How Sensitive are aussie Elegance Corals

[Treefer32]

I have an Elegance I got about 2-3 weeks ago (just before Thanksgiving), I got two other corals at the same time, a nice large bubble coral and a large fungia plate coral. The plate and the Bubble coral are doing great. Loving their new homes. My Elegance yesterday and today are staying somewhat closed and looks like it's flesh is receding.

I've had some phosphate swings. They went from .20 to .03 in a 5-7 day period. It seems like it actually liked the .2 phosphates better, but would that be a big enough swing to kill it? I've hand fed it once (when I first got it and it ate great too.) I'll try feeding again to see if that makes a difference. I usually feed heavy for my 15 large fish. I've seen the bubble capture food out of the water column. I have some hammers and frog spawn I got in the last 3 weeks as well and both have new heads. So, just wondering whyt he Elegance is appearing to suffer?

I fed some Benepets reef nutrition as well yesterday (just a small amount so as to not cause massive phosphate spikes). Curious what other people's experience is with Elegance.

My Alk went from 8.5 to 9.9 over the same 7 dayperiod. I lowered my dosing and it's gone from 9.9 to 9.2 in a 48 hour period.

No other corals show signs of stress - Acros, Duncans, Orange Yumas, montipora, etc.

 

[FreshSaltH2o]

I’ve never had luck with them

 

[stoney7713]

This is the second thread I've seen about Elegance corals being difficult. Glad I did because I thought about getting one. Maybe in a few years. For now I want to succeed in a thriving reef.

 

[Treefer32]

This is the second thread I've seen about Elegance corals being difficult. Glad I did because I thought about getting one. Maybe in a few years. For now I want to succeed in a thriving reef.

I've tried one a couple years ago, I think it was an Indie Elegance which are more susceptible to infections over time and less Hardy than the Austrailian Elegance. It wasted away over a 4 -5 month period. I'm hoping this one fairs better. But still trying to understand their needs.

 

[Treefer32]

It's starting to open but looks a little stressed. Not sure if it needs lower flow yet? I moved it to a more sheltered spot but still has some flow there. I also reduced the speeds of my 4 gyres from 85%to 100%. Down to 50% to 75%. Hoping that helps some. It's opening more than it was an hour ago.

 

[stoney7713]

It's starting to open but looks a little stressed. Not sure if it needs lower flow yet? I moved it to a more sheltered spot but still has some flow there. I also reduced the speeds of my 4 gyres from 85%to 100%. Down to 50% to 75%. Hoping that helps some. It's opening more than it was an hour ago.

Beautiful coral.

 

[Charles Zinn]

I have an Elegance I got about 2-3 weeks ago (just before Thanksgiving), I got two other corals at the same time, a nice large bubble coral and a large fungia plate coral. The plate and the Bubble coral are doing great. Loving their new homes. My Elegance yesterday and today are staying somewhat closed and looks like it's flesh is receding.

I've had some phosphate swings. They went from .20 to .03 in a 5-7 day period. It seems like it actually liked the .2 phosphates better, but would that be a big enough swing to kill it? I've hand fed it once (when I first got it and it ate great too.) I'll try feeding again to see if that makes a difference. I usually feed heavy for my 15 large fish. I've seen the bubble capture food out of the water column. I have some hammers and frog spawn I got in the last 3 weeks as well and both have new heads. So, just wondering whyt he Elegance is appearing to suffer?

I fed some Benepets reef nutrition as well yesterday (just a small amount so as to not cause massive phosphate spikes). Curious what other people's experience is with Elegance.

My Alk went from 8.5 to 9.9 over the same 7 dayperiod. I lowered my dosing and it's gone from 9.9 to 9.2 in a 48 hour period.

No other corals show signs of stress - Acros, Duncans, Orange Yumas, montipora, etc.

Torches are tricky...have any of your other parameters changed rapidly also? Do ypu use bacterial additives? How close are rhey to frogspawn and hammers?

 

[Treefer32]

I don't think Elegance Corals are Torches are they? May be in a similar class? I've never thought them the same but may be wrong. I noticed it opened up more yesterday than it was the day before. So, might be doing better not sure. I target fed it yesterday for the first time in two weeks and it seemed to eat really well. I'll keep on top of feeding it twice a week to see if that perks it up. I just am wanting to be proactive due to losing one a couple years ago.

