Gold Hammer Coral Care Guide
Gold Hammer Coral (Euphyllia ancora var. 'Gold') is a LPS coral. Care covers 75-175 PAR, medium flow, reef parameters and feeding; intermediate level.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Gold Hammer Coral (Euphyllia ancora var. 'Gold') is a LPS coral in the family Euphylliidae. Premium morph of E. ancora with golden-yellow tentacle tips and pink/lavender body. Sourced primarily from Australia.
Taxonomy
- Family: Euphylliidae
- Genus: Euphyllia
- Scientific name: Euphyllia ancora var. 'Gold'
- Common synonyms: Aussie Gold Hammer, Gold Tip Hammer
Habitat
In the wild, Euphyllia ancora var. 'Gold' is reported from Australia, where it occupies mid to lower reef slopes and lagoons (typically 5-30 m). The species adopts a branching growth form on hard substrate within zooxanthellate reef communities.
Tank requirements
- Salinity (specific gravity): 1.024-1.026
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Carbonate hardness (dKH): 8-11
- Calcium: 400-450 ppm
- Magnesium: 1280-1350 ppm
- Phosphate (max): 0.03 ppm
- Nitrate (max): 5 ppm
- Minimum system age: 3 months
Placement and lighting
- PAR (placement zone): 75-175 PAR
- Water flow: medium
Mount this LPS coral on the lower or mid rockwork or on the sand bed (for free-living forms) where light is moderate. Strong direct flow can damage the fleshy tissue; aim for indirect, varied movement.
Feeding
Euphyllia ancora var. 'Gold' hosts symbiotic zooxanthellae and derives most of its energy through photosynthesis. Supplemental target feeding accelerates growth and supports colouration; commonly accepted items include mysis, reef-roids, amino-acids. Feed once or twice per week after lights-out, when polyps are extended.
Compatibility
This coral is moderately aggressive toward neighbours. It extends sweeper tentacles capable of stinging adjacent corals, so leave generous spacing (10-20 cm) between colonies. Reef-safe with most fish and invertebrates.
Care notes
Difficulty level: intermediate. Reported skeletal growth in well-tuned reef tanks is approximately 0.3-0.7 cm/month. Propagation by fragmentation is straightforward for branching colonies — separate branches or polyps with a bone cutter, glue to plug, allow 1-2 weeks for healing. Maintain stable alkalinity (avoid swings above ±0.5 dKH per day) to preserve tissue health.
Propagating Gold Hammer Coral (Euphyllia ancora)
Overview
The Gold Hammer is a prized color morph of Euphyllia ancora, a large-polyped stony coral in the family Euphylliidae with golden tentacle tips on a pink or lavender body. Like the base species it carries hammer- or anchor-shaped tentacle tips and is collected primarily from Australia. Colonies grow as branching or wall forms and depend on symbiotic zooxanthellae for most of their energy.
Reproductive Mode
As a morph of Euphyllia ancora, the Gold Hammer shares the same biology: in the wild it is gonochoristic with external fertilization, and new colonies can also form from detached tentacle tips. In aquaria, color morphs are propagated asexually by fragging the colony, since the gold coloration is preserved through cloning rather than spawning.
Fragging / Asexual Propagation
Branching Gold Hammers are the more forgiving form to frag: heads sit on separate skeletal branches and are cut between heads, generally without cutting flesh. Wall Gold Hammers are slower and harder because the colony must be cut through the continuous wall. Each frag should retain a head on its own piece of skeleton before being mounted and allowed to heal.
- Work with sterile bone cutters or a rotary tool, wearing gloves and eye protection.
- On branching colonies, separate individual heads at the branch, leaving skeleton beneath each.
- On wall colonies, plan minimal cuts through the wall to limit tissue damage.
- Dip and mount the frags, then place them in adequate flow to recover.
Conditions for Propagation
Gold Hammer frags settle under moderate lighting (about 100-150 PAR) and lower-to-moderate flow, with stable alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, and low nutrients. A recovering frag should redevelop a thick flesh band at the skeletal edge and fully extend its tentacles once established.
Sexual Reproduction
Sexual reproduction follows that of Euphyllia ancora: broadcast spawning with external fertilization, documented in Taiwan populations as a synchronized mass spawn on the third and sixth nights after the full moon in late spring. This route is not used by hobbyists, who clone the morph through fragging to keep its color.
Common Challenges
Euphyllia extend long sweeper tentacles tipped with stinging cnidocytes, so Gold Hammer frags need clear spacing from other corals. The leading post-fragging danger is brown jelly disease, which can destroy a colony within weeks and spread to neighbors; reject any piece already coated in a brown gel-like film.