Frogspawn coral (Euphyllia divisa) is a very popular option for owners of reef aquariums and it is not difficult to see why. This big polyp stony coral to look at is absolutely stunning!
Despite their popularity, when it comes to frogspawn coral care, a bunch of misinformation is being passed around online. This sabotages new owners who end up seeing inaccurate information about ideal parameters for water, lighting and placement.
That is why we’ve created this guide. You’ll learn all you need to know about frogspawn coral care in it, so you can help yours thrive!
Here is a nice infographic you might want to check
Species
Frogspawn coral is a species found in a variety of locations around the globe. Australia, Fiji, Southeast Asia, the Soloman Island and the Ryukyu Islands are all spots where you can easily find Euphyllia divisas.
Sometimes you will hear that frogspawn coral is called the coral wall, coral grape, octopus coral or coral honey. We prefer to refer to it by its common name (and occasionally by its scientific name) for the sake of clarity.
Unlike some other coral species, frogspawn polyps remain out in a home tank 24/7 which makes it great for viewing.
Frogspawn coral is a rather hardy species that can tolerate a decent range of parameters and conditions of the water. That being said, it is overestimated by a lot of people when it comes to care (and this can have dire consequences).
Its ideal surrounding is 120-140 feet deep. It doesn’t like sandy bottoms, and where there is more muck it thrives. Although it is known for aggression when it comes to bullying other corals for space, they end up in colony sizes that are rather modest.
Frogspawn Coral Appearance
Frogspawn coral appearance is one of the most frequent reasons why people add it to their tanks. This coral is really something to see, and it improves their look, even more, when you combine it with the interesting lighting!
When it comes to this species’ structural makeup it varies depending on what you get. Frogspawn coral can grow in a branch-like way that expands rather quickly and grows fast. It can also grow like more of a wall where everything sticks a little bit more together.
This animal’s real draw, though, is the colors. Green and yellow are some of the most popular colors which stand out. The color of the tentacles adds to the effect.
Either there will be a light color like white, or some variation of pink.
There are frogspawn corals which end up being either blue or orange, but we don’t see them as often as we do. In the tank, the blue tends to look a little less exotic, and it’s hard to get orange.
Bright coloration like this creates a bright effect under the right (nearly neon) lighting conditions. This unique feeling can completely change a tank’s aesthetic and that’s why this coral is so appealing.
Frogspawn coral care
Frogspawn coral care requires a little bit of knowledge, but you don’t need to be an expert to keep it in your tank.
It’s really about understanding the core water parameters and its aggressive nature so you can create an environment for it to thrive. As long as you familiarize yourself and stick to the core principles of caring for this coral, you’ll be just fine.
Tank size
For frogspawn coral at least 30 gallons are the ideal tank size. We’ve heard about owners keeping them in tiny tanks like 20-50 gallons, but this is not recommended. This coral has a decent growth rate and needs some space to stretch.
Water parameters
Getting the water parameters right is definitely something you need to do if you want good coral care for frogspawn. It can tolerate a fair range of levels but you should always be aiming to keep things as close as possible to perfection.
- Water temperature: 72° to 78°F
- pH levels: 8.1 to 8.4
- Water hardness: 8 to 12 dKH
- Specific gravity: 1.022 to 1.025
It is always recommended that you regularly use a reliable water test kit to ensure that the water parameters stay within recommended levels. This allows you to take care of any unforeseen level shifts before they become a serious issue.
Water Flow
Ensuring the adequate flow of water is an important part of care for frogspawn corals. With this coral you will want to aim for a moderate amount of water flow, but a touch higher can be tolerated if absolutely necessary (for example, if it is necessary for other life in your tank).
Bear in mind that a high flow of water can have a negative impact on the growth and health of polyps. Another advantage of having a decent flow of water is that it allows you to really enjoy the beauty of this coral. The flowing water creates a beautiful effect because the colors will sway and stand out!
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Lighting
Frogspawn coral needs to have an average amount of light to stay healthy and grow. You don’t have to blast away with the light like some other coral, even though they can tolerate it.
Try to mimic the lighting environment wherever you have bought it from. Sudden lighting changes can cause the coral to react poorly or get damaged. This is something that can often not be turned back, so take lighting seriously!
Frogspawn coral placement
Wondering where to place Frogspawn coral? we got this covered! Coral placement of frogspawn is a very important piece of the puzzle when it comes to providing good care which is necessary. Generally, you want to try and place it between it and other coral in the middle or top areas of the tank with a good 6-8 inch buffer.
The reason for buffer space is not only that it is decently sized, but it is also relatively aggressive too. It has sweeper tentacles that it uses by injuring the surrounding coral to clear space for itself. These are no joke and normally frogspawn coral comes out on top when it comes to a real estate battle.
Frogspawn Coral Feeding
It’s full of options to feed frogspawn coral in a home aquarium setting. This coral gets its nutrients from organic matter and food particles which are caught in their natural habitat. It also uses algae as yet another great nutritional source.
Feeding, in captivity, is a little simpler. You’ll want to use some of the standard foods like shrimp brine, micro-plankton, or meaty frozen foods rich in proteins. There are also owners who like to round things out by sprinkling in some pellets.
Pellets are one of those things some owners swear by and others think it doesn’t make sense. Our only recommendation to you is experimenting on your own!
There is really no downside in trying out a pellet food and not seeing any significant benefits (as long as you don’t let it affect water quality negatively).
Here is an article you might like:
Propagation
This process is something that many new owners want to grasp. With so many first-timers getting coral frogspawn, it’s only natural that a lot of questions are raised.
It’s important to understand what type of Euphyllia divisa you have before you start. If you have the type of wall then this is going to be a bit more challenging (though not impossible). Usually, the type of branching is more receptive to that process.
There are a number of fancy methods used by experienced owners to propagate and grow new coral but we will stick to the fundamentals. They ‘re much easier to implement and they can deliver great results, no need to complicate things!
Identify a healthy coral piece to begin with. This will have a solid color, good visibility of polyps and no visible damage.
It’s time to start cutting, once you have your candidate. Take a saw from the healthy piece and take a few inches away. Verify that your saw is sharp and easy to use. Bad instruments often result in unnecessary damage during the cutting process.
Now that the healthy piece has been removed it is time to find it a new home. When picking a location, follow the core principles of frogspawn coral placement. A medium to high spot with light and buffer space in the aquarium is the route to go.
All you need to do from there is to anchor the separate piece of coral onto a rock or plug. There is nothing special you’ll need to do after that!
Conclusion
Frogspawn coral is an incredible and pretty animal to add to your tank. The mesmerizing effect that it has when water flows past it can fully (in a good way) take over a room.
It’s a funny coral to care for too. It sits nicely between the difficulty levels of “easy” and “moderate,” and makes a great introduction to beginners’ coral care.
We highly recommend picking up some for your own tank. You will enjoy its amazing visual appeal for quite some time as long as you follow the basic care guidelines and stay consistent.
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