Elegance Coral -- Best Practices

[rcpiv93]

My LFS has a gorgeous elegance that I would love to have. That being said, I am not in the business of killing things, so I want to get some more information.

The store suggested an antibiotic bath for these guys. I am not sure how comfortable I am with doing this. I'm not opposed, but not well-versed either. What antibiotic? How long? Is it even a good idea?

For those of you that have kept these guys long-term, what are your best practices?

 

[punchy7080]

From Chris Meckley at ACI in reference to oxolinic acid treatment…

“We use 1/2gram per 10 gallons of tank waterfor a full system treatment.
5 days in a row with no waterchanges until after the 5th treatment.
you can also use 1gram per 10 gallons in a bath, 5 days in a row, but if the issue exists in your system the system needs to be treated. once the system is treated , you must treat any elegance received in the bath before adding it to you system. we have saved hundreds of Elegance corals using this. our customers buy them with confidence, but also understand they might need to treat the corals as well.”

 

[Waters]

I have never treated any elegance any different than any other LPS....it gets dipped and put into the DT. I think a lot of issue with that species has to do with where it was originally sourced.

 

[Koty]

I have two of them for over 3 years. I never deep my corals because I want the critters that come with them (I trust the wrasses to deal with the bad ones). Elegance IME needs a well established tank with a thriving microbiome that is maintained with heavy carbon dosing regardless of the nutrient levels. I used to target feed them (they love mussels) but I stoped and I now only dose TM amino acids. They need a rather strong flow. and when Happy they seem not to care about alkalinity swings. Their survival rate in a young unestablished tank is low.