Chalice care, dipping, and placement

[_Mackus_]

I have a 125 gal mostly SPS pieces (still basically large frags or minicolonies) and a few LPS pieces (large frogspawn, pagoda cup, candy cane, and a small acan). I have one MP40 on my tank and am looking to add another, but for right now the second powerhead is just a small koralia. Lighting is two 250W MH (14000 K) plus four 54W T5 lights.

I'm picking up 3-4 small chalice frags from a local reefer in the next week or so. I've done what research I can, but was hoping to get some additional personalized advice.

From what I've read, they like low to moderate light and flow, but shouldn't be placed on the sandbed. Would placement on the rockwork (perhaps below a plating montipora to provide some shade) be ok? Should I glue/epoxy them down right away? Ever?

What about any sort of dip for when I first get them? They'll be locally picked up and are already fragged, so no major shipping stress. I usually dip corals in a low concentration of Bayer Insect Killer and have had good results with that, but haven't dipped many LPS corals using that. I do have another just iodine based coral dip (forget the brand) that I could use.

Thanks for the help!

 

[Capncavey]

I'm curious also, although my tank is much smaller and different lights

 

[watchguy123]

I dip all sps, lps, and anything on a rock like zoas (not anemones) in bayer. Have never had a problem with a dipped chalice. My preferred method is to remove all frags from plugs or rock and then dip them in bayer in an effort to avoid pest eggs. After dipping and rinsing, then I reglue to a new plug or whatever. Chalices can do well on the sand, if there are not any sand sifting creatures that would bury or disturb the chalice, nothing likes being buried under sand. You can glue chalices to rock work, but like everything else in the tank, they grow and get larger. If you think you may want to frag it or move it at some future time, then best to place some reef putty on rock work that you do not attach so that framework is removable and then you can glue your chalice frag to that. Most chalices do well (color and growth) in less or lower light and they tend to prefer low flow areas. Of course, exceptions to every rule do exist.