Elegance Coral Syndrome - Anything new to be said?

[mjk250]

Here’s one I’ve had for around 6 years now, it’s a monster. Looked like it was going to die out of the middle of no where and then it snapped out of it and is bigger than ever

 

[rkpetersen]

=

Mine is 2.5 years old. This one lost about 1/10 of its tissue a month after introduction. I believed it to be bacteria related, and weak from lack of food. The tissue recession stopped after a few water changes and flow adjustments. It has blossomed since then and is doing great and very healthy.

Question for you - When skeleton is exposed by tissue recession, but the elegance later recovers, does it grow tissue back over the damaged area, or is it forever bare?

 

[TravisParsley]

The corner that had the tissue recession receded to maybe 1/4 an inch below the skeletal / flesh line and was approximately 4 square inches across the skeletal surface. New flesh regrew upwards from the old receded part. The dead portion never regrew or recolonized. It currently only has what I would call a lip growing upwards over the old part with flesh extended and tentacles upward and short.

I just took this night time photo while it was sleeping and retracted - so it doesn't look pretty lol, but in day time it looks great as seen in the previous photo. I have circled the old parts that previously receded. Notice the orange sponge colony that grew into the skeletal base. It had a small portion of this when I purchased it, but it has since filled in any holes in the skeletal body. The elegance coral seemed to start to recover and improve as the orange sponge grew and took off.

If you look closer you will notice I used an old clam shell as a support base to hold the coral in place while keeping the bottom free for flow.

 

[rkpetersen]

Cool; thanks. Nice how the damaged area is obscured during the day.

 

[Mono]

I recently was tempted to buy an aquacultured elegance from live aquaria. But based on my past poor experience with elegance corals in general I held off. Has anyone had any experience with these?

Based on the pics shared some people have definitely been very successful. I was wondering if anyone has noticed any specific parameters for these successful tanks? Temp, nutrient levels, feeding schedules, other corals, par, flow, etc..

 

[rkpetersen]

Has anyone had any experience with these?

Edit: Sorry, I missed that you said 'aquacultured'. I haven't had one of those and until this moment didn't even know that they were available. But I only buy WYSIWYG and Diver's Den doesn't seem to offer these (at least I've never seen one in that section of the website.)


The pics I started this thread with are of an elegance purchased from LiveAquaria/Diver's Den (which has since died). It was advertised as an Aussie elegance with specific text indicating that they're hardier. However, it did have the typical point-down cone shape of most elegance corals you see these days, which someone in this thread claimed means that it was likely from Indonesia and not Australia, despite what LA/DD claimed. No more elegance for me for at least a year, or maybe sooner if I can find one that was clearly taken from a wall and not growing up out of the substrate (i.e. more like to be a true Aussie specimen and not one that has been deceptively mislabeled.)

 

[Mono]

I guess I was wondering if an Aquacultured coral might be a little hardier.

 

[rkpetersen]

I guess I was wondering if an Aquacultured coral might be a little hardier.

They could well be. Might be worth a shot, especially as they seem to be less expensive than wild ones. When I'm ready to try an elegance again, maybe I'll start with one of those. If you get one, please let us see it and hear how it does.

 

[Jeff Hall]

So I am on my second Elegance Coral first one just slowly declined over about a year. The second one is doing better but for a brief period of time I had both elegance's in the same tank one was almost dead and the other was just put in the tank and not looking good either. Then I read somewhere that I should remove the original because whatever was causing the decline on that coral would more then likely effect the other. I removed the old one and dipped the new one in revive and new one has looked much better ever since. So IMO you may wish to wait a while inbetween Elegances or whatever ailment that is the tank may still be in there and effecting the new coral.

 

[Mal11224]

I've had mine for about 8 months. It is my 2nd one. The first I had did not do well and I think it was because my tank was pretty new. Plus, I've changed things in my husbandry for the overall health of my tank. More water changes, better water quality and parameters. Helped me a lot. I think finding a good place for it and just letting it be is key. I target feed and love watching it eat.