As far as parameters I'm working on ph, it's gone from 7.6 to 7.9 with cleaning my skimmer pump and skimmer thoroughly and putting in a CO2 scrubber on my skimmer intake. I noticed the ph when I changed my ph probe and calibrated it. PH went what I thought was 8.1 to 7.6 with the new probe at night and would maybe hit 7.75 during the day. With the cleaned skimmer and CO2 scrubber, the low is now 7.8 and the high is 7.9. All things for the best, but maybe just changes in general causing it to question it's home... I feel that way some days too! Lol

 

[Tonycass12]

I think your alk spike has it more upset then anything. Ive got an aussie that was fragged from a larger colony. Its dont great in my system even with PO⁴ being undetectable. Get your alk back down and give it some time.

 

[dennis romano]

I commented on the other thread for elegance corals. You cannot treat them as you would other corals. They are not found on reefs but rather on mud flats and grass beds. The waters here are filled with nutrients and usually quite turbid with a moderate current. So, if you try to keep them as you would SPS, you will fry them. To keep them happy, low to moderate light (not direct), a moderate current, and somewhat "dirty" water. It is believed that nutrients are absorbed through their tentacles. If you watch a video of them in nature, they look like anemones with their tentacles swaying with the current. Mine is several years old. Some days, it is ten inches across, other days just a few inches. It closes at night and will eat anything from pellets to mysis.

 

[stoney7713]

I commented on the other thread for elegance corals. You cannot treat them as you would other corals. They are not found on reefs but rather on mud flats and grass beds. The waters here are filled with nutrients and usually quite turbid with a moderate current. So, if you try to keep them as you would SPS, you will fry them. To keep them happy, low to moderate light (not direct), a moderate current, and somewhat "dirty" water. It is believed that nutrients are absorbed through their tentacles. If you watch a video of them in nature, they look like anemones with their tentacles swaying with the current. Mine is several years old. Some days, it is ten inches across, other days just a few inches. It closes at night and will eat anything from pellets to mysis.

Nice info, thanks. I'll have to research these too.

 

[Midrats]

For what it's worth, Benereef lowers PO4.

 

[dedragon]

For what it's worth, Benereef lowers PO4.

It is coral food so shouldnt it raise phosphate?

 

[Midrats]

It is coral food so shouldnt it raise phosphate?

You would think so, but it doesn't. It has a bacterial component to it. SBB Corals uses it to lower PO4. I have never seen a rise in PO4 while using it.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have an Elegance I got about 2-3 weeks ago (just before Thanksgiving), I got two other corals at the same time, a nice large bubble coral and a large fungia plate coral. The plate and the Bubble coral are doing great. Loving their new homes. My Elegance yesterday and today are staying somewhat closed and looks like it's flesh is receding.

I've had some phosphate swings. They went from .20 to .03 in a 5-7 day period. It seems like it actually liked the .2 phosphates better, but would that be a big enough swing to kill it? I've hand fed it once (when I first got it and it ate great too.) I'll try feeding again to see if that makes a difference. I usually feed heavy for my 15 large fish. I've seen the bubble capture food out of the water column. I have some hammers and frog spawn I got in the last 3 weeks as well and both have new heads. So, just wondering whyt he Elegance is appearing to suffer?

I fed some Benepets reef nutrition as well yesterday (just a small amount so as to not cause massive phosphate spikes). Curious what other people's experience is with Elegance.

My Alk went from 8.5 to 9.9 over the same 7 dayperiod. I lowered my dosing and it's gone from 9.9 to 9.2 in a 48 hour period.

No other corals show signs of stress - Acros, Duncans, Orange Yumas, montipora, etc.

I have an easy time with them and key is placement-light/flow, and feeding. Lights support photosynthesis which they require and not sttrong light but moderate to medium strong light at a PAR of about 80-120. Also important is water flow which should be moderate as you don’t want the flow to be strong but moderate keeping the tentacles flowing gently like leaves in a light wind.
Too little flow and they wont do well and too much flow - you can tear their polyps.
Water flow brings nutrients to the polyps and assures they are fed.

This started as a size of a quarter and now soccer ball size

 

[Treefer32]

I have an easy time with them and key is placement-light/flow, and feeding. Lights support photosynthesis which they require and not sttrong light but moderate to medium strong light at a PAR of about 80-120. Also important is water flow which should be moderate as you don’t want the flow to be strong but moderate keeping the tentacles flowing gently like leaves in a light wind.
Too little flow and they wont do well and too much flow - you can tear their polyps.
Water flow brings nutrients to the polyps and assures they are fed.

