Elegance problems still a problem?

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RobertK

Premium Member
Hi there,
A while back there was a lot of talk about the low survival of elegance in peoples' tanks, and that it was most likely due to poor collection techniques. I haven't heard much about this for several months and was wondering if it was still a problem. I'd love to have one of these beautiful corals but have been staying away from them due to all the horror stories.
Thanks,
Robert
 
I had heard that the problems they saw at the collection sites were fixed, but many people are still having the same problems keeping them alive. There seem to be a few more success stories than before, but the majority of them turn out the same.
And, unfortunately, I can say that some of this information is first hand, since I had an elegance that looked beautiful for a while, and then completely crashed, even though everything else in the tank was thriving, and no parameters had changed. Sigh.

Dave
 
I posted on one site about a hypot that I have seen with elegance.I got no responce.I have seen in the past about 4 years ago or more that most elegance where not v shaped as most have had recently.It looked like it had come from a fragged part of the reef.One of my friends pointed out that he thougt that elegance were prob collected in more than one spot.From the reefs to the lagoons.He stated that he had had an elegance that went from a dirty water enviro (his tank since he feed alot with alot of fish and did min water changes)to a clean tank and died after doing so well for him.It sounded like me that he was talking about.I am not sure,but he sparked a thought.I thought deep about what eleg. that I have seen and I have to say most all of the ones I have seen that have done well look like they were fragged from a larger one or taken from a reef.All the others were V shaped.I maybe wrong with this all together.I cannot say I have paid that much attention,but do see it as a poss.What do you think?
 
All LPS corals need some kind of regular supplemental feedings to do well. Either the corals catch food that you feed when you feed your fish or you need to feed it directly.

If you have a healthy elegance to start with, attempt to feed it often (twice a week is a good start).

--Tri

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reality.sgi.com/tritran/reef
 
There are still problems with elegances. I can assure you of that. It's gotten better, and most cna be revived. I believe that's the problem, they're almost completely exausted, when they arrive in our tanks.
Mainly it's feeding and detritus and other nutrients that they need. They're not really a reefcoral at all. I've had several recover by placing it in some really really deep detritus, almost 1.5" deep layer of detritus. It seems the best method to revive them is plenty of food, immune boosters and protecting them from amphipods. Has anyone noticed this as well? That amphipods and coepods start attackingg the underside of some elegances when the light goes off?
They seem to loose their abbility to fight off these critters or the critters eat some nutritious slime? It's an occurance I've noticed in tanks with declining elegances. Mandarins help a little it seems, and people are going to think it's silly, but coral vital can really turn things around for some elegances and LPS. That and sano as well as foods with immunebooster have helped in turning around the demise of elegances. As well as antibiotic treatments at 80mg/gallon Furacyn and 300mg/gallon Neomyacin combinations in a treatment tank.
But then again strangely with the reefs declining the amount of elegances is almost increasing acording to some impoters I've taalked to?
93! Heinrich
 
Heinrich,
NO! No, please say its No! :)
After the weekend I've had, I have to come here and read this! ;)

I've got thousands of these supposed "good guys" running around in my ten gallon tank...It recently recieved one of the first elegance corals I've even concidered since the difficulties...Today's the first full day I'll get to observe it expand; and if there's trouble I can take it home to another tank with less bugs per square inch sand bed area.....Amphipods have already been observed on the coral, but "no worries" cause these were "good guys".....

Man, I thought these were harmeless critters, devoid of their crustacian cousin opportunistic feeding natures...

See it before its gone: members.xoom.com/jimhobbs/worktank.htm


<Bummed-out on a monday>, Jim
 
After three hours light, expanded fully as after introduction...Will watch it for signs of recession...

<better vibes> Jim
 
I got one about 2 months ago...perhaps against common wisdom which said dont. I had been reading about them being bottom lagoonal types, etc. The small specimen I saw also looked quite good - though that doesnt mean much it seems. I have noticed that the 4 or 5 other specimens that the LFS had have since shrunk up pretty much, and probably will not last.

Anyway... I fed it some brine right away... and it was doing fine for a few days...then began to close up, almost entirely.

Moved it lower...less current. No effect. Moved it somewhere else. Left for a day or 2. No response. Moved again. This went on for 2 weeks. Next day BOOM, it was wide open. I though it was merely a response to some zoanthid polyps right next to it...perhaps some warefare going on, so moved again. It closed up again. Moved it back to where it was, and it opened again.

Tenticles still a little short, but obviously better. Medium light (under VHO), and very little current. It has been doing pretty good for the last couple of weeks, so I'm getting hopefull its going to bounce back. Have been feeding brine/selcon about twice a week. If it does this well for a couple more weeks, I may consider trying to move it again to a more prominent location (it is quite pretty), but perhaps not if its happy where it is. :)

Sano? yikes... If I had to guess (and trust me, its only a guess), I'd say that sano probably isnt what these guys are looking for. This one specimen anyway, seems quite sensitive to location, water chemistry stability, and needs to be fed.

