Wysiwyg Diablo Chalice Coral Frag [F64] *Free Shipping ! Minimum $249 livestock spend*

What Are Chalice Corals?

Chalice corals are one of the most collectable LPS corals in the reef aquarium hobby. They are an encrusting, plating coral known for their wild color combinations and their eyed, textured surface. A single chalice can show a base color, contrasting eyes, a different rim, and mouths that glow a completely different shade under actinic lighting. Once you catch the chalice bug it is very hard to stop collecting them.

Chalice Names

Chalice is a hobby name that covers several genera of encrusting LPS corals, most commonly Echinophyllia, Echinopora, Oxypora and Mycedium. Every chalice has a fun trade name based on its coloring and the vendor who first named it. Examples of famous named chalices are the Miami Hurricane, Watermelon, Bill Murray and Hollywood Stunner. Part of the fun of chalice keeping is tracking down specific named pieces.

Chalice Color & Size

There is almost no limit to the color combinations chalice can come in. The magic is in the contrast — the eyes, the mouths and the body can each be a totally different color that lights up under blue actinics. They are an encrusting coral that plates outward across the rock as they grow. Placement and lighting can affect how the colors develop.

Ease of Care

Chalice are a moderate care coral. Once settled and happy they are fairly hardy, but they do not like being moved and they dislike sudden changes. The trick with chalice is stability and patience. Get the placement right the first time, leave it alone, and it will reward you.

Chalice Lighting

Chalice do best under low to moderate light. They come from deeper shaded parts of the reef and do not want to be blasted. We recommend placing them lower to the middle of your aquarium. Around 50 to 120 par is the sweet spot for most chalice.

Proper Chalice Flow

Chalice do best under low to medium flow. For best results you want gentle, indirect random flow preferably created by a wave maker. The flow helps keep their textured surface clean of any detritus build up. Avoid strong direct flow as it can irritate the tissue.

Chalice Growth

Chalice are a slow growing coral and this is worth knowing before you buy. They grow by encrusting outward across the rock, adding new eyes at the growing edge. That bright thin band of new tissue with no eyes yet is normal and a sign of a healthy growing chalice. Patience is the name of the game.

Chalice Compatibility

Chalice are considered aggressive. Many of them have sweeper tentacles that come out at night and can reach several centimeters beyond the edge of the coral to sting neighbors. Give your chalice plenty of space from other corals, especially on the sides where you may not see the sweepers extend after dark.

Chalice Feeding

Chalice are photosynthetic but they LOVE to eat and feeding pushes color and growth. They feed through the small mouths on their surface, mostly at night when their feeding tentacles come out. We feed our chalice a combination of coral curry, reef roids & vitalis mixed reef food .

Propagation

Chalice are fragged by cutting through the thin plating skeleton with a frag saw or bone cutters. Cut a section that includes a few eyes and mouths so the frag has established polyps. Give freshly cut frags gentle flow and low light while they heal and re-encrust.

Dipping Chalice

Because chalice can carry unwanted pests on their textured surface it\\\\\\\’s always good practice to dip them with coral rx or two little fishies revive coral dip before adding them to your aquarium.