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Chalice Golden Eye
Unique piece - "WYSIWYG"!
What You See Is What You Get
Chalice corals are a wide variety of different corals that are lumped together under the term "Chalice". Various different genera of corals are included, from Echinopora, Oxypora, Mycedium, and even Lithophyllon. As such, care will be more generalized than seen in other corals because these are very different corals all grouped together.
Although exact classification may be a murky topic, the impact of Chalice Corals on reefing as a hobby is notable. Chalices are one of the most sought-after large polyp stony (LPS) corals. Their colors and patterns are often intensely fluorescent and can display stunning patterns.
Location
In terms of distribution in nature, Chalice corals are found across the Pacific Ocean. Given their wide distribution, one would be led to assume they are readily available in the hobby, but lately that has not been the case. At the time of this recording, there was currently an import/export ban in Indonesia and Fiji, from where many of these corals come, so most specimens available in the trade currently are sourced from Australia.
Lighting
Moderate lighting levels around 100 PAR. Most chalices are adaptable to different lighting intensities, but the first priority should always be "not to blast the corals with too intense light". It doesn't take much to overexpose the corals to too much light, which can lead to bleaching and rapid decline in health. It's much better to provide lighting intensity below standard and slowly correct the situation, adjusting either the light or the chalice coral's position, rather than accidentally bleaching the coral with too much light and then trying to help it recover afterward.
Chalice corals are fairly consistent with their coloring. Of course, there's always some degree of variability and the occasional coral that MAY change color in noticeable ways, but overall there's not much to gain from messing with the lighting of Chalice corals. Moderate and consistent light, after that it's just letting the coral adapt to lighting conditions on its own.
Many species of chalice corals are highly fluorescent under blue actinic LED lights and are true showpieces. Even with a T5 fluorescent bulb may lose some color, chalices under actinic LED lighting display amazing colors.
Low Light |
Low light is between 30 and 50 PARs per unit area |
Medium Light |
Medium light is between 50 - 150 PARs per unit area |
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High Light |
High light is above 150 PARs per unit area |
Water Flow
Moderate water movement is recommended.
If the flow is insufficient, you risk allowing detritus to settle on the colonies, creating dead spots. Several species of chalice corals naturally form a circular colony and there should be enough flow to sweep away anything that would otherwise settle in the middle. Too much flow and you risk having the coral fall off the rock.
Feeding
Chalices are considered photosynthetic corals, which means they have a symbiotic relationship with dinoflagellates living in their tissues, called zooxanthellae. Zooxanthellae are the organisms that perform photosynthesis proper, but the coral benefits by feeding on the byproducts of photosynthetic activity, i.e., the simple sugars that are produced.
While Chalice corals derive much of their nutritional needs from the byproducts of photosynthesis, they are also capable of feeding. We try to feed the chalices with various different types of foods, frozen, pellets, among others. Chalices do not have pronounced polyp extension, so their response to feeding may be difficult to visualize. Typically, these corals use a layer of mucus to capture food and slowly place it into their mouths.
Feeding can be a hit or miss, so it's something you'll have to experiment with to find out which foods your Chalice will feed on.
Aggression
Chalice corals are aggressive. Only a few varieties extend their tentacles, but any body contact of a chalice coral with another coral will be highly volatile.
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