-Steve R.



[This message has been edited by Steve Richardson (edited 11-29-1999).]
 
Steve,

If I recall correctly, you hadn't found Aqualink before the major Sano wars took place. Well anyway, even the most devoted Sano haters, who actually tried the stuff, admitted that it did seem to at least cause corals to have better expansion if nothing else. I have also noticed this to be true. As I'm sure Ron will tell you, that doesn't neccesarily mean it's getting any more nutrition or making the corals healthier, but it does seem to illicit a feeding response.

FOX

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members.xoom.com/KoryFox/index.htm
 
It is still a problem. Mine lost 25% of is tissue, bare skeleton, and the tentacles completely disappeared two weeks after going into the tank. I noticed that shrimp and 'pods were chewing on it. Isolated the elegans in a container hanging on the overflow. The tissue is fully expanded. It has nubs for tentacles. It has lost no more tissue. I cannot tell if it is growing back over the bare skeleton. In comparison, the other elegans in the lfs where I bought mine are dead.

TimS

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There's No Place Like Home.
 
Elegance coral is going on my never-buy-again list-they have proven to be real heart breakers for me. All other corals doing great and reproducing...elegance shrinking away despite my best efforts. Feeding them, not feeding them, changing lighting, current rate, tried it all and they still croak. Leave em in the sea if it were up to me.fwiw, kas
 
Fox - yeah... I showed up right in the middle of the sano wars about a year ago wasnt it?. Ugly. You get a similar response from Coral Vital too, but I wouldnt put that stuff in my tank either. gawd... I dont want this to degenerate into a debate about the stuff, so I will drop it.

kas - unfortunately you are right... better left alone at this point. However, they will undoubtedly continue to be snapped up by people (such as myself, I suppose. Guilty as charged, and not especially proud of it.) as long as they continue to stock them in LFS. I'm not placing blame, just supposing that there will always be people willing to buy attractive corals if they are available...some ignorantly, some well-informed, most in-between. I certainly wouldnt recomend them to anyone.

-S
 
I guess we could pass on the Sano war. Maybe we could argue about football instead. Besides, we'd need Phishmon here to really get things going and he has been pretty quiet lately. Working on his new lfs, I think.

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Larry M

View a list of RC Member's websites at:
http://www.reefcentral.com/membersites.html
 
OK, thanks everyone. I guess that answers my question! I'll have to find something else for that one corner of my tank.
Robert
 
Steve,

Yeah, it was defenitely ugly at times, but there was also alot of good information in those arguments if you could just wade through the garbage. I personally have had some major problems with Coral Vital that I've posted about many times.

Larry,

Yeah, I haven't talked to Rich in quite a while. As a matter of fact, he still owes me some cuttings, but I don't know what I'd do with them right now anyway.

FOX

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members.xoom.com/KoryFox/index.htm
 
So are you guys saying there is no hope for an elegance? Guy here says brains are harder and has kept one alive (elegance) a few years...but I have never bought one due to watching them die over time at LFS. 'Course see lots of stuff die at that place...

BTW, missed the Sano Wars...sounds interesting.

What is that stuff anyway...kinda like Selcon?

elvis

[This message has been edited by elvisdoc (edited 11-29-1999).]
 
[Questionable data alert--I'm still a relative newbie so YMMV]

I've had an elegance for about 7 months now. It's hosting my pair of A. percula (I admit I tried keeping a carpet anemone before I knew better and couldn't keep it alive). The clownfishes behave like the elegance is an anemone: they like to snuggle in its folds and take the tentacles into their mouths. I do try to feed the elegance but the clowns always take the food away and seem to clean it whenever possible. Nevertheless, it seems to be in good condition and usually expands well.

My tank (50 gallons) is not in the best condition--hair algae and some red slime is beginning to form again. I have 7 fishes and feed often (trying to get the clownfishes to spawn, the Banggais are on their 6th brood).

FWIW,
greg
 
One of these days Reef Central will get up the page about difficult/impossible corals to keep, and elegance will definitely be on there. In the meantime, how about a good ole fashioned Sano war to liven things up? FOX, you and I could pick team members??
;)

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Larry M

View a list of RC Member's websites at:
http://www.reefcentral.com/membersites.html
 
Larry,

HaHaHa!LMAO!! That could be fun, but it seems to always drive people away. At least it did on Aqualink. Anyway, I've come to the point where I agree with the argument that nothing can be proved since we know nothing about what's in it. I just find it hard to believe that the dramatic difference I've had in fish survival has nothing to do with using it. But I still can't prove that it does anything. Oh well. Maybe some day it will be proveable(Is that a word?)

FOX

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members.xoom.com/KoryFox/index.htm
 
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