It's Hammer Time!!!

Picked up this Green Hammer from Greentree Pet Store in Clarksville, IN. I seen it in one of their aquariums and fell in love with it. It wasn't to expensive, $29.99. Looks great under the blue lights. Can't wait for this baby to grow!! Heres a little info about Hammer Coral.



Scientific Name: Euphylla ancora
Classification: LPS
Common Name: Hammer Coral, Anchor Coral
Description:
Forms fairly large colonies. Skeletons grow in a meandering fashion. Polyps have long tubular tentacles with Hammer, anchor or T-shaped tips. Color is usually orange, with lighter colored edges to the tips of the polyps. Similar to and related to Torch Coral and Frogspawn coral. Can be differentiated by the anchor or T-shape of the end of the tentacles.

Veron: Colonies may form a continuous cover over the substrate many meters across although individual colonies are seldom over one meter across. Colonies have the same skeletal structure as Euphyllia divisa. Polyps have large tubular tentacles with few or no branchlets but with anchor, hammer or T-shaped tips. Color is blue-gray to orange, usually with pale cream or green outer borders to the tentacles.

Natural Environment:
Veron: Large colonies are usually found in shallow environments exposed to moderate wave action. Seldom common, but may be a dominate species on protected horizontal substrates and on rocky outcrops in high latitude locations.

Care:
Hardiness: Hammer coral is fairly hardy once established in the aquarium

Lighting: Requires moderate to strong lighting.

Water Current: Hammer corals prefer low to moderate water motion.

Temperature: Does well within a range of at least 75º to 84º F

Aggressiveness: High. Hammer coral can expand considerably from its skeleton and has sweeper tentacles that are up to 2" longer than normal tentacles that can sting neighbors. Hammer corals grow fairly quickly and to a large size, so they do best in larger reef tanks. They can be kept in contact with others in the same family such as frogspawn coral.

Feeding: Hammer coral is photosynthetic and does not need to be directly fed, but will take small meaty foods that are offered.

Supplements: Maintaining correct calcium levels is important for skeletal development

Tank Positioning: Best positioning is a low to moderate water flow area where it has room to expand and grow.