How can I keep the Cotton Candy coloration from fading or turning brown/green?

Keep PAR in the 80–150 range with strong blue spectrum; avoid abrupt light increases. Maintain moderate nutrients (nitrate 5–15 ppm, phosphate 0.03–0.1 ppm) to prevent paling. Stable alkalinity (8–9 dKH), calcium, and magnesium are key. Trace balance matters: potassium supports pinks/reds, iron/manganese help greens—dose only after testing. Improve color with nighttime feeding to support pigments without blasting light.

My chalice is receding from the edges—what’s the likely cause and fix?

Edge recession often follows alkalinity swings, sudden salinity shifts, or vermetid snail irritation. Check and stabilize dKH, salinity, and temperature. Increase but don’t blast flow to keep edges clean. Inspect for vermetids and nip/epoxy their tubes. Do an iodine-based dip if bacterial film is present. Temporarily shade slightly and target feed fine meaty foods to support recovery.

What placement and flow prevent detritus buildup and “shadow bleaching” on Echinophyllia sp.?

Mount on a slight incline or vertical face so the plate doesn’t form a debris bowl. Use crossflow that gently skims the surface, avoiding a direct jet that peels tissue. Keep it off sand; grains abrade the rim. Provide moderate, even light to avoid bright hot spots that bleach peaks while valleys starve—diffused light works well.

How aggressive is this chalice at night, and how far should I space neighbors?

Echinophyllia can deploy mesenterial filaments and short sweepers after lights out, burning nearby flesh. Give 3–6 inches of space, more down-current. Avoid placing next to fleshy LPS or slow healers. If contact is unavoidable, run a slightly higher, more turbulent flow at night to reduce prolonged contact, and consider a small rock “moat” to block overgrowth.

TSA Cotton Candy Chalice Coral

Chalice LPS

Overview

Cotton Candy Chalice Coral features a flattened, plating surface with raised “eyes” (corallites) and a contrasting rim. Echinophyllia sp. is a large-polyp stony coral that grows encrusting to plating and prefers low to moderate light with gentle, indirect flow. It is photosynthetic with symbiotic algae but benefits from occasional target feeding of small meaty foods to support growth and color. Place on a stable ledge with space from other corals, as it can extend stinging sweeper tentacles at night.

Quick Facts

Care Moderate

Lighting Low–Moderate

Flow Moderate, indirect

Placement Low–Mid

Temperament Aggressive (4–6 inches spacing)

Recommended Parameters

Temp 76–80°F

pH 8.1–8.4

Salinity 1.025–1.026

Calcium 400–450 ppm

AlkAlkalinity 8–9.5 dKH

Magnesium 1300–1400 ppm

Feeding photosynthetic (primary), mysis shrimp, enriched brine shrimp, rotifers, cyclops, zooplankton, coral-specific powdered foods (e.g., Reef-Roids), finely minced marine seafood

Care & Placement

Cotton Candy Chalice Coral (Echinophyllia sp.) does best with stable, slightly nutrient-rich conditions and gentle handling. Provide low to moderate light (PAR ~80–150); start low and light-acclimate over 2–3 weeks using shading or reduced photoperiod to avoid bleaching. Flow should be low to moderate and indirect—enough to keep detritus from settling on the surface without lifting tissue. Target feed 1–3 times weekly at night when feeding tentacles extend, using fine meaty foods (rotifers, mysis mince, reef roids) and occasional amino acids. Keep temperature 76–80°F (24–27°C), salinity 1.025–1.026, pH 8.1–8.4, alkalinity 8.0–9.5 dKH, calcium 420–460 ppm, magnesium 1300–1400 ppm, nitrate 2–10 ppm, phosphate 0.03–0.08 ppm. Test weekly, watch for alkalinity swings, and use a refractometer for salinity.Place on the lower to mid areas of the tank on a flat rock or tile (often set on the sandbed atop a rock “island” to limit overgrowth). Leave 3–6 inches of space from neighbors; this coral can extend sweepers and mesenterial filaments and may sting or be stung. Avoid direct sand abrasion on tissue edges. Dip and inspect new frags for pests; drip acclimate to match temperature and salinity. Signs of stress include fading (too much light), edge recession (detritus, low flow, alk instability), and brown jelly (bacterial; frag away affected tissue, improve flow, and perform an iodine dip). Keep nutrients non-zero, maintain gentle, clean flow, and avoid abrupt changes.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

About the TSA Cotton Candy Chalice Coral

How can I keep the Cotton Candy coloration from fading or turning brown/green?

Keep PAR in the 80–150 range with strong blue spectrum; avoid abrupt light increases. Maintain moderate nutrients (nitrate 5–15 ppm, phosphate 0.03–0.1 ppm) to prevent paling. Stable alkalinity (8–9 dKH), calcium, and magnesium are key. Trace balance matters: potassium supports pinks/reds, iron/manganese help greens—dose only after testing. Improve color with nighttime feeding to support pigments without blasting light.
My chalice is receding from the edges—what’s the likely cause and fix?

Edge recession often follows alkalinity swings, sudden salinity shifts, or vermetid snail irritation. Check and stabilize dKH, salinity, and temperature. Increase but don’t blast flow to keep edges clean. Inspect for vermetids and nip/epoxy their tubes. Do an iodine-based dip if bacterial film is present. Temporarily shade slightly and target feed fine meaty foods to support recovery.
What placement and flow prevent detritus buildup and “shadow bleaching” on Echinophyllia sp.?

Mount on a slight incline or vertical face so the plate doesn’t form a debris bowl. Use crossflow that gently skims the surface, avoiding a direct jet that peels tissue. Keep it off sand; grains abrade the rim. Provide moderate, even light to avoid bright hot spots that bleach peaks while valleys starve—diffused light works well.
How aggressive is this chalice at night, and how far should I space neighbors?

Echinophyllia can deploy mesenterial filaments and short sweepers after lights out, burning nearby flesh. Give 3–6 inches of space, more down-current. Avoid placing next to fleshy LPS or slow healers. If contact is unavoidable, run a slightly higher, more turbulent flow at night to reduce prolonged contact, and consider a small rock “moat” to block overgrowth.