Elegance coral - freshwater dip fail?

[mdpitts]

Morning folks! I’ve been reading former posts about elegance coral and apparently they can be a mystery when they get sick. I read that a freshwater dip can sometimes help remove unwanted critters that maybe an iodine dip/coral rx dip might not have.

My situation is mine has been looking puny with tentacles withdrawn for a couple weeks.

During the last week I dipped in Coral Rx and it looked a little better for a day or two. A few days ago I tried Seachem Reef Dip that seems to be mostly iodine. Yesterday I read here about freshwater dips and tried it last night. Lots of little critters/tiny worms came off. I let it soak for 7 minutes.

When I pulled it out to rinse and get back in the tank it was utterly pathetic. It just looked like a smooth ball of wet tissue. It broke my heart to see it and think I screwed up. 10 minutes later I checked and it was coated with slime. Some was waving in the glow.
This morning I took the picture you see and at least you can see some little nubs of tentacles. Just by that it looks like maybe there’s hope.

Any advice. Leave it alone? Anything I can do to help it more. Right now it is under blue and white lights in mild flow.

Last night I tested salinity 1.027 and PH is 8.1. I was going to get a test at my LFS today. I’m including the last full test I had from last Wednesday. Also I did a 2.5 gallon water change 3 days ago as well as last night. I’m trying to get my magnesium up as well.

Tank is Fluval 13.5 and was set up beginning of October 2023.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

There are lots of coral dips available, personally, I would not dip a coral in freshwater. That represents salinity change, alk change, calcium change, ph change, magnesium change, etc...... Can end up with a dead or bleached coral

 

[Lavey29]

Agreed and your parameters are way off which is common with new tanks.

 

[mdpitts]

Agreed and your parameters are way off which is common with new tanks.

I'm so ticked that I tried the FWD last night. I should have left it alone but it's done now. If I could cradle the little coral in my arms and sing it a lullaby I would. I hate feeling like a helpless schmuck.

I can tell my magnesium is low. I was thinking I was a little better on the test at the top. My LFS where I get the test said I'm looking pretty good and they don't seem to be too worried about my magnesium although I'm adding some Fluval Magnesium to it weekly. Do you have any helpful advice? I could sure use it.

 

[Lavey29]

I'm so ticked that I tried the FWD last night. I should have left it alone but it's done now. If I could cradle the little coral in my arms and sing it a lullaby I would. I hate feeling like a helpless schmuck.

I can tell my magnesium is low. I was thinking I was a little better on the test at the top. My LFS where I get the test said I'm looking pretty good and they don't seem to be too worried about my magnesium although I'm adding some Fluval Magnesium to it weekly. Do you have any helpful advice? I could sure use it.

Salinity, magnesium, nitrates, phosphate? You should not need to supplement anything in a new nano tank. Weekly water changes replenish everything and correct parameters. Magnesium depletes very slowly. Only 1/10th the rate of alk.

Elegance are difficult corals even in established tanks. I had a big one for 1.5 years then one day it just nose dived for unknown reasons. Just stick with basic corals most of the first year until your tank stabilizes well with it biome.

 

[mdpitts]

Salinity, magnesium, nitrates, phosphate? You should not need to supplement anything in a new nano tank. Weekly water changes replenish everything and correct parameters. Magnesium depletes very slowly. Only 1/10th the rate of alk.

Elegance are difficult corals even in established tanks. I had a big one for 1.5 years then one day it just nose dived for unknown reasons. Just stick with basic corals most of the first year until your tank stabilizes well with it biome.

Ok, that makes sense. You know, when you are buying corals at a local you don't often get told not to do it. I've been told my tank isn't big enough for certain fish but not corals. Good advice. I'm pretty fanatic about my weekly water changes. I am going to cool my jets and just concentrate on what I have and stabilizing my tank. Unless I see a zoantid frag I have to have

 

[Lavey29]

Ok, that makes sense. You know, when you are buying corals at a local you don't often get told not to do it. I've been told my tank isn't big enough for certain fish but not corals. Good advice. I'm pretty fanatic about my weekly water changes. I am going to cool my jets and just concentrate on what I have and stabilizing my tank. Unless I see a zoantid frag I have to have

Now you will be on a good path for success. Once your tank gets more stable and filled with coral then you will need to probably supplement a little alk and cal. Just make sure you maintain healthy nutrients levels too.