This started as a size of a quarter and now soccer ball size

That's exactly what I want to get to! I've got a lot of flow in my tank. 4 gyres with Max output of 5000gph each they're pushing water lengthwise at the surface. 2 on each side. And then 2 mp 40s pushing water from back to front. The return is also doing around 2400 gph. I was thinking it may be flow. I'll try playing with it. I'd say it's moderate to heavy flow affecting the tentacles. But nothing is blowing directly on it. Just generally a lot of circulation.

 

[Charles Zinn]

I don't think Elegance Corals are Torches are they? May be in a similar class? I've never thought them the same but may be wrong. I noticed it opened up more yesterday than it was the day before. So, might be doing better not sure. I target fed it yesterday for the first time in two weeks and it seemed to eat really well. I'll keep on top of feeding it twice a week to see if that perks it up. I just am wanting to be proactive due to losing one a couple years ago.

As far as parameters I'm working on ph, it's gone from 7.6 to 7.9 with cleaning my skimmer pump and skimmer thoroughly and putting in a CO2 scrubber on my skimmer intake. I noticed the ph when I changed my ph probe and calibrated it. PH went what I thought was 8.1 to 7.6 with the new probe at night and would maybe hit 7.75 during the day. With the cleaned skimmer and CO2 scrubber, the low is now 7.8 and the high is 7.9. All things for the best, but maybe just changes in general causing it to question it's home... I feel that way some days too! Lol

My local fish store had me up my kh from6's to between. 9 and 10. Increased my ph and anemones and softiesdoing better as are lps.

 

[Treefer32]

You would think so, but it doesn't. It has a bacterial component to it. SBB Corals uses it to lower PO4. I have never seen a rise in P

I commented on the other thread for elegance corals. You cannot treat them as you would other corals. They are not found on reefs but rather on mud flats and grass beds. The waters here are filled with nutrients and usually quite turbid with a moderate current. So, if you try to keep them as you would SPS, you will fry them. To keep them happy, low to moderate light (not direct), a moderate current, and somewhat "dirty" water. It is believed that nutrients are absorbed through their tentacles. If you watch a video of them in nature, they look like anemones with their tentacles swaying with the current. Mine is several years old. Some days, it is ten inches across, other days just a few inches. It closes at night and will eat anything from pellets to mysis.

I will definitely test Benepets food because I've done a larger amount mixed with aquarium water (half a teaspoon or so) and I nearly nuked my tank because my phosphates went from .1 to .4 ppm in a 24 hour period. It was the only thing I dosed abnormally other than my normal fish food that also includes Benepets coral food in it as well.


I've been testing PO4 and Nitrates every 3-4 days and generally my water is pretty dirty, but I need a definition of dirty. My denitrification processes are phosphate limited right now. Phosphates hovering between .03 and .15 ppm (week to week). My nitrates are hovering between 40 and 50 week to week. I consider that dirty. I don't want phosphates 0. I've seen most of my corals including SPS get pretty upset with that to the point of tissue recession in SPS. I want phosphates, I want nitrates just in moderation.

I filter with an Algae Turf scrubber (dosing Chaeto Grow to keep the scrubber growing hair algae - it works! ).

I also am vodka dosing around 20 ml per day to keep nitrates in check. I am running a skimmer attached to a CO2 scrubber to try to raise PH which, I skim wet and get black water close to 3-4 gallons a month. I also run a Red Sea Reef mat that I go through a roll of paper in 2-3 weeks that's covered in thick brown matter.

I have 15 fish, most are larger: 3 tangs that are each in the 8-10" range. 2 Creole Anthias, the male being around 11-12 inches in length the female around 8-9 inches in length. 3 different Angel fish that are fat and large. And a few other miscellaneous smaller fish. I'm amazed at how much waste just fish produce. It keeps my filtration busy!

 

[Rmckoy]

I’ve never had much luck with them . But … aqua cultured are a little hardier compared to wild collected .
Very similar to torches for me . I have a very hard time keeping both of them alive

 

[Midrats]

Elegance used to do great back in the Nineties in Jaubert tanks without skimmers and Nineties flow technology.