QUICK STATS

Care Level: Easy to Moderate
Coral Type: LPS
Temperament: Semi-Aggressive
Photosynthetic: Yes
Placement: Lower to Middle
Lighting: Moderate
Water Flow: Low to Moderate, Indirect
Approximate Purchase Size: Varies by Frag / Head Count
Approximate Max Size: Colony Growth Depends on Stability, Space, and Feeding

PURPLE FROGSPAWN CORAL

The Purple Frogspawn Coral is a colorful LPS coral variety known for its branching skeleton, fleshy bubble-like tentacles, and purple to lavender coloration. Depending on the specimen and lighting, the tentacles may appear purple, lavender, violet, mauve, grape, gray-purple, brown-purple, or blue-purple, often with lighter, brighter, or contrasting tips.

Frogspawn corals are popular because they bring movement, color, and texture to reef aquariums without being quite as aggressive as many torch corals. Their tentacles have a rounded, clustered look that resembles frog eggs, which is apparently where the hobby decided to land on the name. Charming, weird, and exactly the kind of naming decision humans would proudly defend.

The Purple Frogspawn Coral is photosynthetic and receives much of its energy from reef lighting through its symbiotic zooxanthellae. It can also benefit from occasional feeding with small meaty foods. Once settled, it can be fairly forgiving for an LPS coral, but it still requires stable water chemistry, appropriate flow, and careful spacing from neighboring corals.

This coral is considered semi-aggressive. Frogspawn can sting nearby corals and may extend sweeper tentacles, especially when crowded or irritated. It usually has a less extreme stinging range than many torch corals, but it still deserves space. “Less aggressive” is not the same as “please cram me between a chalice and a hammer,” because apparently coral placement needs warning labels.

Note: Image is a representation of what to expect. The coral you receive may vary slightly in size, color intensity, tentacle length, tip coloration, head count, skeleton shape, and overall appearance.

AQUARIUM REQUIREMENTS

AQUARIUM SIZE

A minimum aquarium size of 20-30 gallons or larger is recommended for a Purple Frogspawn Coral. Smaller mature aquariums can work for a single frag, but larger systems provide better parameter stability and more room for coral spacing.

Frogspawn corals can expand significantly when healthy, so placement should account for both the skeleton size and the fully extended tentacles. A compact frag can eventually become a swaying purple colony that takes up more room than expected. This is how the aquarium turns into a glowing underwater zoning dispute.

PLACEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

The Purple Frogspawn Coral is best placed in the lower to middle areas of the aquarium where it receives moderate light and low-to-moderate indirect flow. Start lower if the coral is new, freshly shipped, or coming from lower lighting, then adjust slowly if needed.

Rock Placement: Place securely on stable rockwork or a frag holder where the skeleton will not rub against nearby rock or topple over.

Sandbed Placement: Temporary sandbed placement can work during acclimation, especially if light intensity is high. Make sure the coral is secure and not at risk of being knocked over by snails, hermit crabs, conchs, or whatever cleanup crew member has chosen violence today.

Spacing: Leave several inches of space between this coral and neighboring corals. Frogspawn can sting nearby LPS, soft corals, SPS, zoanthids, mushrooms, and other corals if placed too closely.

Euphyllia Gardens: Frogspawn may sometimes be kept near certain hammers or other frogspawn varieties, but compatibility is not guaranteed. Avoid placing it directly against torches, aggressive LPS, or unknown Euphyllia types. Coral family reunions are not automatically peaceful.

WATER PARAMETERS

The Purple Frogspawn Coral does best in clean, stable reef conditions. Stability is more important than chasing perfect numbers. Sudden swings in alkalinity, salinity, temperature, or nutrients can cause retraction, tissue recession, poor expansion, or rapid decline.

Temperature: 75-79°F
pH Level: 8.1-8.4
Salinity: 1.024-1.026 specific gravity
Alkalinity: 8-10 dKH
Calcium: 400-450 ppm
Magnesium: 1250-1350 ppm
Nitrate: 5-15 ppm
Phosphate: 0.03-0.10 ppm

Avoid ultra-low nutrient systems. Frogspawn corals often do best with detectable nitrate and phosphate rather than a completely stripped tank. “Clean water” does not mean “empty water with expensive lighting,” despite the hobby’s repeated attempts to prove otherwise.

LIGHTING

The Purple Frogspawn Coral prefers moderate lighting. A general target range of 75-150 PAR works well for many frogspawn corals, though some specimens may adapt slightly lower or higher if acclimated slowly.

LIGHTING RECOMMENDATIONS

Moderate PAR: Start around the lower to middle end of moderate lighting and adjust slowly based on expansion, coloration, and tissue health.

Light Acclimation: New frogspawn frags should be acclimated gradually to stronger lighting. Start lower or in slightly reduced light, then increase exposure over several days to weeks if needed.

Color Display: Purple Frogspawn often shows its best contrast under blue-heavy reef lighting, especially when the purple, lavender, or violet tentacles are fully expanded.

Too Much Light: Signs may include bleaching, pale tissue, retraction, reduced expansion, or tissue stress.

Too Little Light: Signs may include dull coloration, weak growth, reduced expansion, or poor long-term energy.

Do not place a fresh frogspawn directly under high-output lighting because it looked bright in a product photo. That is not coral care. That is photon-based optimism with a frag plug.

WATER FLOW

The Purple Frogspawn Coral prefers low to moderate, indirect water flow. The tentacles should sway gently without being slammed in one direction or whipped against the skeleton.

FLOW RECOMMENDATIONS

Ideal Flow: Low to moderate, random, indirect flow that keeps the tentacles moving naturally.