 

[mdpitts]

Now you will be on a good path for success. Once your tank gets more stable and filled with coral then you will need to probably supplement a little alk and cal. Just make sure you maintain healthy nutrients levels too.

I've been reading about supplementing a little. I'm glad to hear that water changes do so much. I've got 10 freshwater tanks of various sizes and I've always been good about water changes/cleaning gravel so I guess that was a good habit to learn. I'm going to research more about nutrients. So much to learn. Thank you VERY much for the advice. I love this forum.

 

[hart24601]

It might be the number of dips in a short time. I tried keeping elegance on and off for 15 years with no success, they all seem to die the same way, squished up and waste away. The last one I had I did the FW dip and by gosh it survived and that was a couple years ago. I am a big fan of FW dips for elegance but perhaps it was too many dips or something else is off.

 

[Lavey29]

I've been reading about supplementing a little. I'm glad to hear that water changes do so much. I've got 10 freshwater tanks of various sizes and I've always been good about water changes/cleaning gravel so I guess that was a good habit to learn. I'm going to research more about nutrients. So much to learn. Thank you VERY much for the advice. I love this forum.

I came over from long time freshwater too. Some things are similar but most of reef aquaria is different then freshwater tanks. It's a very challenging hobby but still a lot of fun. There will be ups and downs the first year. After a year, my tank became much more stable and predictable and that's when my corals began to thrive. I really focused on building biodiversity and microfauna in my tank for a healthy biome. Avoid harsh chemicals. The ocean doesn't use harsh chemicals. If a problem develops focus on correcting the underlying source of the problem rather then dropping harsh chemicals in your tank as a ban aid fix. Remember also with nano tanks that small problems can become big problems quickly because of the small volume you are working with so keep up on your testing regularly.

Don't hesitate to start a thread if you have any questions or concerns either. Pretty sure there is always someone around 24/7 to respond.

 

[RockBox13]

Your pH and alkalinity are too low. Please trust me on this. Go look at nearly every other person who has trouble with Euphyllia and Cataphyllia. low pH and and low KH together almost every time. They like a higher pH. It will also help with Blastos and especially Clams. I will show you a post specifically about me recovering an Elegance for someone here in a minute.

 

[RockBox13]

If your LFS can’t help you test your water and show you they know how to rehabilitate a coral, I think that maybe they shouldn’t be selling coral in the first place.

 

[crabgrass]

Elegance are difficult corals even in established tanks. I had a big one for 1.5 years then one day it just nose dived for unknown reasons. Just stick with basic corals most of the first year until your tank stabilizes well with it biome.

I don’t disagree, but curious on what you call basic corals. Non-Acro?

 

[crazyfishmom]

ECD or elegance coral disease responds to fresh water dips. In that situation the Coral tissue looks really swollen and super puffed up and the tips are not very apparent. This doesn’t sound like what your elegance had. The fresh water dip disrupts the osmotic pressure inside the elegance and for ECD it seems to reset the coral. In any other situation it just hurts. Elegance are beautiful but very sensitive to unstable parameters, as others have said, perhaps better to stick to hardy corals like ducans or zoas (the cheap, easy, fast growing variety) for a little bit.

 

[Fishy888]

It might be the number of dips in a short time. I tried keeping elegance on and off for 15 years with no success, they all seem to die the same way, squished up and waste away. The last one I had I did the FW dip and by gosh it survived and that was a couple years ago. I am a big fan of FW dips for elegance but perhaps it was too many dips or something else is off.

I believe it’s too many dips mixed with it being a newer tank.

 

[Lavey29]

I don’t disagree, but curious on what you call basic corals. Non-Acro?

Inexpensive because most average reefers myself included will lose corals the first year. Avoid $500 torches get a cheap frogspawn or hammer instead. Get the torch after your tank matures and stabilizes. Your wallet will thank you. Zoas, duncans, leathers, frogspawn, hammer, shrooms, acans, favia, etc... there are a ton of nice Inexpensive corals that are hardy and will make your tank look nice. I still have some of mine going on 3 years now.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Morning folks! I’ve been reading former posts about elegance coral and apparently they can be a mystery when they get sick. I read that a freshwater dip can sometimes help remove unwanted critters that maybe an iodine dip/coral rx dip might not have.

My situation is mine has been looking puny with tentacles withdrawn for a couple weeks.

