Elegance care

[reef-nut]

Two of my all time favorites is the Elegance and Goniopora corals. I have had sevaral over the years and can not keep them more than a couple months. I do not think I have heard anybody even mention them on this forum. Does anybody know the trick to keeping them alive? They are two of the most beautiful LPS I have seen and they can get very big. My LFS gets them all the time and gets real nice ones and I want to try them again, but I need to know how to keep them alive. PLEASE HELP!

 

[Azurel]

The problem with Elegance is that they are coming in to the hobby with a precondition to bacterial infection.....Not to mention the area that they are getting them from are deeper waters and so would need less light. I had one about 15 years ago when they were real easy coral to keep. It was the brightest thing I have ever seen, the green would glow after lights out, and I serious. Once the lights went out it would glow a faint green color for about 5-10 min.....But at the same time I had it under NO fluorescent lighting to and not the high powered stuff we have today.....They are so hit and miss that I don't even bother trying one nowadays. Both the LFS here in Kazoo don't bother with them any more after getting them and having them crap out.....I would say if you can find a aqua cultured specimen that would be the way to go......

 

[reef-nut]

Thats what I thought. I guess the only way to have one is keep replacing it when it dies. I have never seen one give another coral anything.

 

[CherryCorals]

The Australian specimens seem to do fairly well. Skyhigh(a Cherrycorals.com farmer) has had one in his tank since September of 07. Its jamming.

I had yellow one with blue tips for 3 months before I sold it. It did very well to.

 

[Russellaqua]

The bacterial infection problem has been a serious one with elegance corals. Most coral dealers have stopped carrying them for this reason. They should also be buried in the sand so that only their tentacles extend above the sand bed, keeping the skeleton flush with the sand. They seem to prefer this. There are a few good retailers out there that carry elegance corals from time to time. I know TEC has had some recently, but I'm not sure what their success rate is with them. That's the only place I've seen them lately.

 

[gastone]

Here's a post of my aussie elegance that I picked up not too long ago.

https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9332&highlight=elegance

I've only had this specimen for a month and a half. It took a lot of nerve for me to buy one as I've wanted one for years, but captive frags are hard to come by and people seldomly sell the ones that they've kept in captivity for extended periods of time.

I *hope* that it continues to do well. If this doesn't make it I highly doubt I would try another.

Garrett.

 

[gastone]

...as far as tricks go, I don't believe there are any special precautions with catalaphyllia other than to purchase a healthy one to begin with. This is why I tried one of the aussies. The Indonesian elegances carry (or pick up or...) whatever pathogen has been killing them in captivity for the past number of years. My research led me to believe that the aussies were much less likely have the "elegance disease". Other than that, just follow procedure for introducing any new LPS into your system: low light, low flow, plenty of room to expand, and work your way from there.

For gonioporas, you may want to check out http://goniopora.org/. Another coral that I'd like to add down the road.

GL.

Garrett.

 

[reefboy]

The bacterial infection problem has been a serious one with elegance corals. Most coral dealers have stopped carrying them for this reason. They should also be buried in the sand so that only their tentacles extend above the sand bed, keeping the skeleton flush with the sand. They seem to prefer this. There are a few good retailers out there that carry elegance corals from time to time. I know TEC has had some recently, but I'm not sure what their success rate is with them. That's the only place I've seen them lately.

Actually really good with only one dying so far out of seven and it was do to getting smashed in the box:mad: others doing great I havnt posted to many as I was holding them to make sure but three going up soon there eating and doing well.These are indo ones ive recieved aussie ones but they were fraged from main colony and all died but im assuming ones that arnt do very well I plan to order some here soon again beings I have a supplier that can get me whole ones.

 

[CherryCorals]

The Elegances from Australia that I have received were all clearly fragged from mother colonies.

They all did fine.

The hammers from OZ were the same way.....obvious frags from what must have been giant mother colonies. They were the brightest green babies I have seen, the pinks weren't to bad either.

It is said that the Elegances pick up a pathogen in the Indo holding facilities. Just a rumor but that is what I had heard.

 

[reefboy]

im glad yours did

 

[Russellaqua]

I've also heard that the disease that seems to plague elegance corals is a product of human collection and holding in Indo facilities. As a retailer I've been reluctant to get any in because of these problems. I see them regularly from my wholesalers. Maybe I should ask them where they're collected from. If they're Aussie maybe I'll get some in and see how it goes. They're one of my favorite corals and I wouldn't mind having one myself.

 

[Azurel]

Sweet elegance G.....All good info in this thread....

 

[reefboy]

have some new aussie ones coming so hopfuly they do as good as my indo's are lol.But mine in low to medium current and under three t5 lights and love ORA's oraglow lol

 

[sdietz2469]

well i got an elegance, and when i originally picked it up it was huge... the guy said to make sure it doesnt come in conact with any of my rock work asa small scuff to the tenticales would cause a bacterial infection, thus i have always kept mine in the sand bed away from anything else. i have had it for almost 2 years now, and have fragged it more than once, but i always worry when i do cuz it is almost like a wall hammer... no break in the skeletal structure... all of the frags i made are still alive... my clowns have actually taken to it and love it like an anenome... it isnt bright green like the some of the ones i have seen, it is a baby blue with hot pink tips to the tenticals.. i have it in a corner where it gets changing flow and since i put my sea swirls on it, it has just thrived... it will be a while till i frag it again, but when i do i will let it heal completely and i will possible be willing to ship.....
as for and goniporas, i am not sure on the trick to them, but something in my tank must be just right, as i always buy he dying ones from the LFS, bring them back in a few months, and then get them to a few of my buddies...
shane