Wall Hammer - 2 Color (Purple and Green)

Description:

• Scientific Name: Euphyllia ancora

• Common Names: Anchor Coral, Hammer Coral (often used interchangeably), Wall Hammer

• Type: LPS (Large Polyp Stony) coral

• Appearance:

  • Fleshy, meaty polyps with distinct anchor-, hammer-, or “U”-shaped tips on long tentacles.

  • Typically found in shades of green, teal, gold, pink, and neon, sometimes with contrasting tips.

  • Grows as a wall coral (long skeleton with polyps fused together), unlike branching Euphyllia like E. paraancora or E. glabrescens (torch).

  • Moves and sways gently in the water—adds motion and life to the tank.

Care Level: Moderate

Euphyllia ancora is not too difficult to keep, but wall hammers (as opposed to branching hammers) are more fragile and prone to recession if stressed.

Do:

• Place it in a low aggression zone – Needs space around it due to its long sweeper tentacles.

• Provide moderate flow – Enough to gently move the tentacles without blasting them.

• Feed occasionally – While photosynthetic, it benefits from 1–2x/week target feeding (mysis, reef roids, marine snow).

• Ensure good water quality and stability – Especially important for wall varieties.

Avoid:

• Touching or damaging the flesh – Easily torn, leading to infection or brown jelly disease.

• Too much light or flow – Causes retraction, stress, or bleaching.

• Crowding – Tentacles can sting nearby corals; give it a few inches of space minimum.

Fragging Notes:

• Wall hammers are difficult to frag due to their fused skeleton. It requires a diamond saw and careful planning.

• Branching hammer corals (e.g., E. paraancora) are easier to frag with bone cutters between heads.

Potential Issues:

• Brown Jelly Disease – A bacterial infection that spreads rapidly. Remove infected tissue and frag the healthy part if needed.

• Recession – Common in wall hammers from stress or improper placement.

• Pests – Flatworms, vermetid snails, and nipping fish (like some angels or butterflies) can irritate them.

Bonus Tips:

• Euphyllia ancora often does best in tanks with mature, stable parameters.

• Looks incredible under blue actinic lighting, especially with neon varieties.

• Running carbon and regular water changes help reduce allelopathic compounds when keeping multiple LPS or soft corals.