During the last week I dipped in Coral Rx and it looked a little better for a day or two. A few days ago I tried Seachem Reef Dip that seems to be mostly iodine. Yesterday I read here about freshwater dips and tried it last night. Lots of little critters/tiny worms came off. I let it soak for 7 minutes.

When I pulled it out to rinse and get back in the tank it was utterly pathetic. It just looked like a smooth ball of wet tissue. It broke my heart to see it and think I screwed up. 10 minutes later I checked and it was coated with slime. Some was waving in the glow.
This morning I took the picture you see and at least you can see some little nubs of tentacles. Just by that it looks like maybe there’s hope.

Any advice. Leave it alone? Anything I can do to help it more. Right now it is under blue and white lights in mild flow.

Last night I tested salinity 1.027 and PH is 8.1. I was going to get a test at my LFS today. I’m including the last full test I had from last Wednesday. Also I did a 2.5 gallon water change 3 days ago as well as last night. I’m trying to get my magnesium up as well.

Tank is Fluval 13.5 and was set up beginning of October 2023.

A freshwater dip is warranted when the elegance gets the elegance disease ONLY. Mine does NOT like high mag- 1330 is where mine is at. Elegance corals require moderate light to support photosynthesis which they require. You want to aim for a PAR of about 80-120. Water flow should be moderate. You don’t want the flow to be too high or too low but allowing the tentacles flowing gently. Too little flow and elegance corals will not make it. Too much flow and you risk tearing the polyps. Proper flow brings food and nutrients to the polyps which should drift in the water flow.
Elegance coral is photosynthetic, which contains photosynthetic algae called zooxanthellae that live inside its tissue and provides nutrition by converting the energy by light. They require regular feedings. with foods such as krill, Mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, or small pieces of fish, and shrimp.
Elegance corals ARE prone to elegance coral syndrome (ECS). If your coral has this disease, you’ll see swelling around the oral disc and unopened polyps or a white mucus coating.

Here is mine:

 

[crabgrass]

Inexpensive because most average reefers myself included will lose corals the first year. Avoid $500 torches get a cheap frogspawn or hammer instead. Get the torch after your tank matures and stabilizes. Your wallet will thank you. Zoas, duncans, leathers, frogspawn, hammer, shrooms, acans, favia, etc... there are a ton of nice Inexpensive corals that are hardy and will make your tank look nice. I still have some of mine going on 3 years now.

Yep. That is what I am going for. Variety of cheap torches, hammers, acans and other LPS or softies the first 6 months. Maybe add some cheap SPS at the 6 month mark. One year mark maybe acros (if parameters allow) or elegance / other fun stuff

 

[Lavey29]

Yep. That is what I am going for. Variety of cheap torches, hammers, acans and other LPS or softies the first 6 months. Maybe add some cheap SPS at the 6 month mark. One year mark maybe acros (if parameters allow) or elegance / other fun stuff

Ideally, if you do well with the cheap corals and they get good growth, take them back to your LFS for credit and then get your more expensive difficult pieces using the credit. I gave my LFS some big acro colonies and replaced them with some new acro frags to start growing out again.

 

[Fishy888]

I came over from long time freshwater too. Some things are similar but most of reef aquaria is different then freshwater tanks. It's a very challenging hobby but still a lot of fun. There will be ups and downs the first year. After a year, my tank became much more stable and predictable and that's when my corals began to thrive. I really focused on building biodiversity and microfauna in my tank for a healthy biome. Avoid harsh chemicals. The ocean doesn't use harsh chemicals. If a problem develops focus on correcting the underlying source of the problem rather then dropping harsh chemicals in your tank as a ban aid fix. Remember also with nano tanks that small problems can become big problems quickly because of the small volume you are working with so keep up on your testing regularly.

Don't hesitate to start a thread if you have any questions or concerns either. Pretty sure there is always someone around 24/7 to respond.

^^^ This!

It’s hard in that first year because you want the color sticks and other creatures that need stable parameters. I know because I’ve been there.

Try to concentrate on getting your parameters stable. Don’t rely on algaecides or other gimmick chemicals to solve problems. Use natural means. Don’t do like I did for a long time and chase numbers. Concentrate on stability. Once you get near the 1 year mark and your parameters have been holding steady, maybe try some easy SPS like Montipora. I’d wait about the same amount of time to try elegance again.

Of course your elegance might just pull through but no more dips. Leave it alone for a couple of weeks. Of course if it starts disintegrating then get it out. Otherwise let it do its thing.