Chalice corals are known for their wild colours: bright “eyes” (the mouths) set against contrasting plates, often glowing under blue light. They’re one of the easier LPS corals to keep, they grow well once settled, and there are hundreds of named types to collect. The main things to get right are not giving them too much light, and not putting them too close to other corals.
Quick care sheet
Scientific name | Several genera, mainly Echinophyllia, Oxypora, Mycedium and Echinopora |
Type | LPS (large polyp stony), encrusting or plating |
Difficulty | Easy to moderate |
Lighting | Low to moderate (roughly 50–150 PAR) |
Flow | Low to moderate, indirect |
Placement | Lower to middle of the tank, or shaded spots |
Temperament | Aggressive – some send out sweeper tentacles |
Feeding | Optional, but they respond well to it |
What is a chalice coral?
“Chalice” isn’t one species. It’s a hobby name for a group of encrusting and plating LPS corals, mostly from the genera Echinophyllia, Oxypora, Mycedium and Echinopora. Most of the colourful named chalices, like the Avatar, are Echinophyllia.
The names (Avatar, Hollywood Stunner, Red Convict and so on) are trade names given to particular colour forms. They’re not scientific, and two shops can use the same name for slightly different corals, so always go by the photo.
Water parameters
Keep things stable. These are the ranges our own systems run at.
Parameter | Target |
|---|---|
Temperature | 24–25°C (75–77°F) |
Salinity | Steady at 1.026 SG (about 35 ppt) |
Alkalinity | About 8 dKH, within 0.2 either way |
Calcium | 400–440 ppm |
Magnesium | 1,300–1,400 ppm |
Nitrate | 5–15 ppm |
Phosphate | 0.05–0.08 ppm |
Lighting
This is where most people go wrong with chalices. Many come from deeper or murkier water, and they tend to show their best colour under low to moderate light, roughly 50–150 PAR, with a blue-heavy spectrum. Under too much light, especially strong white light, they often lose their pinks, reds and golds and can bleach at the edges.
Start a new chalice low or in a shaded spot and only move it up if the colours look dull or brown. When it comes to chalices, less light is usually more.
Flow
Gentle to moderate, indirect flow is ideal. You want enough to stop debris settling on the plates, but not a pump blasting straight at them, which can lift and damage the tissue.
Placement and spacing
Chalices grow outwards across rock as flat plates or crusts, so place them where they have room to spread. Lower rockwork or the sand bed usually works well.
They look harmless, but they can sting nearby corals, and some send out sweeper tentacles at night that can reach several centimetres. Give them at least 10–15 cm of space, and make sure anything above them is firmly glued down so it can’t fall onto them.
Feeding
Chalices get most of their energy from light, but most have “hungry” mouths and respond well to spot feeding. Small foods work best: rotifers, copepods, fine coral foods or finely chopped mysis, gently puffed over the eyes with a pipette once or twice a week. Feed when the lights are low and the flow is turned down for a few minutes so the food doesn’t blow away. In our own systems we feed all our corals Benepets coral food twice a week, and target feed meaty foods like mysis about once every two weeks.
When your new chalice arrives
- Float the pot or bag to bring it up to temperature.
- Acclimate slowly to your tank water.
- Dip it. We dip every new coral using NYOS Coral Dip, following the label: in a separate container of tank water (never in the tank), at the standard dose of 10 ml per litre, for 10 minutes.
- Place it low and shaded first.
- Give it a week or two to settle before judging its colour.
See our full acclimation and dipping guide for step-by-step instructions.
Common problems
Colours fading or washing out. Usually too much light. Move it lower or into a shadier spot.
Turning brown. Usually not enough light or high nutrients. Move it up gradually.
Pale or white edges. Often light burn, or stinging from a neighbour. Check what’s growing nearby, day and night.
Tissue pulling back from the edge. Check alkalinity and other parameters for swings, and make sure flow isn’t blasting it.
Can you frag a chalice?
Yes, chalices are some of the easiest LPS to frag. Snap or cut a piece off the plate with bone cutters or a saw, making sure each piece has at least one eye, then glue it to a plug. A healthy chalice heals quickly and keeps growing. Afterwards, dip both the new frags and the parent colony in a good iodine dip to help prevent infection. We recommend Seachem Reef Dip.
FAQs
Are chalices good for beginners? They’re one of the better LPS choices for a first coral, as long as you don’t put them under strong light.
Why is my chalice a different colour from the photo? Lighting makes a huge difference with chalices. Photos are often taken under blue light, which makes the colours glow. Under whiter light they look different.
How fast do chalices grow? Slow at first, then they can spread steadily across rock once settled.
Chalice corals from ReefGro
Most of our chalices are grown in our own systems in Ipswich, and all are shipped by Royal Mail Special Delivery. Stock comes and goes as each batch is ready. Have a look at our chalice collection, and if the one you want is out of stock, sign up for a back-in-stock alert on its page and we’ll let you know when it’s available again.
Every order is covered by our Live Arrival Guarantee – see our delivery page for details.