Description

The Grapemelon Chalice has very similar characteristics of the watermelon. The difference is it has a light purple base with the yellow corallites and green growth margin around the edge. The two melon chalices look great side by side.

Care level: intermediate
Flow: medium high to medium low
PAR: 50-150
Original Location Range: Indonesia, Coral Triangle, South Pacific
Grown in our California coral farm providing zero impact corals
Water chemistry: Calcium 400-450, Magnesium 1350, KH 7-9.5, pH 8.1-8.4, Nitrates .01-10+, Phosphates .01-.1, salinity 1.026
Temperature Range: 74- 81 Fahrenheit

Feeding: Chalice corals can be target or broadcast fed. They will feed on smaller soaked pellets and will do well without direct coral feedings if there is heavy fish feedings. Target feeding is always best and be sure your coral is taking in the food and not just sliming it off.
For more information on coral foods we like to use click here.

Dosing: Doc highly recommends automated dosing of Ca, Kh and other elements to provide ultimate stable water chemistry throughout the day. It is important there are no fluctuations especially with Kh/alkalinity. For more information on dosing and products click here.

Recommended placement:
We like to plant these corals in areas with low to semi moderate flow on a stable area in the lower half of the reef.
Attachment: In our coral installations we like to cut off the extra frag disk carefully not to damage the skeletal plate of the coral. We do this by using coral bone cutters to clip the disk around the coral. The coral can detach from the disk which is fine just be careful as the skelaton is fragile. Add a small amount of coral glue to the underside of the coral or disk. Mix up enough two part epoxy to create a small ball and dab it a few times into the glue to get it tacky then press and mold a nice pedestal base with a flat bottom in an upside down mushroom shape. Do not get any water on the epoxy before adding the coral glue. Add a few small dabs of reef glue to the flattened base dabbing the glue so it really sticks to the epoxy. Press the coral disk onto the desired location and press the epoxy flat onto the reef. Be sure the coral is fully secure, the coral should never fall off the reef. Most frags will grow quite large so be a little generous with the epoxy so it can withstand the weight of the future coral colony growth. The epoxy part can be skipped using only the extra thick reef glue gel. Be sure to rub a little reef glue onto the reef section and there is enough reef glue on the coral plug to set it securely. In our larger coral reef aquarium installs corals can become quite large and the epoxy does help to ensure the coral stays secure through the larger stages of growth.

Click here for our favorite epoxy and reef glues.