Description
Chalice corals are found in a variety of locations around the Indo-Pacific. Most of the chalice corals in the hobby originate from Indonesia, Fiji, and Australia. However, the chalice coral frags sold here are aquacultured by ORA. Instead of being collected from the ocean, these corals are grown in aquariums and then fragged to be sold to hobbyists such as yourself. Aquacultured corals come with quite a few important benefits that will be discussed below. The term “chalice coral” refers to a large group of similar coral species. Sprung’s Stunner is an Echinopora lamellosa. It has a similar, if not identical appearance to the Hollywood Stunner Chalice. The reason for the different name is that ORA could not trace the lineage of the coral to confirm it is a Hollywood Stunner. It has instead been named Sprung’s Stunner because it was originally acquired from Julian Spurng. Chalice corals are relatively easy to care for. Most chalice corals have similar care requirements, but it can vary slightly from species to species. Sprung’s Stunner can be placed under low or high lighting, though it must be acclimated very slowly if placed under high lighting. It is recommended that you stay around the low to medium light range because there is no benefit to giving higher light, but higher light comes with the very real risk of bleaching. If you want to place this coral under high lighting, acclimate it first by starting it under low light and slowly moving it into high light over a month or even several months. Sprung’s Stunner should be given moderate water flow with some randomness to it to avoid dead spots. You can give this coral stronger water flow, but the plating nature of this coral allows the structure to act as a sail for the water flow. Essentially, too much water flow can cause the coral to lift off of the rock work, which can be just as bad for other corals as much as this one. Next, let’s talk about water chemistry. Chalice corals aren’t particularly picky about water chemistry as long as you keep your calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium relatively stable and at good levels. Like any stony coral, large enough fluctuations will cause problems. Keep your temperature between 72-78 degrees Fahrenheit and stable. Your nitrates should be 1-5 ppm and your phosphates should be 0.01-0.10 ppm. Regarding feeding, chalice corals don’t need to be fed, but they can benefit from it. Like most common aquarium corals, chalice corals contain a photosynthetic algae called zooxanthellae which provides the coral with most of its nutritional needs. However, you can spot feed chalice corals either prepared coral food or phytoplankton. They use mucus to draw the food towards their mouths, so make sure to leave your pumps off long enough for the coral to get the food. One final thing you need to know about Sprung’s Stunner chalice is its aggression. This coral is both aggressive on contact and produces sweeper tentacles at night which can sting nearby corals. With enough space, this is not something you should worry too much about.
Care requirements
Purchase Size: 1 – 2″
Placement: Bottom to middle.
Lighting: Low to high.
Flow: Moderate to strong.
Parameters: 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, salinity 32-35 ppt
Calcium: 350-450 ppm
Alkalinity: 8-12 dKH
Magnesium: 1,250-1,350 ppm
More Information
Aquacultured corals are more likely to survive and flourish in your aquarium than those collected from the ocean. This is because these corals are well adapted to aquarium conditions and are overall hardier. They are also far less likely to carry pests and disease, though you should still dip and/or quarantine them to be safe.
