C. Jardeni (sp?) - elegans: If yours croaked, how long did

[CTaylor]

Hi everyone,

If you had an elegans that just didn't make it in your tank then this is your question:
How long did it take for it to be crystal clear that your elegans was headed for heaven?

This is assuming the coral didn't die to do some other clear reason (like heater failure, paint fumes , etc

).

I commonly see the time period (the time from purchase to obvious decline) is at 1-2 weeks max.

I ask this partially because I purchased a purple-tipped (actually blue-purple) elegans 12 days ago. It's opening a little more and little more each day. I'm trying to find what would be a good time hurdle for it to pass. Hopefully two weeks is the hurdle

thanx!

 

[Anonymous]

I got one and I pulled it out of the tank at about two weeks. It was disintegrating (sp?).

This was the only coral that I have ever had die on me, except for frags that the stupid snails knocked behind the reef.

 

[CTaylor]

Thanx Mul.

Also, I should add to my original post:

As well as posting the time period to clear decline, please also note if you changed anything as far as additives (started or stopped one or several additives) to your tank, or added or removed anything that changes the water chemistry (like a Ca++ reactor).

For instance, your elegans might have lived and thrived for 6 months, then died for no apparent reason. But in that time you may have changed something as far as additives or something affecting water chemistry.

thanx!

 

[jdeets]

I got a new one and it croaked after about 3 weeks.

 

[CTaylor]

thanx mul and jd.

Also, to those that respond, if you can add what 'type' elegans it was (eg purple-tipped, or green pink tipped, or more specific like ice green with purple tips).

(I'm trying something 'new'. Not really new. But trying something. And this info will help a lot.)

thanx!

 

[EmilyB]

I have a green pink tipped, I guess. I never really knew until now there are different varieties. First elegance corals in the city in three years period, and also thrived in the LFS for many weeks, so I chanced one.

It has never closed, for more than a few hours. I just moved it actually, to a new tank and it never closed up at all. Very healthy specimen. I have no experience beyond the month or so I have spent with this one.

http://www.members.home.net/d.hadford/EleganceMove

 

[danmhippo]

I had one that never closed, but still died within a month.....still don't quite know what the problem was.

 

[CTaylor]

danm:

At what point did your elegans start to decline whatsoever? Did it show first signs of decline (things like consistently not opening as much as it did the day before or tentacles 'disappearing' permanently, etc) at the very start, toward the middle, at the end?

thanx

 

[danmhippo]

When I noticed rotting, it was about a week before the final death. Come to think of it, when I first placed it into the tank, all tentacles were stretched far. Then the tentacles gradually extend less and less far. I inquired on another board (you know which), the answer i got was tentacles reaching far may be the signal that it is craving for light, thus tentacles not reaching as far could be it is getting its fair share of lights. Just about 3 weeks after, I start noticing tissue receding from the edges and finally rotting on the outer tissues and fairly quickly, tissue disintegrates.

 

[davelin315]

I haven't had an elegance coral for years (probably not for the last 5 years at least) but before that, I never had any problems with them dying off after a certain time. However, that said, it's my understanding that the elegance corals available today are of a very very low quality, and it sounds like they are all dying off pretty much without any forewarning.

 

[Anonymous]

hey guys thanks for posting your experiences. i've been really wanting one of these beautiful corals as a centerpiece for my tank. Now i'm gonna pass and search for something with a better track record.

thanks again!
chris

 

[dobish]

I had one that looked great for 3-4 months and then began a slow decline for another month....I tried alot to try to save it to no avail.

I could find no conclusive reason for the demise...

 

[CTaylor]

hi dobish,

So, do you remember if you did anything different around the time that it began to decline? Like different additive, started or stopped using an additive, etc, different way to add calcium, etc.

thanx

 

[hgsports]

I have a green pink-tip that has been doing rather poorly since I got it about 3 ago. It was fine for the first two days and then I got an excessive amount of acontia filament release that has yet to clear up.

The acontia filaments look like white strings (they're digestive filaments) that start to cover the soft tissue. Being digestive, they also eat into the tissue of the coral and destroy the pink tips.

I've tried numerous things to solve the problem but have yet to find any tank conditions/lighting conditions that would explain the problems.

Currently it doesnt seem to be doing any worse than the last couple weeks but certainly isnt fully expanded. I'm into my fourth week and I guess the best word to describe it's current state is "stable".


John

 

[CTaylor]

hgs,
3 ? ago?
3 days,
3 weeks
3 months?

and dobish , also, what color combo was your elegans? green with purple tips? with pinkish tips? was it 'icy greeen' with purple tips?, etc

3-4 months is a long time it seems to have one and then have it decline.

 

[Reeffreak]

I purchased one through a mail order place about a week ago. I received the coral on Friday and it didn't look the best but then again it wasn't too bad. However it has declined since then. I see there is still plenty of tissue on the skeleton but no tentacles. I think it was just a regualar green tip and it started declining after the first day.

I used to have these 3-4 years and they were some of the hardest corals ever. After what I have been reading, I don't think I will be trying this one again.

Steve

 

[MDb]

I have two beautiful elegance corals. One I have had for three weeks(green with reddish pink tips) and a green with purple blue tips for about two weeks now.Both are laying flat in the substrate right next to each other. Only enough flow to make the tentacles sway gently. The lighting on my tank is 2 110 watt PC.

 

[amber]

I had mine for about 3 weeks before it was clearly not going to make it. A friend emailed me some info that said the elegance are not being collected properly. The collectors are going up to 3 days "out to sea" to find them and then bring them back in rubbermaid tubs, no water. I am only passing on what I heard.......One dealer alledgedly told the same friend that he expects only 1/3 of the Elegance that he sells to survive.
I think we should stop buying them or if any are propagated, I would buy that.
If you buy propagated (anything) I'd appreciate hearing what company you like. thanks amber

 

[Anonymous]

I have had mine for about 6-8 months in an unskimmed tank and it is doing fine. I think that there is something being taken out of the water by the skimmer that th elegance needs. I lost one when I ran my tank unskimmed. It was a slow demise that took a couple of months, the coral just slowly receded.

Amber,
I have used Dynamic Ecomorphology and am satisfied. The thing I like is that you know where the corals are from, meaning where the originals are from and the environment. Dr. Mac also has an excellent reputation. HTH

 

[slojmn1]

I have had my elegance for 8 or so months. It is doing extremely well. BTW, I skim my tank. I have the coral buried part way into the substrate off in the front corner under 2x400w MH and 4x110 VHO lighting. I feed it periodically. The variety? Well, lets see, I guess "icy green" with regular green tentacles. Nothing to spectacular on the tentacles with regard to color, but the body is a wicked "icy green". This coral seems quite content amazingly enough. I was very hesitant to get it back then but gave it a try.