I am new to chalice corals give me the chalice 101 lesson!

revhtree · Mar 16, 2012

If I were new to chalices and wanted to keep them healthy and growing what would be the best info you could give me to get started?

Consider I already have the tank up and running and can keep healthy corals just never kept chalices.

This is for new people considering keeping chalices but in all honesty I have never been very successful myself. :neutral:

SDguy · Mar 16, 2012

I have found chalices to be more sensitive to alk swings than SPS. Otherwise, nothing special, IMO. If you want them to grow faster, feed them.

sexycorals · Mar 16, 2012

low flow, low light, feed them once or twice a week.. they are one of the easiest. I think from your experience its cause ur water might be too clean from keeping sps.

revhtree · Mar 16, 2012

What about lighting, placement, flow, other inhabitants, etc.?

SDguy · Mar 16, 2012

Generally lower light. I have yet to kill a chalice from too low light. That said, some look much better in higher light (like some pink chalices turn red in low light). Low flow. Generally don't let them touch, and many fish will pick the food out of them, so feeding can be tricky if you have lots of fish that pick off th floor/rocks.

FaviaFreak · Mar 16, 2012

low/mod flow and low light always a good starting point, feeding definitely encourages better overall health and growth. keep your alk and magnesium dialed in and they are pretty darn easy

1fishmonger · Mar 16, 2012

Keep hermit crabs away IMO. I've had dozens of hermit crabs throughout the years but it only took one to clean the flesh right off an expensive chalice.

k2parkstar · Mar 16, 2012

+1 on all the above. Especially agree that they do better in a bit "dirtier" water. So sps heavy tanks may find the growth to be slower...Recently i had an ALK spike the bothered some of my corals, but my chalices didn't seem to have any adverse effects, maybe i just lucked out..

Cuong L · Mar 16, 2012

i keep mines in low flow, high light. as long as your alk & mag is good, they do alright.

allabout · Mar 16, 2012

1fishmonger said:
Keep hermit crabs away IMO. I've had dozens of hermit crabs throughout the years but it only took one to clean the flesh right off an expensive chalice.

Anyone else ever had this experience? I have a lot of hermits as part of my cuc and was thinking of getting a chalice.

nerses818 · Mar 16, 2012

Thanks for this info guys I've really been considering trying chalices out but I didn't really know where they would feel at home in my tank so this is really helpful

jimknutson · Mar 16, 2012

Not to make it more complex but there are different species also. I have some that have smoother skin that love light and the bumpier ones low light. Yes flow like for any low such is low.

Nuocmam · Mar 16, 2012

I no longer keep crabs or shrimp because they have torn apart the eye of a couple of mine to get the food that I had fed.

k2parkstar · Mar 16, 2012

I've had fish and shrimp steal the food from my chalice's but never clean the flesh off...I've got probably 30-40 hermits in my 45g tank, and no damage so far (knock on wood)

Braves Fan · Mar 16, 2012

I was fixing to buy a Cleaner Shrimp for my new tank, guess thats out now.

Nuocmam · Mar 16, 2012

Not all shrimp or crabs do this but some can eventually become predacious IMO.

rosko23 · Mar 17, 2012

How do they do with LEDs? AI Sol's, Radions?

Blake11rebel · Mar 17, 2012

Ive never had any problems with either my cleaner or peppermint shrimp in my 30g reef. They will try to steal food but if you keep them well feed they shouldnt be a bother. My red and blue legged hermit crabs have always been reef safe. Also rosko I have mine under LEDs and they look better than ever.

Alattner · Mar 17, 2012

Blake11rebel said:
Ive never had any problems with either my cleaner or peppermint shrimp in my 30g reef. They will try to steal food but if you keep them well feed they shouldnt be a bother. My red and blue legged hermit crabs have always been reef safe. Also rosko I have mine under LEDs and they look better than ever.

What LEDs are you running? been thinking of making the switch but am hesitant because all my Chalices.

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dnov99 · Mar 17, 2012

rosko23 said:
How do they do with LEDs? AI Sol's, Radions?

LED's are terrible with chalices IMO and experience. I went back to T5's over my frag tank which has most of my chalices and the health of them was so much better under the T5's. If you are going to keep them with LED's you need to put them under a ledge or well out of the direct light of the LED. I find that the LED's are just way much of a concentrated type of light and they usually bleach and stress the chalice.