Starfire Chalice
The Starfire Chalice is a striking LPS coral prized for its intense colour, contrasting raised “eyes” and attractive encrusting-to-plating growth habit.
Chalice corals make fantastic feature pieces in a reef aquarium, particularly under blue reef lighting where their colours and contrasting corallites can really stand out. As the coral establishes, it will gradually encrust across the rock beneath it before developing a broader, plate-like colony.
Care Information
Coral Type: LPS
Common Name: Chalice Coral
Care Level: Easy to Moderate
Lighting: Low to Moderate
Recommended PAR: Approximately 75–150
Water Flow: Low to Moderate, indirect
Placement: Lower to middle areas of the aquarium
Temperament: Aggressive
Growth Form: Encrusting / Plating
Aquarium Placement
Starfire Chalice is best positioned in the lower to middle areas of the reef, where it receives moderate lighting without being exposed to excessive PAR.
Provide gentle-to-moderate indirect water movement. Strong direct flow can irritate the fleshy tissue and prevent the coral from fully extending.
Once established, Chalice corals can gradually spread over surrounding rockwork and may develop attractive raised or plating edges.
Feeding
Although photosynthetic, Chalice corals respond well to occasional supplemental feeding.
Suitable foods include:
- Mysis shrimp
- Fine LPS coral foods
- Small meaty coral preparations
- Dedicated coral pellets
Target feeding once or twice per week can help support healthy growth and strong tissue condition.
Give It Plenty of Space
Chalice corals can be surprisingly aggressive and may produce long sweeper tentacles at night.
Allow several inches of clearance between the Starfire Chalice and neighbouring corals to prevent accidental stinging as the colony grows.
Stable Reef Parameters
For best results, maintain consistent:
- Calcium
- Alkalinity
- Magnesium
- Salinity
- Temperature
- Nitrate and phosphate levels
Avoid sudden swings in lighting intensity or water chemistry, particularly when first introducing the coral.
With its bold appearance, contrasting eyes and attractive encrusting growth, the Starfire Chalice is an excellent addition to an established mixed reef or LPS-focused aquarium.
Colour, pattern, eye count and frag size may vary between individual specimens.
