely?

Fimbriaphyllia paraancora is branching. Frag at the branch junctions with bone cutters or a bandsaw, avoiding live tissue. Dip frags, epoxy to a stable plug, and place in moderate, indirect flow for healing. Keep cuts clean to prevent infection, and avoid jostling until new skeleton and fleshy margins thicken, typically 2–4 weeks.

How do I keep the “plum” coloration from fading or browning?

Acclimate slowly to light; this morph holds best under strong blue/violet spectrum with moderate PAR. Keep nutrients detectable but not high; ultra-lean systems can wash out color, while excess nitrate/phosphate browns it. Maintain stable alkalinity and avoid rapid shifts. Trace elements matter, but go light—small, consistent dosing beats big swings.

My heads are receding with slime—could this be brown jelly disease, and what should I do?

Likely. Immediately siphon the jelly, perform an iodine/Lugol’s dip, and increase indirect flow around the colony. If a head is collapsing, cut it off at the branch to protect neighbors. Keep detritus off the skeleton, verify stable alkalinity and temperature, and quarantine severe cases. Early action often saves the remaining heads.

Can my Plum Hammer touch other Fimbriaphyllia like frogspawn or torches?

Avoid contact with torches; they usually win. Hammers and frogspawn sometimes tolerate each other, but reactions vary by genotype. Heads from the same original colony typically do best together. Allow 2–3 inches for night sweeper reach, more if you notice irritation. Watch for slow-motion warfare: localized recession or persistent retraction.

Plum Hammer Coral

LPS Hammers Euphyllia

Overview

Plum Hammer Coral shows branching heads with hammer- or anchor-shaped tips in plum tones. Fimbriaphyllia paraancora is a large-polyp stony coral with a branching skeleton that prefers moderate light and gentle to moderate, indirect flow. It is photosynthetic via symbiotic algae but accepts small meaty foods, which can support faster growth and deeper color. Place it with space around its sweeper tentacles and keep a safe distance from other corals to avoid stings.

Quick Facts

Care Moderate

Lighting Moderate

Flow Moderate, indirect

Placement Mid–Low

Temperament Aggressive (6–8 inches spacing)

Recommended Parameters

Temp 76–80°F

pH 8.1–8.4

Salinity 1.025–1.026

Calcium 400–450 ppm

AlkAlkalinity 8–9 dKH

Magnesium 1250–1350 ppm

Feeding photosynthetic (primary), mysis shrimp, enriched brine shrimp, finely chopped seafood (shrimp/scallop), zooplankton/microplankton, LPS coral pellets or powders, marine snow

Care & Placement

Plum Hammer Coral (Fimbriaphyllia paraancora) thrives with stable, moderate conditions. Provide moderate lighting (PAR ~75–150); start low and increase over a week to prevent bleaching. Flow should be gentle to moderate and indirect so the polyps sway without folding; excessive flow can tear tissue and too little invites detritus and brown jelly. Place low to mid in the tank with 4–6 inches of space from neighbors; it has long nighttime sweepers and is semi-aggressive. Best kept away from other Euphyllia unless part of the same colony; avoid contact with leathers and run activated carbon to reduce chemical stress. Target-feed small meaty foods (mysis, enriched brine, pellets) 1–2 times weekly with pumps off for 10–15 minutes. Maintain temp 76–80°F, salinity 1.025–1.026, pH 8.0–8.4, alkalinity 8.0–9.5 dKH, calcium 400–450 ppm, magnesium 1280–1400 ppm, nitrate 2–15 ppm, phosphate 0.02–0.08 ppm. Test weekly, use an ATO for salinity stability, and change 10–15% water biweekly.Acclimate with a 20–30 minute drip and temperature match; dip to remove pests. Handle by the skeleton, not the flesh, and mount on rubble with putty to allow expansion. Watch for paling (too much light), tissue recession (alk swings, pests), and brown jelly (isolate, increase flow, siphon and dip). Gently baste away debris, avoid metal contamination, and keep parameters steady—this coral responds poorly to rapid shifts.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

About the Plum Hammer Coral

Is the Plum Hammer Coral branching or wall-forming, and how should I frag it safely?

Fimbriaphyllia paraancora is branching. Frag at the branch junctions with bone cutters or a bandsaw, avoiding live tissue. Dip frags, epoxy to a stable plug, and place in moderate, indirect flow for healing. Keep cuts clean to prevent infection, and avoid jostling until new skeleton and fleshy margins thicken, typically 2–4 weeks.
How do I keep the “plum” coloration from fading or browning?

Acclimate slowly to light; this morph holds best under strong blue/violet spectrum with moderate PAR. Keep nutrients detectable but not high; ultra-lean systems can wash out color, while excess nitrate/phosphate browns it. Maintain stable alkalinity and avoid rapid shifts. Trace elements matter, but go light—small, consistent dosing beats big swings.
My heads are receding with slime—could this be brown jelly disease, and what should I do?

Likely. Immediately siphon the jelly, perform an iodine/Lugol’s dip, and increase indirect flow around the colony. If a head is collapsing, cut it off at the branch to protect neighbors. Keep detritus off the skeleton, verify stable alkalinity and temperature, and quarantine severe cases. Early action often saves the remaining heads.
Can my Plum Hammer touch other Fimbriaphyllia like frogspawn or torches?

Avoid contact with torches; they usually win. Hammers and frogspawn sometimes tolerate each other, but reactions vary by genotype. Heads from the same original colony typically do best together. Allow 2–3 inches for night sweeper reach, more if you notice irritation. Watch for slow-motion warfare: localized recession or persistent retraction.

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