Chalice Polyp Extension ??

[Redfish]

I have 2 Scolymia corals in my tank that I have been feeding pretty regular, most likely to regular also have a nice size colony of Neon Green Candy Cane Polyps that I have been feeding also. My point of telling you this is so that you will know that I do spend some time looking at my tank when the lights are out looking for good polyp extension before I feed the corals. I have read that Chalices will have polyp extension and that you can feed them also, I have never seen any polyps on my Chalice coral, I have tried getting up thru the night at different times, I have tried to give the Chalice a squirt of food to see if that would stimulate polyp extension, nothing seems to work. Are the polyps so small that my old eyes just can't see them. Like I said the coral is doing great and growing, hasn't put out any new eyes though since I got it, still at 10, but the non eye parts of the corals are growing, I just want to see the polyps. I should say the Green eyes on the Chalice are small, so there most likely isn't going to be a lot of polyps per eye. The coral has grown some since this picture was taken.

[brianjoy81]

I have a hollywood stunned chalice and at night it has a ton of 3 to 4 inch tentacles coming out of the eyes. I have fed mine with the lights on and with the lights off. I turn off all the pumps and squirt mysis shrimp all over it. After a few mins I can see the eyes reaching for the shrimp that is sitting on top of the chalice. I have seen one eye eat a whole mysis shrimp. I have no idea where it goes but it kinda eats it slowly like a snake eats.

[Redfish]

I will try and turn my power heads off and see if they come out, I didn't think of that I kinda just figured they would come like the other corals in the tank.

[bluwtr]

Pete what are you feeding for your small food? I'm using the frozen cubes called "Coral Feed/Feast/Food" (whatever in the hell it is). It is sized for small polyps. I would suggest letting the lights go out for the night, then turning all the pumps off and waiting a couple of minutes for everything to settle. Take the small food (what I use or something like Oyster Feast) and dilute it in some tank water. Use your turkey baster to gently squirt the solution basically on top or your corals. That should help generate a feeding response. Once they have "awakened", put a pile of mysis or finally chopped table shrimp/fish directly on top as Scott suggested. Within a minute or two you should see the polyps extended very well.

One thing to consider is the current my be too strong where it is sitting. I don't know squat about chalice corals so I may be way off, but something else to consider.

[Dragont]

I wonder if this helps answer your question...



And as you know Pete my bubblegum monster is much larger than that now..

[Redfish]

As my Chalice has grown, so have the polyps and I can now see them with my Fred Sanford glasses on I haven't fed the chalice though, seem to be growing pretty good for me, so I am leaving it alone . I do have a question about it though. When I got the chalice its bace color was a nice redish brown color, I am sure because of tank placement and the light its getting, I have it on the sand bed, but its the part of my sand bed that gets the most light, the redish brown color is mostly gone, its mostly just brown. Its not ugly by any means, but having the redish color back would be nice but I am afraid to meve it because its growing so good and putting eyes out all over the place. Do you think it would hurt it, if I shaded it a bit to try and get some of the red color back into it? I kinda hate messing with something that is growing so good for me. That Bubble Gum Chalice is one nice looking coral