Shawnts106
New member
So I have been reading alot, and you hear a lot about a species specific pathogen of some kind, and you hear a lot of things with collection and the problems there...
I have heard that the problem is there is a species specific bacteria/virus that kills them they are picking up in the wholesale facility.
I have heard that they are being collected from shallow water and that is the problem.
I have heard that ONLY AUSSIE ELEGANCE corals survive.
I have hear a ton more crazy things about them...
I think I know what is going on with these corals now.... this makes sense!
So I work for a LFS here in Alabama and I recieved just recently a BEAUTIFUL elegance that is Purple tipped, lavender tenticles and a BRIGHT GREEN BODY color.
It has a potent sting still and still has all of its tissue connected around the top part of the skeleton unlike a lot I have noticed that are already receeding.
I got this elegance in, and it has been cut off rock.
So I called our supplier and asked him, HEY! is this an aussie elegance!???
He replyed, no it came from Indonessia.
We started talking about problems with these corals and how healthy they were about 5-10 years ago etc...
And he informed me today of something I have NOT heard...
He said, well... the problem is this:
Collectors overseas used to not collect this way, but now they are spending the whole day collecting in lagoons with these wooden paddleboats.
They find an elegance in the sand/murk, and pick it up, and wrap it in a bannana leaf and through it in the boat.
Heres the problem....
The bannana leaf is not sanitary most of the time, and these corals are OUT of the WATER for hours! He said the coral, being out of the water for so long, starts to die and bacteria infect the inside of the coral..
So when we get them, they are already infected.
They start to swell and try to expell the infection, often pooping a lot!
Eventually the coral is consumed inside out by this bacteria!
SO...
I also heard that if you start a dipping proceedure once you recieve them IMMEDIATLY then they have a higher survival rate...
So I started doing it... SO FAR SO GOOD!
I heard this from Philip Root. He uses Nitrofurazone. Im using First Choice Brand Nitro, but if you have access to Human Grade, then use it.
SO far it has worked very well.
Ive not been using it long enough to claim 100% sucess but... so far its working.
I just thought I might share this with everyone who has tried before.
And here are a couple of TIPS about picking out an elegance from your LFS
Number ONE!
MAKE SURE IT HAS A POTENT STING STILL!
If the corals tenticles do not STICK to your finger then its not stinging.. which means its probably been weekened and not in good health!
Second, Make sure all the tissue is healthy! make sure that its all covering the inside and that there is about a CM or two of tissue overlaping the crest of the skeleton.
Third, dont buy one as soon as it comes in. Make sure its been there for a couple of day MINIMUM first, if you think its a good one, tell your LFS to hold it for you, if they will.
I hope this helps everyone.
Let me know what you guys think.
I have heard that the problem is there is a species specific bacteria/virus that kills them they are picking up in the wholesale facility.
I have heard that they are being collected from shallow water and that is the problem.
I have heard that ONLY AUSSIE ELEGANCE corals survive.
I have hear a ton more crazy things about them...
I think I know what is going on with these corals now.... this makes sense!
So I work for a LFS here in Alabama and I recieved just recently a BEAUTIFUL elegance that is Purple tipped, lavender tenticles and a BRIGHT GREEN BODY color.
It has a potent sting still and still has all of its tissue connected around the top part of the skeleton unlike a lot I have noticed that are already receeding.
I got this elegance in, and it has been cut off rock.
So I called our supplier and asked him, HEY! is this an aussie elegance!???
He replyed, no it came from Indonessia.
We started talking about problems with these corals and how healthy they were about 5-10 years ago etc...
And he informed me today of something I have NOT heard...
He said, well... the problem is this:
Collectors overseas used to not collect this way, but now they are spending the whole day collecting in lagoons with these wooden paddleboats.
They find an elegance in the sand/murk, and pick it up, and wrap it in a bannana leaf and through it in the boat.
Heres the problem....
The bannana leaf is not sanitary most of the time, and these corals are OUT of the WATER for hours! He said the coral, being out of the water for so long, starts to die and bacteria infect the inside of the coral..
So when we get them, they are already infected.
They start to swell and try to expell the infection, often pooping a lot!
Eventually the coral is consumed inside out by this bacteria!
SO...
I also heard that if you start a dipping proceedure once you recieve them IMMEDIATLY then they have a higher survival rate...
So I started doing it... SO FAR SO GOOD!
I heard this from Philip Root. He uses Nitrofurazone. Im using First Choice Brand Nitro, but if you have access to Human Grade, then use it.
SO far it has worked very well.
Ive not been using it long enough to claim 100% sucess but... so far its working.
I just thought I might share this with everyone who has tried before.
And here are a couple of TIPS about picking out an elegance from your LFS
Number ONE!
MAKE SURE IT HAS A POTENT STING STILL!
If the corals tenticles do not STICK to your finger then its not stinging.. which means its probably been weekened and not in good health!
Second, Make sure all the tissue is healthy! make sure that its all covering the inside and that there is about a CM or two of tissue overlaping the crest of the skeleton.
Third, dont buy one as soon as it comes in. Make sure its been there for a couple of day MINIMUM first, if you think its a good one, tell your LFS to hold it for you, if they will.
I hope this helps everyone.
Let me know what you guys think.
