Whats up with my Elegance

[carter92]

I have 2 Elegance in my Reef, over the past several days the first elegance which I have had for over 1 month has exhibited shortened tentacles and will not expand....The second one is only 1 week old as is nice and full...whats up wit that....no major changes done to the tank other than normal 1 month water change of 30 gallons on this 225 gallon reef..Thanks...Dennis

 

[Anonymous]

Elegance corals are finicky like that. I thought mine was a female because once every 3 or 4 weeks it would get bent outta shape and look like crap for a a few days to a week. Then it would perk back up and be all happy for a month or so. It was a cycle of some sort. Weird!

BTW, the specimen in photo #2 is gorgeous. You are lucky to have found such a lovely piece. Good luck with both.

Louey

 

[Len]

Welcome to the dismal world of Elegance Corals. All the ones collected in the last 3 or so years have died in this fashion. It's unclear why Elegance aren't able to live in captivity in recent years, but it's the unfortunate trend we're seeing. I recommend to people to avoid this species, just like I do with Flower pots.

Strange thing is, just a decade again, people could keep these guys alive for long periods of time and regarded Elegance as one of the hardier corals to keep. It's truly a mystery with many theories.

I'd like to hear anyone who's kept one they bought in the last 2 years alive for more then 6 months.

 

[Len]

Louey,

How long have you had yours, and when did you buy it? I have had no luck nor have I talked to anyone recently that have been able to keep theirs alive for more then one or two months.

 

[Anonymous]

Len, the elegence corals are one of my favorites and pictures of them in Spung and Delbecks Volume One help inspire me into becoming a reefer. I purchased one shortly after my tank was set up and it lived for 2 years until I moved my tank into a new house last year. I beleive I damaged it when I lifted it out of the tank during the move. I am a dumb bastard for allowing the lights come on that day. It was partially expanded when i lifted it out. Maybe it would still be alive today if only the lights hadn't come on. [methinks I'm a murderer]

I bought it at a local lfs.

Louey

 

[ryan_lalande]

i think its wetwebmedia...buthere is a article on why they dont live anymore...its moslty because they require low low water flow and low level light........there is a good cahnce that is a month or so your new elegance might have the same problems as the other ones....

sucha nice coral tho

 

[monkeyboy]

I've heard several reasons (or theories) why elegance corals do not do well anymore. The one that would explain the recent trend in a slow demise had something to do with their collection. I forget exactly how it goes but there was a deep site and a shallow site where most of the elegance came from, and once the numbers dwindled in the shallow site, they had to venture out to the much further deep site to get them. Supposedly they spent too much time baking in the sun on the boat on the way back or we're frying them with light because they're from deeper water, who knows. I hope this lights up a bulb in someones head who knows where that article was...

I plan on installing a seagrass and mangrove refugium where I would like to keep an elegance (one with a conical base signifying that it was collected in the sand) in a few months, hopefully that will do the trick.

 

[monkeyboy]

Oh, so the pictures load now.

Yeah, that looks like the classic "i'm ready to be a paperweight" elegance expression. I sure hope i'm wrong.

 

[fungia]

wow monkeyboy, you have been busy. thanks for all the good advice. newbies like me appreciate your help!

 

[carter92]

Thanks everyone for all the good info....I wil cross my fingers and hope for the best....Thanks again..Dennis