The “Easter Egg Chalice” is a highly sought-after coral with a pastel purple base and yellow eyes giving it the unique appearance of an Easter egg. Chalice corals have become exceedingly popular among hobbyists in recent years and simply are a must have coral. This type of LPS coral thrives in low light and does best with a moderate amount of flow. Provide just enough movement so that debris cannot collect on the coral's tissue. Although we do not offer WYSIWYG frags for this coral we have provided a quality picture of our mother colony to show its general appearance.
Oxypora corals are incredibly diverse in form, but most commonly form curved, leaf-like structures that can be said to resemble a cup or a chalice. For this reason, they are a member of the extremely popular “Chalice” corals. These large polyped stony corals come from the Pectiniidae family whose name originates from the Greek word “pectinis” meaning comb and referencing the coral's skeleton. This skeleton is usually completely covered by tissue and can host spirals of plates that rise from its base. Like other corals in the Pectiniidae family, Oxypora are defensive and will extend their sweeper tentacles so be sure to give them enough space!
Difficulty Moderate
Aggressiveness While usually relatively peaceful, all chalice corals are capable of stinging neighbouring corals with sweeper tentacles at night.
Water-flow
This type of LPS coral does best with a moderate amount of flow. Provide just enough movement so that debris cannot collect on the coral's tissue.
Lighting
This coral thrives in lower lighting (PAR 50-100). T5's, Metal Halides, or LED's can all grow Scolymia corals when the proper PAR levels are provided. We recommend a 14-20K color spectrum to keep the coloration of the coral.
Tank Recommendations
A well-feed live rock/reef environment is what is needed for your Chalice coral , along with some fish for organic matter production. A mature tank is recommended. Place at the bottom of the tank.
Diet and Feeding
In captivity, they do well in well-feed reef tanks. Like other LPS, they use their zooxanthellae for nutrition. Feed microplankton, cyclopeeze and other similar sized foods at night when feeder tentacles are present.
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