What's up with these Chalice corals

[Reefflections]

What seems to be the key on keeping some of these corals?Years ago had all LPS type of corals,and then went on to SPS.But with the new LPS on the markst today,it been a real struggle with keeping them.The frags I have are fighting for their lives.Some say if running a low nutrient system has a huge effect on them.As they might not like a high Alk also.But what I seeing is a very,very die off around their outer edges.So some of these can take a lot of light,where others hate it.I have moved these frags in a shaded area,with some nice flow.Was wondering has a lot of folks kinda see the same thing happen to them?Could it be low nutrients,with the BB system causing this.Just trying first to stop what I'm seeing around their edges.But this is a very slow process I'm seeing take place.

 

[RandyO]

I've heard reports of Echinophyllia doing poorly in very clean systems. I have a friend that has the cleanest system I've ever seen. Bare Bottom, large skimmer, filter bags, and ozone.
It's the nicest, most colorful Acropora filled tank I've ever seen. The colors of some of the Acros are mind blowing. But every time I give him a frag of Echinophyllia, it slowly withers away. The last piece he got was a very large Echino, which we thought the others were too small to get going.
So far, the big echino has not died, but it's not growing either.

Since Echinophyllia do not actively feed as well as some other LPS, I would guess they get some nutrition from dissolved organics in the water.

This would explain why some LPS do well in a clean system, while others do not. Mussides, Faviids, and other fleshy LPS are active feeders and can supplement the missing DOOM while Echidnas and other Chalice type corals slowly starve.

Then again, there could be some other explanation, like they need iron, or something that is lacking in the cleaner systems.

Most people look at lighting, but I think there's more to it than that.

 

[calero]

i have 13 pieces of chalices ( one oxypora, one mycedium, the rest echinos ) i dont have a clean tank ( thats why i dont have sps corals ) in my experience the myced. first and the oxy. do well under strong light, the echinos love shady places with strong flow and some of mine feed actively if i feed them directly, two red or redish pieces i put them first under moderate light and they almost die, when i place them in shady places with strong water motion they start recovering, tissue and color, one of them is loosing color again but the rest are doing very well, IMO very clean tanks are not optimal for LPS corals in general mainly because the lack of nutrients, thats my experience with the chalices.

 

[ricordia nut]

i ve tried and tried to keep them very hard to keep tried high light low light flow and all these guys are just a mystery sometime we all just lucky and find the right place for them

 

[David Grigor]

Obviously can never narrow down to just 1 thing and no tank or coral is exactly the same, but I'm pretty convince through eperience with several different tank configs that echino and chalice do best under VHO type lighting. Even in MH or T5s in shaded areas just don't do as well. I've always strived for very clean low nutrient tanks and not really thought has a much to do with it as the type of lighting does for this type of coral.

 

[DonavonsReef]

These corals are collected at various depths their is no right or wrong. If your chalice was collected in 20ft of water obviously it is going to need brighter light to hold it's color while a coral collected in say 50ft will do better under less powerfull lights. I personally have never had a problem with them or lost one but have had colors change under differnt lighting schemes. I have had dull brown turn bright pink under M/H & also had bright purple burn up & turn mud grey. I think alittle experamentation is all you really need & adjust acordingly. BTW I keep these in a skimmerless 55G with alot of LPS under 175W M/H w/ 140 VHO's I do a 15% water change weekly & my chalices have very good growth.

 

[RandyO]

I agree for the most part with all of you guys. Some of these corals are collected from deeper waters. Many of the Red Echinophyllia will do poorly under bright MH lighting. I haven't put my orange under bright halides, but I would guess it would not be as happy as it is under PC's. Some of my pink Echinos love soaking up the MH lighting.

A little exerimentation will go a long way.
It helps to cut the coral in a few different pieces when experimenting. That way, it the coral burns up under brighter light, the whole colony is not lost.

 

[spsboy]

Reeflections,
Ever heard its the indian and not the arrow??

 

[The Beaut]

I might have to agree that lighting might have something to do with it. I had 6 dif challices in my tank under PC's doing fantastic. I switched to T5's and bleached all and actually lost 3. I definately think they are not a super bright light coral. Just think about it they are flat, large surface area to get light from low light areas. Now if i get a chalice, i keep it in the shade(and i dont mean the bottom of the tank) for at least 2 weeks. I then slowly move it out over the next 2 weeks. Its patience you need, it is tough getting this beautiful coral and then you have to keep it hidden for a while. I am the first one to admit that i was stupid enough to rush the process and killed some of my nicest challices.

 

[Reefflections]

It's really bad when you get these exotic frags in,being they are small to begin with.When they do start to go,there isn't much there to even try to save a frag of it.Also not known where they were even collected.It's like a guess game,as for the lighting needs.

Hey SPSboy,
When you going to send those Florida Ricordea back to Florida where they belong?ME :lol:
I know what you are waiting for some of those Pink Lords I have :eek2: