LPS Coral
Purple Hammer Coral (L).
Many clownfish will host inside a hammer coral, nestling into its flowing tentacles much as they would an anemone in the wild.
We keep this species at our Erie store. Come and see it in the tanks, or call (814) 456-9445 and ask what we have in right now.
Sea Cave keeps this species. You will find these in the tanks at 660 East 14th Street in Erie. We never ship live animals.
- Condition
- new
- Fulfillment
- Local pickup — Erie, PA
We never ship fish, coral, or invertebrates — every animal here is one you meet in person. Each one is acclimated and health-checked in-house before it goes out into the display tanks. This is a species we keep, and what is swimming on any given day changes with the deliveries, so please call (814) 456-9445 before you drive in.
Care at a glance
What to know before you take one home.
- Temperament
- Semi aggressive
- Adult size
- 12"
- Min tank size
- 50 gallons
- Scientific name
- Euphyllia ancora
Good tank mates
Hammer coral is reef safe toward fish and inverts but is aggressive toward other corals, extending long stinging sweeper tentacles at night that can kill neighbors, so give it open space away from other coral colonies. It pairs well with clownfish, which often adopt it as a host in place of an anemone. Keep it clear of soft corals and other LPS (large-polyp stony), and it generally tolerates being near other Euphyllia like torches and frogspawn.
Good to know
Many clownfish will host inside a hammer coral, nestling into its flowing tentacles much as they would an anemone in the wild.
What is in the tanks and each animal's temperament vary — call (814) 456-9445 for pairing advice.
Good tankmates
Plays well with.
Species we’d keep in the same tank, with why each pairing works. What is in the tanks and each animal’s temperament vary — call (814) 456-9445 for advice on pairing.
New to stocking a tank? Read our guide on which fish live together.
Green Chromis
An open-water schooler that shows zero interest in sessile invertebrates. No documented coral-nipping behavior; rated fully reef-safe by multiple independent sources. Poses no chemical, physical, or predatory risk to Euphyllia tissue.
Firefish Goby
Hovers in the water column near rockwork and never grazes coral tissue. No documented nipping against LPS corals across reef-hobby literature; its timid, non-territorial temperament presents no risk to Hammer Coral polyps.
Royal Gramma
A cave-claiming basslet that defends a rockwork territory and leaves corals entirely undisturbed. No documented LPS nipping behavior; widely kept in mixed-reef systems without incident.
Yellow Watchman Goby
A substrate sifter that explicitly does not pick at coral or sessile invertebrates. Multiple sources confirm compatibility with LPS and SPS (small-polyp stony) corals. No documented nipping of Euphyllia tissue; minimal sediment risk is easily mitigated by positioning the coral off the sand bed.
- T
Tailspot Blenny
Primarily an algae grazer. LPS nipping incidents for this species are described in the literature as 'incredibly scarce,' occur mainly in underfed individuals, and reef hobbyists report incident-free pairings with Hammer Coral specifically. Risk is manageable with adequate feeding.
Visit the store
660 East 14th Street,
Erie, PA.
Mon–Fri 12–6 · Sat 11–4 · Sun closed. Call ahead on livestock — what's on the floor rotates.