Oxypora sp.

OXYPORA

The Oxypora genus has nine known and accepted species, at least at this time. Oxypora are typically a species with thin walls that either encrust or form laminar plates. They do not have large sweeping tentacles but are very aggressive towards other corals and will sting them.  Oxypora may seem like new terminology but they are typically referred to as Chalice corals within the hobby! 

Caring for Oxypora(chalice) corals requires a lot of personal space as they can extend their mesenterial filaments fairly far. Mesenterial filaments are the “guts” within a coral that are excreted and cause death to other coral. This is because they secrete digestive enzymes and harsh sting with the nematocysts attached to the mesenterial filaments. This event generally happens at night so it is important to keep an eye on them. They also are known to be fast growers and are capable of taking over your tank so it's suggested to give them lots of room!

WATER CHEMISTRY

Oxypora corals prefer waters on the lower end of the phosphate and nitrate levels. You will know your Oxypora is happy when they are puffy and colorful. They are more forgiving of improper husbandry and are able to slowly adjust to different water and lighting conditions so long as they are given adequate time to do so. While we have our preferred parameters for Alkalinity, Phosphate, and Nitrate, Oxypora will do far better in your system if you just focus on keeping the water chemistry stable. If your Alkalinity, Phosphate, or Nitrate is out of line, our recommendation is to get it back to your target levels as slowly as possible.

The parameters we aim for are:

We maintain these levels by use of dosing pumps, with Brightwell Aquatics Reef Code A and Reef Code B.

It's important to understand that these are the levels that we aim for in our LPS system. However, that doesn't mean they are the right levels for your system. All aquariums are different and your system may naturally fall on a different balance. You're better off working with the balance your system tends towards than trying to force the same levels that we run.

FLOW

In terms of flow, Oxypora corals tend to like lower-moderate flow. Too much flow can agitate the coral, causing them to recede into their skeleton or have their flesh flowing off the skeleton. The perfect flow will have your Homophyllia looking puffy and round.

LIGHTING

Oxypora are an intermediary species but generally appreciate lower light. We always recommend placing them low - middle of the rockwork where they will receive a moderate amount of light. There are some exceptions as you are able to “train” your coral to tolerate a higher PAR, but this is an incredibly slow process. We recommend keeping it in its natural state.

Too much light can cause Oxypora to bleach and turn white, if this happens lower the coral in your tank or decrease your light intensity. This is a slow process, however, assuming it has good flow and your water chemistry is stable it will regain its colour.