Elegance Coral division documentation

[dwest]

Hi all. I’ve had an elegance coral for about 30 years. That original colony has divided into three colonies that are now in my 180 gallon mixed reef tank. About a year ago I found a “baby” elegance without a skeleton and with a lot of luck it grew a skeleton and is now in the tank of Mr. @Randy Holmes-Farley. I say with a lot of luck because I had several failed attempts at rearing these in the past.

See this thread for info on that baby https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/my-elegance-coral-reproduced-in-my-tank-pic-included.1101245/

But this thread isn’t about that baby.

In June I moved houses. I moved and re-started up my tank and all was good for a few months. Since sometime in September however, the tank has been overrun with green cyano. I’m not worried about the cyano. I’ve dealt with all kinds of cyano and other stuff over the years. But the cyano did stress some of my corals. Mostly for the worse. Interestingly though my elegance colonies are asexually fragmenting. These fragments are tiny but have enough skeletal base that I have been able to capture a couple so far.

I’m going to stop now and try to add a few pics.

 

[dwest]

The parent colonies just today complete with green cyano everywhere

 

[dwest]

Another colony pic

 

[dwest]

Evidence of fragmentation pictures from yesterday

 

[dwest]

Another fragment. You can see the drooping at the bottom center.

 

[dwest]

And finally a couple captured babies. Sorry for the bad pics

 

[CHSUB]

Well done and not an easy coral to even keep alive!

 

[KrisReef]

What bad pics? Please post more of these bad pics, maybe some blue light versions so we can see them?

Also, I think I saw that your clownfish are tending the elegance corals? My LPS that have had clownfish hanging out in them have always thrived if they grew accustomed to the “Love.”

 

[dwest]

What bad pics? Please post more of these bad pics, maybe some blue light versions so we can see them?

Also, I think I saw that your clownfish are tending the elegance corals? My LPS that have had clownfish hanging out in them have always thrived if they grew accustomed to the “Love.”

Yes, I had a trio of clowns for many years but now just a pair but always living in the elegance.

 

[BrianneG]

Look at how lucky you are. Those colonies are huge. What is your secret to keeping them?
I want an elegance so bad, but Inhate failing the corals.

 

[Daniel Doherty]

I too wish to have an elegance one day, what’s your tips for them as your obviously having great success

 

[dwest]

Honestly, elegance corals from back in the 90’s were very hardy. Mine has been through just about anything imaginable. I realize they are harder now. I don’t know why.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Wow, you may get elegance farmers growing green cyano to frag big elegance corals into lots of sellable babies. lol

Hope they do well!

The baby I got from you seems to be doing well. I have not looked at the skeleton lately as it sits in a depression, but it had at least three separate skeletons last I saw.

I know you've seen pics of it lately, but here it is for others.

 

[RobertK]

Biota is culturing pink tip elegance now. They are sold out right now but maybe these have a better chance of survival than wild collected.

Cultured Elegance Coral

Catalaphyllia jardenei - Bring the grace and color of the reef to your aquarium with Biota cultured Elegance Corals. These stunning LPS corals are known for their flowing tentacles, vibrant shades of green, purple, and pink, and their unmistakable “elegant” appearance that makes them a...

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