Where should I place a Chalice Coral in my tank?

Place them in the lower to middle sections of your aquascape where they receive low to moderate light and gentle flow. Ensure they have plenty of room around them to prevent their sweeper tentacles from stinging neighbouring corals.

How long are a Chalice Coral's sweeper tentacles?

Sweeper tentacles can extend anywhere from 2 to 6 inches (5 to 15 cm) beyond the coral's edge at night. Always observe your tank after lights-out to gauge exactly how far your specific coral can reach.

Do I need to feed my Chalice Coral?

While they get much of their energy from lighting via photosynthesis, they will grow faster and display better colours if target-fed meaty foods like mysis shrimp or coral plankton 1-2 times a week.

Why is my Chalice Coral losing its colour or turning white?

Bleaching or loss of colour is usually a sign of light shock from being placed under illumination that is too intense. Move the coral to a more shaded area and ensure your water parameters, particularly alkalinity, are stable.

Can I keep different Chalice Corals next to each other?

It is risky. Even though they are closely related, different species or colour morphs of Chalice Corals will often sting one another. It is best to leave a protective gap between them.

MarineCoralsIntermediate

Chalice Coral

Echinophyllia spp.

A spectacular, encrusting Large Polyp Stony (LPS) coral prized for its dramatic, fluorescent colourations, requiring careful placement due to its potent stinging tentacles.

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Ideal Conditions

Temperature: 24 – 27 °C
pH range: 8.1 – 8.4
Hardness: 14 – 20 dGH
Salinity: 1.024 – 1.026 SG
Adult size: 10 – 50 cm
Depends on colony size and spacing: 100 litres+
Lifespan: 10 – 50 years
Diet: Photosynthetic and carnivorous
Water flow: Low to moderate
Preferred setup: Stable reef environment with secure rockwork for encrusting, well-spaced from neighbours.

About the Chalice Coral

Chalice Corals, primarily from the genus Echinophyllia, are highly sought-after Large Polyp Stony (LPS) corals. They are renowned for their incredible diversity of vivid, contrasting colours and striking fluorescent patterns that glow intensely under blue lighting. Typically forming encrusting or plating morphologies, they add significant architectural interest to the lower and middle tiers of a reef aquarium. While exceptionally beautiful, they demand spatial respect within the tank due to their aggressive nocturnal sweeper tentacles.

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Is it right for your tank?

Check Chalice Coral against a habitat you already keep. We compare water type, temperature, pH, adult size, group needs and everything living there.

Where Chalice Coral comes from

Native range

Indo-Pacific, Red Sea, Coral Triangle

Countries / regions

Australia, Indonesia, Fiji, Egypt, Philippines

Habitat

Lower reef slopes, lagoons, and shaded overhangs where water movement is gentle and light is subdued.

Widely distributed across tropical Indo-Pacific reefs, typically thriving in less exposed, deeper, or partially shaded zones.

Similar species

Hollywood Stunner Chalice
Echinopora lamellosa
Scroll Coral
Turbinaria spp.
Montipora Cap
Montipora capricornis

We’re adding more full species guides as the catalogue grows.

Compatible tank mates

Reviewed guidance based on this species' recorded traits.

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Ocellaris Clownfish
Amphiprion ocellaris
A peaceful, reef-safe fish that will not bother the coral and naturally appreciates a mature reef environment.
Great
Yellow Tang
Zebrasoma flavescens
An excellent herbivore that grazes on nuisance algae around the coral without harming the coral tissue.
Great
Acropora Corals
Acropora spp.
Must be kept at a significant distance; the Chalice Coral's powerful sweeper tentacles can easily sting and kill delicate SPS corals.
Compatible with caution
Coral Beauty Angelfish
Centropyge bispinosa
Dwarf angelfish carry a risk of nipping at the fleshy polyps of LPS corals, which can cause severe stress and tissue recession.
Compatible with caution
Raccoon Butterflyfish
Chaetodon lunula
Butterflyfish are well-known corallivores that will actively consume the fleshy tissue of the Chalice Coral.
Not recommended

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