Frogspawn Coral

Euphyllia divisa

Branching, grape-like tentacle clusters — an easy, rewarding first big LPS.

Difficulty: Beginner–IntermediateLPS coral

The frogspawn coral (Euphyllia divisa) is the most forgiving and fastest-growing of the flowing Euphyllia — branching clusters of grape-like tentacle tips that make a brilliant first “big” LPS. Same easy care as the hammer, with the same one rule: give its sweeper tentacles space from other corals.

📊 What keepers actually ask: Frogspawn is the coral most often recommended as a “first big LPS,” so the questions are basic: where to put it and how far from other corals. Both answered below.

Care at a glance

Colony / form	Branching skeleton tipped with grape-/frogspawn-like tentacle clusters; grows quickly into a showpiece.
Lighting	Low–moderate — about 50–150 PAR.
Water flow	Low-to-moderate, gentle and indirect — enough to sway the tentacles without tearing them.
Placement	Lower-to-mid rock or sand, gentle flow, with ~6 in of space from non-Euphyllia corals (sweeper tentacles). It's happy grouped with hammers and anchors.
Temperature	75–82°F (24–28°C).
pH	8.1–8.4.
Specific gravity	1.023–1.026 (reef-standard ≈35 ppt).
Other targets	LPS build a stony skeleton — keep alkalinity (≈8–11 dKH), calcium (≈400–450 ppm) and magnesium (≈1300–1450 ppm) stable. More forgiving than SPS, but don't let them swing.
Feeding	Largely photosynthetic; benefits from the occasional meaty morsel (mysis) but doesn't require target feeding.
Growth & spread	One of the faster-growing Euphyllia — a small frag branches into a big colony relatively quickly.
Natural range	Indo-Pacific reefs.

Beginner-friendly, done right. If you want your first large LPS, frogspawn is the one — it's the most forgiving and fastest-growing Euphyllia, undemanding on light, and very rewarding. Get gentle flow and coral spacing right (its sweepers sting neighbours) and keep chemistry stable, and it practically grows itself.

Keep those numbers steady. This coral's alkalinity, calcium and magnesium only keep it safe when they're stable. If one reads low, our free reef dosing calculator works out exactly how much to add for your water volume — and splits it safely over days.

Where does it go? Light, flow and placement make or break a coral. Our free coral placement guide shows the PAR, flow and tank zone this coral wants — and what else thrives in the same spot.

The fish store gets these wrong

Common myths, kindly corrected — no shame for having believed them.

“Frogspawn, hammer and torch are interchangeable.” Care is similar, but frogspawn is the most forgiving/fastest, hammer the classic middle, and torch the priciest/most aggressive/most brown-jelly-prone. Start with frogspawn.
“Give it strong flow to keep it clean.” No — gentle, indirect flow. Too much keeps the tentacles retracted and can tear the fleshy polyps.

Before you buy

Great choice for a first big LPS — pick a healthy frag with good extension.
Gentle indirect flow; lower-to-mid placement.
Leave ~6 in of space from non-Euphyllia corals.
Keep alk/Ca/Mg stable.

Signs something's wrong

A struggling coral is almost always telling you about light, flow or water — here's what to watch for:

Tentacles staying deflated — usually too much flow or an alkalinity swing; ease flow and check chemistry.
Receding flesh / exposed skeleton — a chemistry swing or too much light too quickly.
A brown jelly-like film spreading over the head — remove the affected piece, dip it, and improve water quality fast.

Never

Never blast it with strong flow.
Never crowd it against non-Euphyllia corals.
Never let alkalinity swing.

Common frogspawn coral questions

Is frogspawn a good first LPS coral?

Yes — frogspawn is often the top recommendation for a first large LPS. It's the most forgiving and fastest-growing of the flowing Euphyllia, happy in moderate light and gentle flow. Just give its sweeper tentacles space from other corals.

Where should I place frogspawn coral?

Lower-to-mid rockwork or the sand, in gentle indirect flow, with about 6 inches of space from non-Euphyllia corals. It's happy grouped with hammer and anchor corals.

What's the difference between frogspawn, hammer and torch?

They're closely related Euphyllia with similar care. Frogspawn is the most forgiving and fastest-growing, hammer is the classic showpiece, and torch is the priciest, strongest-stinging and most brown-jelly-prone. Frogspawn is the best beginner pick.

Do I need to feed frogspawn coral?

Not necessarily — it's largely photosynthetic. It benefits from the occasional meaty morsel like mysis, but doesn't require target feeding.

What light and flow does frogspawn need?

Low-to-moderate light (about 50–150 PAR) and gentle, indirect low-to-moderate flow — enough to sway the tentacles without tearing them.

Sources & further reading

This guide was written and fact-checked against these authorities. It's honest, general guidance — not a diagnosis, and not a substitute for an aquatic vet or your own test kit:

Tidal Gardens — Frogspawn Coral Care — light, flow, placement, spacing
Saltwater Aquarium Blog — Frogspawn Coral Care — beginner LPS, placement, feeding
Bulk Reef Supply — How to Care for LPS Corals — LPS chemistry, feeding

Written and fact-checked by The Coralkin Team against marine-aquarist sources — if your frogspawn coral is struggling, it's almost always a light, flow or water-chemistry issue — check those first and ask an experienced reefer. We never guess a care number.

🔬 Review status: team-written and fact-checked against cited sources · not yet reviewed by a marine vet. How we research & fact-check →

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