What Do Hammer Corals Eat? A Practical Feeding Guide

Q: What foods are commonly used to feed hammer corals?

Mysis shrimp (whole or chopped, depending on size relative to the coral's polyps) is one of the most commonly mentioned options, along with other chopped meaty foods and reef-specific pellet or frozen foods formulated for LPS corals and other filter-feeding/predatory invertebrates. The general principle is offering food appropriately sized for the coral's polyps — a piece too large may be difficult for the coral to fully capture or process, similar to the regurgitation issue discussed for anemones when food portions are too big. Some keepers also use liquid or particulate reef foods aimed more broadly at corals and filter feeders, though target-feeding solid pieces directly onto polyps is the more commonly described approach for hammer corals specifically.

Q: How do I actually feed a hammer coral without the food just drifting away?

The common approach is target feeding — using a turkey baster, pipette, or similar tool to place food directly onto or very near extended polyps, often with tank flow temporarily reduced so the food has a chance to be captured before it's swept elsewhere. Feeding is typically done when the coral's tentacles are extended (often associated with lights-out or low-light periods for some LPS, though hammer corals can also extend during the day), since extended tentacles are what actually capture and move food toward the coral's mouth. After feeding, polyps closing around the food and tentacles drawing inward are signs the coral has successfully captured what was offered — if food consistently drifts away without being captured, reducing flow further or feeding more directly onto the polyps may help.

By Hektor Jorgo Published April 16, 2024 Updated June 14, 2026 3 min read

A hammer coral with extended tentacles capturing a piece of food in a reef aquarium

Quick Facts

Primary Energy Source: Zooxanthellae (symbiotic algae) via photosynthesis — feeding is supplemental, not strictly required
Commonly Offered Foods: Mysis shrimp, chopped meaty foods, and reef-specific pellet or frozen foods formulated for LPS/filter feeders
Feeding Frequency: Often a few times per week rather than daily — exact frequency varies by keeper and tank
How Food Is Offered: Target-fed directly onto extended polyps, often with a turkey baster, pipette, or similar tool
Flow During Feeding: Often reduced temporarily so food isn't immediately swept away before the coral can capture it
Signs of Successful Feeding: Polyps closing around food, tentacles drawing food toward the mouth/center
Benefits Associated With Feeding: Often linked to improved growth rate and coloration over time, alongside good lighting/flow
Risk of Overfeeding: Uneaten food breaking down can affect water quality — feed amounts the coral can actually consume

"Do I need to feed my coral?" is a question that comes up a lot for new LPS keepers — and for hammer corals, the honest answer is "not strictly, but it probably helps."

Short Answer

Hammer corals get a substantial portion of their energy from zooxanthellae through photosynthesis and can survive without direct feeding under adequate lighting — but they're among the LPS that readily accept direct feeding of meaty foods, and many keepers associate a regular feeding routine with better growth and coloration over time, alongside the lighting and flow considerations covered in our LPS corals for beginners guide. Feeding is generally done by target-feeding small pieces of food directly onto extended polyps, with flow temporarily reduced so the coral has a chance to capture it.

Photosynthesis First, Feeding Second

Like other Euphyllia species and many LPS generally, hammer corals host zooxanthellae — symbiotic algae that provide energy through photosynthesis, the same basic relationship discussed in our guide on anemone health. This is the coral's primary, baseline energy source, and it's the reason a hammer coral under adequate lighting can survive long-term without ever being directly fed.

Feeding, then, is supplemental — not a substitute for lighting, but an addition that many keepers find improves outcomes, particularly for growth rate (see our guide on how hammer corals grow) and coloration.

What to Feed

Commonly mentioned options include:

Mysis shrimp — whole or chopped depending on size relative to the coral's polyps
Other chopped meaty foods — sized appropriately for the coral
Reef-specific pellet or frozen foods — formulated for LPS corals and similar filter-feeding/predatory invertebrates

The general principle is matching food size to polyp size — a piece that's too large may be difficult for the coral to capture and process effectively, similar to the oversized-food issue discussed for anemones.

