ECC Blue Gusher Branching Hammer

Quick facts

Handling caution: Sweeper tentacles deliver a chemical sting that can irritate skin and harm neighboring corals

Identity

Also known as

Anchor coral; Ridge coral

Synonyms

Euphyllia paraancora (similar branching form, sometimes confused)

Environment

Saltwater

Native to

Indonesia, Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Australia, Indo-Pacific

Habitat

Reef slopes and lagoons of the Indo-Pacific, typically on stable substrate in areas with gentle to moderate current and moderate light penetration

Sourcing

Both

Conservation

Not Evaluated

Care

Care level

Moderate

Coral type

LPS

Temperament

Semi-Aggressive

Growth form

Branching

Adult size

2 – 36 in (5.1 – 91 cm)

Spread

36 in (91 cm)

Growth rate

Moderate

Placement

Low, Middle

Water

Temperature

75 – 81 °F (24 – 27 °C)

pH

8.1 – 8.4

dKH

8 – 12 dKH

Salinity

1.024 – 1.026 SG

PAR

80 – 150 PAR

Flow

Low-Moderate

Light

Medium

Reef care

Nutrient preference

Medium

Alk/Ca uptake

Medium

Target feeding

Beneficial

Give it room

6 in (15 cm)

Colors

Green, Yellow, Orange, Purple, Cream, Brown, Multicolor

Feeding & breeding

Diet

Photosynthetic

Foods

Frozen, Zooplankton, Coral food, Target-fed

Propagation

Fragging

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Care guide

Overview

Bred by Elite Coral Company from Indo-Pacific hammer lineage, this branching form carries a blue-toned polyp coloration that intensifies under moderate lighting. Individual heads extend on separate branches, making the colony easier to frag over time than solid wall-type hammers. Space it away from other corals to avoid nighttime sweeper tentacle contact.

Care

Hammer coral does best under moderate lighting in the 80-150 PAR range paired with gentle, indirect flow strong enough to make the tentacles sway without abrading them against the skeleton. It tolerates a range of placements from the sandbed to mid-rockwork depending on light intensity, and colonies will often need repositioning until they settle into a spot where they extend fully. Stable, mature water chemistry with consistent calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium matters more than raw tank volume, though it still needs room to accommodate eventual growth.

Placement & acclimation

Acclimate gradually to lighting when moving from lower-light retail conditions to a brighter display, adjusting position over 1-2 weeks and observing polyp extension. Mount frags or colonies securely on rockwork or in the sandbed with enough clearance from other corals to allow tentacles to extend without contact.

Feeding

Most of its energy comes from symbiotic zooxanthellae, so feeding is optional but can speed growth and coloration. Once or twice weekly target feeding of small meaty items such as mysis, enriched brine shrimp, or chopped seafood delivered directly to the extended polyps works well. Avoid broadcast feeding heavily, since excess food can foul water without benefiting the coral much.

Neighbors

This coral is territorial and extends long sweeper tentacles, mainly at night, that can chemically burn non-Euphyllia corals, so give it at least 6 inches of clearance from other genera. It generally coexists well when placed near other Euphyllia species such as torch or frogspawn. Because branching colonies can eventually spread wide, plan placement with future growth in mind rather than crowding it into a small footprint.

Fragging

Branching colonies are fragged by cutting between heads along the skeleton with a bandsaw or shears, then allowing tissue to heal before handling further. Wall-type growth forms are far slower growing and harder to frag successfully, so they are more often kept and sold as whole colonies.

Pests & problems

Newly introduced specimens sometimes recede or fail to inflate fully if flow or light is mismatched, so patience during acclimation is important. Brown jelly infection can develop on damaged tissue, particularly after fragging or physical injury, and should be addressed quickly by isolating and cutting away affected areas. Flatworms and Acropora-eating flatworm relatives rarely bother Euphyllia, but pests such as Euphyllia-specific nudibranchs or spionid worms occasionally cause tissue recession.

Sources

1. Hammer coral care: tank size, temperature and tankmates · TankBud
2. Introduction to Hammer Coral Care | Reef Builders
3. The Hammer Coral: A Sizeable Stinger with Showpiece Potential | Reef Builders
4. Tidal Gardens - Hammer Coral Care

Varieties in the catalog

Crafted Hammer CoralORA Marshall Island Hammer Coral

More Hammer corals

ECC Aurelia Branching HammerECC Dark Storm Branching HammerECC Sour Apple Branching HammerToxic Branching Hammer