This guide is structured for reef keepers who want the husbandry targets first, then the inventory. Use it to decide whether the coral fits your system before you buy or move it.
What this coral wants
Hammer, frogspawn, and octospawn corals do best when the tank is stable enough for full tissue inflation and controlled enough that the branches are not being whipped by laminar flow. They respond well to measured nutrients and conservative acclimation.
At a glance
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Coral Type: LPS
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Scientific Name: Fimbriaphyllia paraancora / Fimbriaphyllia paradivisa
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Care Level: Moderate
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Light: 100 to 180 PAR with a slow ramp
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Flow: Moderate, indirect, random flow
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Placement: Lower to mid-level with branch clearance
Target water chemistry
These are Lunar Tide Aquatics holding targets for stability, then cross-checked against peer-reviewed coral physiology literature on flow, calcification, feeding, and nutrient stress.
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Temperature: 77 to 78.5 F
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Salinity: 1.025 to 1.026 specific gravity
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Alkalinity: 8.0 to 9.0 dKH
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Calcium: 420 to 460 ppm
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Magnesium: 1280 to 1380 ppm
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Nitrate: 5 to 15 ppm
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Phosphate: 0.03 to 0.10 ppm
Light, flow, and placement
Light: 100 to 180 PAR with a slow ramp. Flow: Moderate, indirect, random flow. Placement: Lower to mid-level with branch clearance.
Place branching Euphyllia where the heads can sway and expand without grinding against rock or neighboring colonies. Too much direct flow causes tissue recession; too little leaves detritus sitting between heads and reduces extension.
Once settled, keep chemistry boring and consistent. Stable alkalinity, good nighttime observation, and enough room for sweepers do more for long-term success than aggressive re-positioning.
Feeding and acclimation
Feeding: Broadcast or target feed 1 to 2 times weekly.
Acclimation: Let the flesh inflate fully before moving the coral higher or into stronger flow.
What to watch
Stability target: Prefer steady alkalinity, salinity, and temperature.
Watch for: Tissue whipping, brown jelly risk, and tight spacing.
How Lunar Tide uses this guide
We use these ranges as decision support, not as random numbers to chase. Stable chemistry, predictable placement, and consistent observation usually outperform aggressive adjustments after a coral lands.
If you are ready to compare this husbandry target against what is currently available, browse the current Euphyllia. There are currently 31 pieces in that group.
Scientific references
- Jokiel PL (1978), Effects of water motion on reef corals
- Anthony KRN and Fabricius KE (2000), Shifting roles of heterotrophy and autotrophy in coral energetics under varying turbidity
- Houlbrèque F and Ferrier-Pagès C (2009), Heterotrophy in tropical scleractinian corals
- Holcomb M, Tambutté E, Allemand D and Tambutté S (2014), Light enhanced calcification in Stylophora pistillata
- Jokiel PL (2013), Coral reef calcification: carbonate, bicarbonate and proton flux under conditions of increasing ocean acidification
- Page TM, D'Angelo C, Wiedenmann J and Foster GL (2025), Changes in host gene expression patterns underpin responses of the coral Stylophora pistillata to nutrient stress
Current availability
Use this guide against live inventory
The care guidance lives here. When you're ready to compare it against the corals currently available from Lunar Tide, jump straight into the matching collection.