 

[M007]

Anyone ever heard of or seen a tiny white crab hosting in a Aussie Elegance? I found one today in mine, gave me a bit of a fright so it was evicted to the trash. Given their sensitive fleshy body I suspected the crab might be a bad guy or I just over reacted and trashed a symbiot

 

[dvmsn]

Sorry, I know this an old thread, but the cone indicates if it is free living or grew attached. Just like in trachyphyllia.

 

[dvmsn]

It doesn't have squat to do with area of collection.

 

[Poriferabob]

It doesn't have squat to do with area of collection.

Hey dvmsn, can you please explain more about this? I too was wondering about that.

 

[TheHarold]

I have very successful aquariums. As in my LPS grow annoying fast- I am constantly selling things for $10 a head.

But both times I have added elegance corals from LiveAquaria, after a few days of good polyp extension they receded and died within a month. So I would suggest avoiding them; just because their needs seem to be different than other LPS.

My experience could also be related to where I purchased it from, a poll of “where did you get your 1+ year old elegance coral from” could be interesting.

 

[Poriferabob]

My experience could also be related to where I purchased it from, a poll of “where did you get your 1+ year old elegance coral from” could be interesting.

100 % agree. I would love to see the numbers.

I have had essentially the exact same experience with Live Aquaria Elegance. 2 "Aussie" Both dead within a month, both cone body.

 

[rkpetersen]

When I started this thread, all the ones that had died on me were from LiveAquaria or one local fish shop. They were all of the cone-shaped skeletal configuration. After the last one died, I went without an elegance for a couple months, and then bought two small 'bulletproof' elegance corals from Cherry Corals. These were clearly frags taken from a larger wall-type Elegance. And as advertised, they have done extremely well, thriving for about 8 months now.

Also, about 6 months ago, in a new tank, I added a larger Elegance that I got from a different LFS. This was a another wall-type specimen, and it has also flourished.

So, in the end I don't really know if the infectious disease theory actually holds up. I do know that I will never buy another Elegance with a cone-shaped base. Whether it's disease or some other factor involved, they die on me, and others have observed the same.

 

[DarthSimon]

Randy,
How are your Elegance corals holding up?
I have gone through at least 5 of them since 2011. They are just so beautiful when fully open. Just picked one up at ReefPaloza last week in NY. Was walking out of show at very end to close time on Sunday and guy was asking great price.

Obviously they are all Aussi now.

 

[Mono]

Randy,
How are your Elegance corals holding up?
I have gone through at least 5 of them since 2011. They are just so beautiful when fully open. Just picked one up at ReefPaloza last week in NY. Was walking out of show at very end to close time on Sunday and guy was asking great price.

Obviously they are all Aussi now.

Same, same. Picked one up at Reef-a-palooza last week though I did not get a great price. And I have had about the same success record as you. Funny thing is I picked one up last year too (pink tip). And it did great for about 3 months. Ate like a champ. And after a few failures, I thought, Oh! I got this now. So, I ordered another one (purple tip) from LiveAquaria. I was going to add it eventually to the tank in my office. Put it in my home tank and about 3 weeks later both were dead. I suspect I might have introduced a bacteria or virus with the second Elegance and lost them both. That is of course just conjecture. Yeah, I can see Ryan tsk, tsking. If these corals were puppies, my neighbors would already be calling the ASPCA.

Now, this one is doing fine so far. It does not have the same feeding response as the one I had last year which really closed up immediately as soon as I spot fed it. And my coral banded shrimp will risk coming out from his perch to steal a quick meal. I have it in a shaded area under T5's (I would guess the par is around 100) with good flow but not direct.

The tank lights come on in ten minutes and I will try and grab a pic or two.

Hope springs eternal.

Are those Duncans and Blastos alongside your Elegance?

 

[Mono]

Here's a pic of my Reef-a-Palooza Elegance.