Chalice coral (Echinophyllia aspera) care guide

Group
Corals
Other names
Echinophyllia, Echino chalice, Rough chalice coral
Family
Lobophylliidae
Origin
Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea and East Africa to the central Pacific
Water
saltwater
Temperature
22–26°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Hardness
dKH 8–12
Care level
intermediate
Reef safe
yes
Lighting
Low to moderate
Flow
Moderate

Care

Echinophyllia aspera is a stony coral that forms encrusting sheets or plates with raised, eye-like mouths spread across a rough, spiny surface. It is one of the corals sold as "chalice", a group famous for bright, contrasting colours; many named morphs exist, with green, orange, red, purple and blue rims and eyes. Place it low to mid in the tank, kept fairly flat. LiveAquaria lists it as moderate in care, with low to moderate light, medium flow and bottom-to-middle placement, and notes it encrusts against surfaces and forms plates in open areas. It adapts to a range of light. Water: LiveAquaria gives dKH 8–12, pH 8.1–8.4, specific gravity 1.023–1.025 and 22–26 °C, with iodine, magnesium, strontium, calcium and trace elements. Growth is generally slow. Naming: LiveAquaria lists it in Pectiniidae, but the genus is now placed in Lobophylliidae. Selling: this is a CITES Appendix II coral. Frags grown in the UK can be sold freely; wild-collected or imported pieces must have been legally imported with CITES paperwork. Sources: LiveAquaria (liveaquaria.com/products/chalice-coral-green). Checked October 2026.

Diet

Photosynthetic. It feeds mainly at night; small meaty foods such as baby brine shrimp, cyclops or filter-feeder foods are optional but helpful.

Breeding

Cut a piece of the plate or sheet with bone cutters or a saw so that each frag has at least one mouth, then glue it to a plug with cyanoacrylate gel. Frags heal slowly but reliably.

Compatibility and tank mates

Semi-aggressive. It can put out sweeper tentacles that harm gentler corals, so leave about 10 cm around it. Chalices often fight each other, so space them apart too.

Last updated 8 October 2026. Community-edited care guide on Aquatic-Auctions.

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