Chalice coral are arguably one of the most expensive corals you can buy, depending on if it is a ‘rainbow’ or not. Unlike most LPS corals that have a clear division or pattern between polyps, Chalice corals have a random distribution of polyps. Chalice corals grow outwards from a central point, following the contours of the rock structure or mount they are on. For this reason, if you have a Chalice coral growing on a piece of live rock, the entire rock will need to be removed and cut along with the Chalice coral.
In my system, I have ‘display’ chalices that I have placed on live rock to compliment the tank. I also keep ‘grow-out’ chalices mounted on ceramic discs. The grow-out chalices are the ones that are fragged and sold.
To frag a Chalice coral, I always ensure that one part of the resulting frag is uncut. For example, if I cut centrally through the coral, and then cut those in half (like a pizza cut into four), then the outer skirt is still intact. Try to ensure that you can include a few eyes in each frag, as this will help the Chalice to feed and grow that bit quicker. Do not frag a Chalice so that the entire perimeter of the coral is sawn.
Fragging is a simple case of offering the Chalice up to the DB-100 Coral Saw, passing the coral through once, and then again. Using the saw makes it a breeze fragging LPS corals like the Chalice.
Always dip newly fragged coral in an iodine dip for 5 – 10 mins to prevent infection from occurring.
Mount the fragged Chalice on a frag disc. This will allow you to lay your frag in the sand bed to heal.