Description
Space Invader Chalice is a chalice coral whose color and tissue condition are best supported by diffused light, gentle indirect flow, and a stable position where detritus cannot collect on the surface.
Chalice Coral Care
Chalice corals respond best to stable reef conditions. Acclimate this coral gradually to the stated light range and avoid a direct powerhead stream. Angle the colony or frag so water can carry debris away without lifting or abrading the tissue.
| Lighting | Low–Medium — PAR 50–150, diffused |
|---|---|
| Flow | Low–Medium |
| Placement | Lower rockwork angled away from direct light and flow to avoid bleaching. |
| Feeding | Primarily photosynthetic; offer small, appropriately sized meaty food after feeding tentacles extend |
| Care level | Intermediate |
| Water Parameters | Salinity 1.025–1.026 · Temperature 76–78°F · Alkalinity 8–9 dKH · Calcium 420–440 ppm · Magnesium 1300–1400 ppm |
Placement and Acclimation
Start near the lower end of the stated range and increase light only gradually. Watch for full tissue coverage, stable coloration, and the absence of exposed skeletal edges. Keep the coral clear of neighbors that could contact its nighttime sweepers.
Consistency matters more than chasing a single number. Keep alkalinity and salinity steady, remove settled debris gently, and make one placement or lighting change at a time.
What to expect when it arrives
Chalices arrive with tissue tight and the eyes closed, and the color will look flatter than the listing photograph. Float the sealed bag 15 minutes, drip acclimate 30 to 45 minutes, and place the frag in the lowest-light part of the tank you have. Give it a week before deciding anything.
Light, where chalices are lost
Chalices are shade corals. They burn under lighting that a Montipora would enjoy, and the bleaching does not show for several days. Start at 50 PAR or below and move up only if the coral looks pale and unhappy after several weeks. More chalices are killed by enthusiasm with light than by any other cause.
Placement and the sweeper problem
Chalices have some of the longest sweeper tentacles in the hobby — several inches, extended only at night, and invisible during the day. A frag placed politely at noon can be burning a neighbor by midnight. Leave six inches clear in every direction and check the tank after lights out with a flashlight before finalizing a spot.
Feeding and growth
Chalices feed at night. A small meaty food offered after lights out visibly accelerates encrusting and deepens eye color. Growth is slow: expect the frag to encrust across its plug over a few months before it starts moving onto adjacent rock. This slowness is exactly why desirable chalice morphs stay expensive.
Compatibility
They win most exchanges but are vulnerable while small. Keep new frags away from established aggressive LPS until they have encrusted and gained some size.
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- Coverage is for condition on arrival and ends at acclimation.
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