WYSIWYG Gold Branching Hammer Coral: Full 6-Head Colony - 005

Gold Branching Hammer Coral: Full 6-Head Colony

The Gold Branching Hammer Coral (Fimbriaphyllia paraancora, commonly sold as Euphyllia paraancora) is a striking Large Polyp Stony (LPS) coral prized for its warm gold coloration, flowing movement, and distinctive hammer-shaped tentacle tips. Gold hammers are especially desirable for adding a bright contrasting color to reef aquariums dominated by greens, blues, and purples.

This WYSIWYG specimen is a full colony featuring 6 heads, providing significantly more size, movement, and visual impact than a typical single-head frag. When fully extended, the six fleshy heads create a dense, flowing display that gently moves with the aquarium's current. Under blue-spectrum reef lighting, its gold coloration can become particularly vibrant and eye-catching.

Unlike wall-forming hammer corals, F. paraancora develops a branching calcium carbonate skeleton, with individual coral heads growing from separate branches. As the colony matures, established heads can divide and produce additional branches, allowing a healthy specimen to gradually develop into an even larger colony.

The Gold Branching Hammer is photosynthetic, receiving much of its energy from symbiotic zooxanthellae living within its tissue. It is also capable of capturing food from the water column, and occasional supplemental target feeding can support healthy tissue development and continued growth.

Hammer corals generally thrive under stable reef conditions with moderate lighting and moderate, indirect water flow. Their large, fleshy polyps should gently sway rather than being blasted by direct current. Because the tissue can expand considerably beyond the skeleton, provide enough room for all six heads to fully extend without rubbing against rockwork or neighboring corals.

WYSIWYG: The full 6-head colony pictured is the exact coral you will receive.

Diet & Compatibility:

• Diet: Mixotroph. Primarily photosynthetic but also capable of capturing small meaty foods and suspended particles.
• Feeding: Supplemental target feeding can support growth and tissue development. Offer small portions of mysis shrimp, enriched brine shrimp, finely chopped marine foods, or quality coral foods approximately 1–2 times per week.
• Reef Compatibility: Reef Safe but Semi-Aggressive. Hammer corals can extend sweeper tentacles and sting neighboring corals.
• Spacing: Allow several inches of clearance from unrelated corals, accounting for the colony's fully expanded size and future growth.
• Temperament: Peaceful toward reef-safe fish and most mobile invertebrates but territorial toward neighboring corals.
• Placement: Best suited for lower-to-middle rockwork with enough open space for all six heads to expand.
• Water Flow: Moderate, indirect flow. The polyps should sway gently rather than being continuously pushed to one side.
• Lighting: Moderate reef lighting. Gradually acclimate the colony when introducing it to stronger lighting.
• Water Requirements: Stable reef parameters are essential. Maintain approximately Alkalinity 8.0–9.5 dKH, Calcium 400–450 ppm, and Magnesium 1250–1400 ppm. Avoid rapid changes in salinity, temperature, alkalinity, or lighting.

Quick Facts

• Scientific Name: Fimbriaphyllia paraancora (commonly sold as Euphyllia paraancora)
• Primary Common Name: Gold Branching Hammer Coral
• Other Common Names: Gold Hammer Coral, Golden Hammer Coral, Branching Hammer Coral
• Coral Type: LPS (Large Polyp Stony)
• Colony Size: Full 6-Head Colony
• Growth Form: Branching
• Origin: Indo-Pacific
• Temperament: Semi-Aggressive
• Diet: Photosynthetic / Carnivorous
• Feeding: Supplemental target feeding beneficial
• Placement: Lower to Middle Rockwork
• Water Flow: Moderate, indirect
• Lighting: Moderate
• Minimum Tank Size: 20 Gallons
• Reef Compatibility: Yes, with adequate spacing
• Care Level: Moderate
• WYSIWYG: Yes — the pictured 6-head colony is the exact specimen you will receive