Flow for Elegance

[Coderabit2]

I just bought my first elegance yesterday and was wondering how to determine how much flow it needs? I've read a few posts saying that they prefer lower flow, but how do I determine what lower flow is? Any tips on how to judge this and how long I shoudl wait to see if the flow is to much? I'm thinking mine has too much atm.

Thanks
Cody

 

[Coderabit2]

The elegance is on the sandbed in my 90 gallon. The water flow is done by two tunze streams 6010s that do 1600gph each.

 

[elegance coral]

You are probably right about your Elegance getting to much flow. The flow should just be strong enough to move the tentacles and not the polyp. They do best in low flow. Here are a couple of videos of my corals that show the flow I have them in.


http://www.sharkle.com/video/132056/
http://www.sharkle.com/video/137873/

 

[Coderabit2]

Mine definitely have to much flow compared to those videos. I'll move her to a corner of my tank that has considerably less flow. On a seperate somewhat related note which would be better to move from a corner, fungias or blastos? What is interesting is that my plerogyra does very well in the same flow.

 

[elegance coral]

Your bubble and your elegance can survive with somewhat more flow. They will just open up much fuller with less flow, especially the elegance. The Elegance corals overall health is very closely tied to the flow it receives. The question about plate-v-blasto, I'm not sure. Maybe someone else can give their opinion. If it were me, I would move the plate.

 

[Coderabit2]

I moved her to a corner that has quite a bit less flow and also less light as it is slightly under a plate coral. It looked much better after the move, but I'll take pics tonight and see how she is doing when I get home.

 

[Coderabit2]

She is definetly not happy. I came home to find her all shriveled up without any polyp extension. I turned off my halides that had been on for two hours to see if that helps and so far after two hours she still looks the same.

Current tank parameters for my 90 gallon
Temp: 81.9
Orp: 389
pH: 8.49
Flow: 2x6010 Tunzes
Lights: 2x10k XM 250 MH, and 2x54 T5HO Actinics

I'm thinking of moving her from my mixed reef to my 26 bow softies tank. Would that be the best move right now?

The 26 gallon parameters are:
Orp: I'm sure it is less as the filitration is significantly less
Temp: 78
Flow: Seio 620gph
Lights: 1x65 PC Actinic and 1x65 PC 10k

 

[Coderabit2]

Here are the pics from last night

Here is the one as of right now

 

[elegance coral]

The combination of the temp being that high and the lights you have will most likely kill the Elegance. The amount of light they can withstand is greatly reduced as the temperature goes up. With the options you have, I would try moving it to the softy tank. Your Elegance is very sensitive in it's current condition, so you may run into problems with chemicals in the water from your soft corals, but I believe it's a chance you will have to take. Just try placing it as far from aggressive species as you can, like GSP.

 

[Coderabit2]

Alright I placed her in the sand of my softie tank away from other corals and in gentle flow. Should I be replacing the carbon frequently to help with the chemical warfare? The only leathers in the tank are two green sinularias. What should the plan be as far as lighting?

My other tank temp is typically not that high, but my fans just broke a few days ago and the new coralifes just aren't cutting to the old ones. However, thats another story.

 

[Coderabit2]

I replaced the carbon and turned off the lights for today. I don't think I've ever struggled with a coral like this

 

[Julio]

wow, what kind of flow do you have over the coral? alo do you have clowns in yout tank?

 

[elegance coral]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10896243#post10896243 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Coderabit2
I replaced the carbon and turned off the lights for today. I don't think I've ever struggled with a coral like this

It's not your fault that your coral is ill. There is soooo much conflicting advice out there on Elegance corals that it's next to impossible to figure out how to care for them. Unfortunately, I have heard way to many stories just like yours. You are doing all you can to save your coral at this point. All you can do now is hope that the damage it received in your big tank isn't to severe. You will probably know in the next few days. Good luck

 

[Coderabit2]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10896287#post10896287 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Julio
wow, what kind of flow do you have over the coral? alo do you have clowns in yout tank?

I didn't have very much before the move, just enough to move the tentacles. I'm almost positive it was the high temp and lights that caused it to shrivel up that bad as elegance coral said. I do have a clownfish, but he has never tried to host or bother another coral in the 6 years that I've had him.

 

[Coderabit2]

Here's a current pic of my 90 without the elegance as she is in my softie tank now. She was in the bottom righthand corner of the tank.

 

[elegance coral]

Wow. I like the torch.

 

[Coderabit2]

LPS are definetly my favorite type of coral

Here's pics of it with flat worms that I treated.

 

[Coderabit2]

What is going on now? The temp is at 76F. Just barely turned on lights to take a pic.

 

[elegance coral]

It didn't look like this until the lights came on, correct?

 

[Coderabit2]

No it looked like this before the lights came on. I just turned the lights on to take the pic and they are back off.