Care Guide for Chalice Corals (Echinophyllia) | Intermediate Guide to Lighting, Water Flow, and Color Enhancement for LPS

Chalice Corals (Echinophyllia / Oxypora genus) are LPS corals with flat, plate-like to wavy forms. They are highly popular among reef tank enthusiasts due to their abundant color variations (green, blue, red, purple) and distinctive skeletal structure. While they have a slightly higher difficulty level compared to Zoanthids and Hammer Corals, long-term care and propagation are possible with proper environmental conditions.

Basic Information

Tank Environment Setup

Water Parameters

Chalice Corals are less sensitive than SPS, but stable water parameters are key to vibrant coloring.

Chalice Corals struggle in ultra-low nutrient systems with near-zero nitrate. Modest nutrient levels are essential.

Lighting

Chalice Corals prefer low to moderate light levels.

• PAR Target: 50–150 μmol/m²/s
• High light (PAR 200+) risks zooxanthellae loss, leading to bleaching and color loss
• Best placed in shaded areas, lower on rockwork, or beside/below rocks
• With LED lighting, strong blue channels (450 nm) enhance fluorescent coloration

Newly introduced specimens should start in the darkest area of the tank, then gradually acclimate to brighter conditions over 2–3 weeks.

Water Flow

Chalice Corals have small polyps and require gentle, indirect turbulent flow.

• Avoid strong, direct flow (causes polyp retraction and stress)
• Use powerheads angled at walls or rocks to create reflected, diffuse flow
• Target flow rate: 5–10x tank volume per hour
• Reducing flow at night compared to daytime aids feeding

Placement and Aquascaping

Recommended Positioning

• Bottom to lower-middle section: Place at the base or on the lower portions of rockwork
• Rather than sitting flat on rocks, angling them on rock slopes allows polyps to extend fully
• Maintain at least 10 cm distance from neighboring corals (digestive filament aggression)

Compatibility with Other Species

• Aggression Level: Moderate. They extend digestive filaments to attack nearby corals
• Zoanthids, Soft Corals, and Hammer Corals require adequate spacing
• Placing on opposite sides of rock or using rock barriers for separation ensures safety

Feeding

Chalice Corals derive primary energy from symbiotic zooxanthellae photosynthesis, but supplemental feeding improves condition.

Feeding Method

1. Turn powerheads off for 30 minutes to 1 hour
2. Use a pipette or syringe to directly target polyps with frozen plankton (copepods, artemia)
3. Add commercial coral food solutions (AB+, CoralAmino, etc.) to the entire tank
4. Keep flow off for 1–2 hours post-feeding to allow absorption

Feeding Frequency: Once to twice weekly. Overfeeding raises nitrate and phosphate levels.

Color Enhancement Tips

Chalice Coral coloration is determined by several factors:

Fragging (Propagation)

Tools Required

• Diamond saw or chisel + hammer
• Live rock frag plugs or acrylic discs
• Underwater epoxy or coral-safe cyanoacrylate adhesive

Procedure

1. Cut 3–5 cm fragments from the parent colony using a chisel (follow the skeletal ridges)
2. Rinse the cut surface in seawater
3. Attach the frag to a plug using adhesive
4. Place in a recovery tank (low light, gentle flow, pristine water) for 2–4 weeks
5. Once stable, ready for sale or relocation

Frags typically show stress responses (mucus production, polyp retraction) immediately post-cutting but recover within 1–2 weeks.

Common Problems and Solutions

Polyps Not Extending

• Cause: Excessive light, strong flow, water parameter changes, aggression from nearby corals
• Solution: Move to a darker location, reduce flow, increase distance from other species

Bleaching

• Cause: Overly bright lighting, temperature above 28°C, rapid KH fluctuations
• Solution: Reduce light intensity, lower temperature to below 26°C, increase feeding to promote zooxanthellae recovery

Skeletal Erosion (RTN/STN)

• Cause: Bacterial infection triggered by poor water quality or physical damage
• Solution: Quickly remove affected areas, increase water change frequency, isolate severely affected corals

Browning Out

• Cause: Excess nutrients or insufficient light causing zooxanthellae overgrowth
• Solution: Lower nitrate and phosphate levels, increase light intensity slightly

Tips for Selling as a Breeder

• Photograph under fluorescent or blue-spectrum LED lighting to showcase true coloration
• 3–5 cm frags are the standard market size for ease of shipping
• Use double bagging and heating packs for 8–12 hour transport (essential in summer/winter)
• Inform buyers in advance that "polyps may not extend for 2 weeks after introduction" to prevent complaints

Summary

Chalice Corals (Echinophyllia) are colorful LPS corals that prefer low to moderate light and gentle water flow. While less demanding than SPS, they thrive when nitrate is kept at safe levels (2–10 ppm), lighting is adjusted with blue spectrum LEDs, and feeding occurs 1–2 times weekly. They propagate readily, making them ideal for breeders. BreederDirect features numerous Chalice Coral frags from domestic breeders—be sure to check them out.