chalice corals

[undertcontrolj]

Okay i have been trying to find some information on chalice corals. So i thought i would ask here in the club. I am looking for links of any kind that deal with care and stuff with these corals. Anyone here that has experience with them please share. I have seen some awesome pictures but that really does not tell what it takes to have them thrive in a tank. So just looking for some help here.

Thanks,
Justin

 

[poolkeeper1]

From the little experience I've had with them they do not seem to need any special care other than good water quality and sufficient lighting. The thing that surprised me about them is their ability to send out stinger tentacles to anything that gets too close to them. And they seem to be very lethal and win the fight. They seem similar to Acans to me if that helps.

 

[gflat65]

Mine have all hated light. If I give them what I consider moderate lighting, they brown out and recede. Put them under a ledge, and they rebound. Just my experience, though.

 

[undertcontrolj]

any links on this kinda stuff. I have looked in some forums here but everybody just wants to post pics. I mean it is nice to see but how is what i really need to know. Thanks bill and gflat65 for the input on your experiences.

 

[Mikeyjer]

I put mine pretty high up in the tank. It seems to be doing fine, grows very slow.....I have not seen the sweepers yet....

 

[gflat65]

Here's one about 2/3 the way from the top of the tank in a 120 under 175W 14K Ushios and VHO 03's. It used to be green and red.

I had it in a 40B under T5's for about a year before putting it in this tank, and it had to be under a ledge getting only screened light to color back up to green and red.

The LPS forum has tons of threads on different chalices, as different ones tend to like different lighting. I'd say that generally, you should start them low and move them up slowly, as with most other corals. If they react badly to the light, drop them back down.

 

[ct_vol]

Most of mine like low light as well... Once bleached, they can come back, but it is a long slow process... I don't think water quality has to be SPS conditions for them to thrive, but they aren't xenia either...

 

[poolkeeper1]

If anyone remembers the big red Chalice in Angela's tank, that one is much more meaty if you know what I mean. That is the one that had the tentacles come out at night, At one time a piece of Turbinaria had fallen on it and the part that the Chalice had wrapped it tentacles on was gone down to the skeleton. They kinda looked like stringy flesh colored things that were holding on to the fallen piece. When I had it in my tank it was close to the bottom all the way to one side of the tank, If that helps.

 

[undertcontrolj]

This has been pretty helpful in figuring out where they might be place in a tank. Bottom to start with. Since water quality is not as much of an issue, unlike water for sps, does that make them some what easier to keep? Will they just spread out on the sand bed or do they need rock to grow on?