How to promote chalice growth in acertain way?

[ohioreef71]

I read in a old thread a while back about flow and light intensity can determine if the chalice will skirt out or encrust. I can't remember what was said and can't find the thread. I have two unknown chalice frags about 2"x2" each one is mostly pink and the other is divided red/pink down the middle. I would prefer if they would plate out. Is there a way to coax the growth a certain way? These are the first chalices I have had and love em.

 

[xdannyxrocksx]

I have heard they grow better in a slope than just flat, something to do with gravity. I have read that feeding helps as well. Also depends on the species. I am no expert though just things I have read.

 

[fishandsail]

How can you feed chalices? I have a 6"x4" triangle shaped hollywood stunner and it never shows any tentacles/polyps, so I've never spot fed it.

 

[philosophile]

They extend tentacles at night usually, not during the day. But if you turn off the pumps, and drop some mysis on it, and wait about 10 minutes, it'll eat it. You usually have to protect it from other stuff like shrimp and fish or else they'll just pick the food off of it.

 

[xCry0x]

They extend tentacles at night usually, not during the day. But if you turn off the pumps, and drop some mysis on it, and wait about 10 minutes, it'll eat it. You usually have to protect it from other stuff like shrimp and fish or else they'll just pick the food off of it.

My feeling has always been that if it needs 0 flow to eat it doesn't really need to eat or it does not belong in any flow period. How else would corals survive in the ocean? The ocean doesn't turn off at night and tell all the fish, shrimp, snails, crabs to go away while the chalice eat.

That said I am not experienced with growing out chalices - only have one going right now. But I would imagine that higher flow results in encrusting while low flow would result in plating since a plating coral in high flow would be susceptible to breaking - seems like a survival instinct. Same could be true with high vs low light. I know my LFS has a chalice in a biocube with panorama led's which I always considered lower end lower PAR leds - the chalice grew out from a frag to the size of a small plate and is plating not encrusting. So maybe the lower light causes them to plate out to have more surface area similar to how other corals will open and extend towards light if in low par areas.

 

[birdman1979]

Interesting argument xCryOx. I agree but I still usually don't rely on my corals ability to catch food. I feed my chalices once a day max with lights out. The ocean feeds constantly so corals have a lot more opportunity to catch food. Spot feeding is a pain but for me it equals faster growth and less waste. I started my first reef tank in Pleasanton, CA by the way... long time ago.

 

[antbreon]

i have a couple ...frags..they are mounted on posts if you will ...stubs of old stony corals in he rock ..med high light good flow..they are plating out..dont know crap ..just my observation in my tank.

 

[BigCountry74]

not sure if you can get em to grow fast. they are very slow growing LPS in my opinion. heck they remind me of a SPS hybrid sorta. my chalice grows really really slow....to the point I question if its even growing at all..lol

 

[murphreef145]

all my chalices just grow in a complete equal circle on the sand by themselves... on a rock they will grow more irregular depending on the rocks shape