Do hammer corals need feeding? Can hammer corals survive just from the lighting? If you are interested in finding the answers to these questions, you are in the right place.
In this article, you will learn about the importance of feeding hammer corals, the effect on their growth, and what is the best food for hammers.
I waited eight months before I was ready to add a hammer coral to my reef tank. In retrospect, I probably shouldn’t wait that long because my tank was ready way before that.
However, this was my first reef tank, and I wouldn’t like to rush things out. Hammers were one of the corals that got me into this hobby. I waited until my tank had stable water parameters without any large fluctuations.
I bought two frags of hammer coral, and my journey has begun. The next couple of months after the corals settled in the tank, I tried different techniques to increase their growth rate, including feeding.
Here is what I learn about hammer coral feeding and how it affects their growth after a couple of months of keeping them.
Keep in mind this is my personal experience, not general facts. Other hobbyists may have different experiences.
Without furder ado, let’s get started!
Contents
Do I need to feed my hammer coral?
You don’t need to feed your hammer coral at all. It will get its nutrients from the lighting in your tank. However, additional feeding may increase its growth rate.
My hammer corals have grown a lot since I bought them. Is it because of the feeding regimen I have in my reef tank? Or is it their natural growth rate?
Frankly, I don’t know. I feed heavily in my tank because I have a low nutrient problem.
I have two clownfish with dozens of corals.
I often target feed most of my corals with brine shrimp, Mysis, and other types of coral foods. When it comes to hammer corals, I rely on broadcast feeding.
See Also: Hammer coral: Care, Placement, Lighting, Growth (Beginners Guide)
How often should you feed hammer corals?
As a rule of thumb, you should feed your corals once or twice a week, depending on your tank condition and water parameters.
Most of the corals in your reef tank will live and thrive only with sufficient light without additional feeding. It is the same with the hammer coral.
Every reef tank is different. You should not compare yours with tanks of other hobbyists. The best way to know how much food your corals need is to test your water parameters regularly, observe the tank daily, and base your conclusions on that.
What is the best food for hammer coral?
We concluded that hammer corals don’t need additional feeding. However, if you want to try feeding your hammer to accelerate its growth, there are many different types of coral foods available on the market.
Reef Roids is a popular type of food that many reefers had success in terms of coral acceptance and growth rate.
However, be careful with this type of coral food. Reef roids are known to increase the phosphates in your reef tank if you don’t pay attention to how much you put in your tank. Increased phosphates can cause an unwanted algae outbreak.
Other supplements, like amino acids and meaty foods such as Mysis shrimp, can also help your hammer coral grow faster.
The best way to grow hammer coral is to keep stable water parameters, provide sufficient lighting, and occasional feeding.
See Also: Why Is My Hammer Coral Not Opening
Final Thoughts
I hope this article was helpful, and you learned more about hammer coral feeding.
Hammer corals are not aggressive eaters like the other types of LPS corals. You will never see feeding tentacles as candy canes or acan have.
But they can still catch small food particles and eat them. Hammer corals will grow and thrive without additional feedings.