How to Feed: Target Feeding With Reduced Flow

The typical approach:

Reduce flow temporarily so food doesn't immediately drift away
Target-feed directly onto extended polyps using a turkey baster, pipette, or similar tool
Watch for capture — polyps closing around the food and tentacles drawing inward toward the coral's center are signs of successful feeding

Feeding frequency varies by keeper — a few times per week is commonly mentioned rather than daily feeding, though there's no single agreed-upon schedule.

Avoiding Overfeeding

The main downside of feeding too much isn't necessarily harm to the coral directly, but uneaten food breaking down in the tank and contributing to nutrient buildup — a water quality consideration more than a coral-health one in the immediate sense. A practical approach is to start with smaller portions and observe how much the coral actually captures, adjusting based on what's consumed versus what drifts away uneaten. This mirrors the general principle from anemone feeding: match the amount offered to what the animal can actually process.

Quick Reference

Hammer corals can survive without feeding, getting energy from zooxanthellae via photosynthesis
Feeding is supplemental but widely associated with better growth and coloration
Mysis shrimp, chopped meaty foods, and reef-specific pellet/frozen foods are commonly used
Match food size to the coral's polyp size to avoid capture difficulties
Target-feed directly onto extended polyps with flow temporarily reduced
Polyps closing around food and tentacles drawing inward signal successful feeding
Start with smaller portions and adjust based on what's actually consumed

Frequently Asked Questions

Do hammer corals need to be fed to survive?

Not strictly — hammer corals, like most LPS, get a substantial portion of their energy from zooxanthellae (symbiotic algae living in their tissue) through photosynthesis, similar to the energy relationship discussed for anemones. A hammer coral under adequate lighting can survive without ever being directly fed. That said, feeding is widely considered beneficial, particularly for growth and coloration — many keepers report better results with a regular feeding routine compared to lighting alone, especially in tanks with lower overall nutrient levels where the coral might otherwise have limited access to additional nutrients beyond what photosynthesis provides.

What foods are commonly used to feed hammer corals?

Mysis shrimp (whole or chopped, depending on size relative to the coral's polyps) is one of the most commonly mentioned options, along with other chopped meaty foods and reef-specific pellet or frozen foods formulated for LPS corals and other filter-feeding/predatory invertebrates. The general principle is offering food appropriately sized for the coral's polyps — a piece too large may be difficult for the coral to fully capture or process, similar to the regurgitation issue discussed for anemones when food portions are too big. Some keepers also use liquid or particulate reef foods aimed more broadly at corals and filter feeders, though target-feeding solid pieces directly onto polyps is the more commonly described approach for hammer corals specifically.

How do I actually feed a hammer coral without the food just drifting away?

The common approach is target feeding — using a turkey baster, pipette, or similar tool to place food directly onto or very near extended polyps, often with tank flow temporarily reduced so the food has a chance to be captured before it's swept elsewhere. Feeding is typically done when the coral's tentacles are extended (often associated with lights-out or low-light periods for some LPS, though hammer corals can also extend during the day), since extended tentacles are what actually capture and move food toward the coral's mouth. After feeding, polyps closing around the food and tentacles drawing inward are signs the coral has successfully captured what was offered — if food consistently drifts away without being captured, reducing flow further or feeding more directly onto the polyps may help.

Can I overfeed a hammer coral, and what happens if I do?

Yes, in the sense that uneaten food can become a water quality issue even if the coral itself isn't directly harmed by 'too much' food in a single feeding. If food is offered in quantities or sizes the coral can't fully capture and consume, the excess can drift into the tank and break down, contributing to nutrient buildup — similar in principle to the overfeeding considerations discussed for anemones, where regurgitation of oversized portions can signal a feeding amount that's more than the animal wants to process. A reasonable approach is to start with smaller amounts and observe how much the coral actually captures, adjusting portion size and frequency based on what's being consumed versus what's drifting away uneaten.

Sources & Further Reading

About the Author: Hektor Jorgo

Co-Founder & Marine Biologist

Hektor is a co-founder of Sea Life Planet and has kept reef and freshwater aquariums for over 15 years. He holds a background in marine biology and focuses on species care accuracy, water chemistry, and tank husbandry.