Care Guide for Chalice Corals (Echinophyllia) | Intermediate Guide to Lighting, Water Flow, and Color Enhancement for LPS
Detailed guide on caring for Chalice Corals (Echinophyllia/Oxypora). Covers proper lighting intensity, water flow settings, feeding, and fragging—key points for intermediate aquarists to maintain them long-term.
Key Takeaways
Detailed guide on caring for Chalice Corals (Echinophyllia/Oxypora). Covers proper lighting intensity, water flow settings, feeding, and fragging—key points for intermediate aquarists to maintain them long-term.
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.
✍️
BreederDirect Editorial
The BreederDirect editorial team specializes in care information for animals, covering veterinary care and breeding to deliver beginner-friendly guides.
Find Coral on BreederDirect
Buy directly from verified breeders
Browse Related Listings
Find Coral listings related to this article on BreederDirect. Buy directly from verified breeders.
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.
