Question about chalice corals

[stingythingy45]

I have a really nice red chalice I got about a year ago from reefermedic.
I've moved it near the top and it's growing quite well.Just wondering if these need something to encrust to or is the plug it's on enough?
Roughly how big in diameter do chalice get?

 

[Andy V]

As far as I know, they grow infinitely given the right conditions. There is a thread on RC right now called something like, "Show me your biggest chalices." Anyway, the pictures show some chalices that are a foot in diameter! I am not sure on the first question, but it will find a surface to encrust on one way or another.

 

[stingythingy45]

Thanks Andy,

I'll have to check that thread out.These corals seem to be painfully slow growers.

 

[Amazon]

We've never had any of ours encrust. Had some get to 7 - 8" across before we've fragged, or it got stung and receded. I've certainly seen them much larger.

 

[aiaman]

I have just read an article about chalice corals on the web magazine "CORAL", I attached the link. Great photos as well.
http://coralmagazine.coverleaf.com/coral/20110102?sub_id=C771EWZ5NoUXk#pg1

It talks about how chalice corals are usually growing along since they have long sweeper tentacles.
They also talk about encrusting and placement.
Basically it said that if you want to reduce the sweepers, place them high up in the tank where a larger water flow or faster current is.
Placing these corals in a high flow will also make their membranes grow thicker, less encrusting.
If you place them on the sand bed with less flow, you run the risk of longer sweeper arms but faster encrusting and a thinner membrane.

I have seen them on the sand beds and it makes sense when you don't see anything else around them.
As for me I have them up in the flow and they are growing slower but thicker.
hope this helps

 

[Andy V]

I have just read an article about chalice corals on the web magazine "CORAL", I attached the link. Great photos as well.
http://coralmagazine.coverleaf.com/coral/20110102?sub_id=C771EWZ5NoUXk#pg1

It talks about how chalice corals are usually growing along since they have long sweeper tentacles.
They also talk about encrusting and placement.
Basically it said that if you want to reduce the sweepers, place them high up in the tank where a larger water flow or faster current is.
Placing these corals in a high flow will also make their membranes grow thicker, less encrusting.
If you place them on the sand bed with less flow, you run the risk of longer sweeper arms but faster encrusting and a thinner membrane.

I have seen them on the sand beds and it makes sense when you don't see anything else around them.
As for me I have them up in the flow and they are growing slower but thicker.
hope this helps

Thanks for that article. They grow faster the more you feed them too. But my experience has been that they will wipe out anything that touches those sweepers, so be careful.

 

[stingythingy45]

Thanks,aiaman
That's a great article.

 

[stingythingy45]

Thanks for that article. They grow faster the more you feed them too. But my experience has been that they will wipe out anything that touches those sweepers, so be careful.

What are you guys feeding them?
Is just a quick target feed of frozen cyclopeeze over the surface enough?
Mysis maybe?

 

[SteveDola]

cyclopeeze works well for me. Its takes time but given the right conditions chalices will grow to be huge. I had a green enchinophora that I grew from 3" small piece to 10" in dia. Ive found that the enchinophylia grow slower than the enchinophora but could just be the specimens I have/had.

 

[Amazon]

ours don't get target fed. The tank does get well fed with occasional goo with plenty of micro food. We have seen the sweepers out - they have some serious range!

 

[Andy V]

Cyclopeeze, mysis, and Rod's Reef Coral food.