Avoid Direct Flow: Strong direct flow can cause the coral to retract, tear tissue, or rub against its skeleton.

Avoid Dead Spots: Too little flow can allow detritus to settle around the skeleton and may contribute to irritation or tissue problems.

Watch the Tentacles: Healthy flow should make the tentacles sway softly. They should not be plastered to one side like the coral is being interrogated by a powerhead.

If the frogspawn is fully retracted, whipping violently, or only expanding on one side, flow should be adjusted. The coral is giving feedback. Unfortunately, it communicates through tissue drama because clear communication was apparently not included in the reef package.

DIET

The Purple Frogspawn Coral is photosynthetic, meaning it receives much of its energy from light through its symbiotic zooxanthellae. However, it can also benefit from occasional feeding with small meaty foods.

PRIMARY DIET

Photosynthesis: Proper moderate lighting provides much of the coral’s energy.

Broadcast Feeding: The coral may capture small food particles from the water column during regular fish and coral feeding.

Target Feeding: Small pieces of mysis shrimp, finely chopped marine foods, LPS pellets, enriched brine shrimp, or other small meaty foods may be offered occasionally.

Amino Acids / Coral Nutrition: Supplemental coral nutrition can be used carefully in established systems, especially when nutrients are controlled but not stripped.

FEEDING FREQUENCY

Feed lightly 1-2 times per week if desired. Avoid overfeeding, especially in smaller aquariums, as excess food can raise nutrients and irritate the coral.

Do not shove oversized food into the tentacles like the coral is training for competitive eating. Small food, gentle feeding, minimal reef-keeper nonsense.

COMPATIBILITY

The Purple Frogspawn Coral works well in many mixed reef aquariums when placed with enough space from neighboring corals. It should not be crowded by aggressive LPS, fast-growing soft corals, or corals that may sting its fleshy tissue.

COMMON TANK MATES

Fish: Reef-safe fish such as clownfish, gobies, blennies, wrasses, tangs, cardinalfish, firefish, anthias, and other peaceful to semi-peaceful community fish.

Avoid: Fish known to nip fleshy LPS corals, such as some angelfish, butterflyfish, filefish, puffers, and certain triggers.

Invertebrates: Generally safe with cleaner shrimp, snails, hermit crabs, urchins, and most common reef invertebrates. Large clumsy invertebrates may knock the coral over if it is not secured.

Coral: Keep away from aggressive neighboring corals, including torches, galaxea, favias, chalices, acans, elegance corals, and other strong-stinging LPS.

Other Euphyllia: Frogspawn may sometimes be compatible near other frogspawn or certain hammer corals, but direct contact is still risky. Give space and observe. Coral compatibility is not a trust fall.

BEHAVIORAL NOTES

Temperament: Semi-aggressive. Frogspawn can sting nearby corals and may extend sweeper tentacles.

Extension: A healthy Purple Frogspawn should show full, puffy tentacle extension once settled. Some new frags may take several days to fully open after shipping or transfer.

Coloration: Tentacles may appear purple, lavender, violet, mauve, grape, gray-purple, brown-purple, or blue-purple depending on lighting, stress, nutrients, and photography conditions.

Tip Coloration: Tips may appear lighter purple, green, white, blue, cream, pink, or fluorescent depending on the specimen and lighting.

Growth Pattern: Branching frogspawn corals grow by forming new heads over time. Growth depends on stable alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, lighting, flow, and nutrition.

Skeleton Safety: Avoid allowing the fleshy tissue to rub against rock, frag racks, plugs, or neighboring skeletons. Tissue damage can lead to infection or recession.

Brown Jelly Risk: Like other Euphyllia-type corals, frogspawn can be vulnerable to bacterial issues such as brown jelly disease, especially after stress, damage, or poor shipping. Rapid tissue loss should be addressed quickly.

Dipping: Coral dipping before introduction is recommended to reduce pests and contaminants. Use coral-safe dips according to product directions.

Frag Handling: Handle by the plug or skeleton, not the soft tissue. The tissue is delicate, because apparently the coral needed to be both beautiful and structurally dramatic.

Acclimation: New frogspawn should be light-acclimated and placed in gentle to moderate indirect flow. Sudden changes can cause retraction or stress.

Stinging Range: Give this coral room to expand. It may look soft and charming, but it still has LPS boundaries and the equipment to enforce them.

ACCLIMATION PROCESS

This acclimation method helps reduce stress by gradually introducing the coral to your aquarium’s temperature, lighting, and water chemistry.

1. DIM THE LIGHTS

Turn down aquarium lights or place the coral in a shaded lower area at first. This helps reduce stress while the coral adjusts.

2. FLOAT THE BAG

Float the sealed bag in the aquarium for 15-20 minutes to allow the temperature in the bag to equalize with the tank.

3. OPEN BAG, ADD CORAL TO CONTAINER

Carefully open the bag and transfer the coral and shipping water into a clean container. Handle the coral by the plug or skeleton, not the fleshy tissue.

4. ACCLIMATE USING TANK WATER

Add small amounts of tank water to the container every few minutes for 20-30 minutes. Avoid exposing the coral tissue to air longer than necessary.

5. CORAL DIP

Use a coral-safe dip according to the product instructions. This can help reduce pests and contaminants before the coral enters your aquarium.

6. TRANSFER CORAL TO AQUARIUM

Place the coral in a lower to middle area with low to moderate indirect flow. Discard the shipping and dip water. Do not pour shipping water or dip water into your aquarium.

7. LIGHT ACCLIMATE

Allow the coral to adjust gradually over several days to weeks before moving it into brighter light. Watch for extension, coloration, tissue health, and feeding response before making major placement changes.