Elegance problems still a problem? - Page 2

elvisdoc · 12/08/1999, 10:02 PM

Anybody read the article in December FAMA about Elegance corals by two Dutch guys from the Netherlands saying they keep them alive for years? What's up with that?

What's the longest you guys or gals have kept one? Tried once, no luck, but then again I am from Texas...did use a Dutch oven once, but don't think that counts.

elvis

Chad · 12/09/1999, 09:41 AM

I got one a week ago, it is already dead. Water perameters are good, VHO lighting, it never opened up. I will never, ever own one of these again. There are too many other corals out their that can prosper so well. The elegance is a losing battle.

alde · 12/09/1999, 02:35 PM

Hi All,

I don't have an Elegance now, but did a few years ago. I had it in my tank for almost 5 years and was doing well and growing. I gave it to a LFS when I moved out of the state.

The one thing that was common prctice then and not now is the use of wet/dry filters. I was using one then. Are the people keeping them alive using wet/dry filters? Maybe they need nitrates. I also just had a simple counter current skimmer. I am sure I had more nutrients in the water than the reef of today.

Best regards, Al

------------------
He who feared he would not succeed sat still.

cjdevito · 12/09/1999, 03:20 PM

My elegance is two years old and has laid in two inches of skeletal height in that time, yet my tank runs with no detectable nitrates. Just FWIW.

Bass Cadet · 12/09/1999, 08:59 PM

KASESQ: I seem to recall reading in TRA or MCRA that they do like higher nutrient levels.

BDB: I agree with Fox, it sounds like a sponge. I have a pink one growing on mine as well as some bivalves(?) and other filter feeders. As for puffing up while shrinking its tentacles, mine seems to do that often when I feed (cryopaste) phytoplankton.

Alde: nope, no wet dry. Just a protein skimmer. I had an underpowered skimmer for a while and replaced it with a Turboflotor. Doesn't seem to have made a difference with the elegance.

I'm still interested in the possible (lack of) copepod/amphipod connection. I know another reefkeeper with two elegances who has a mandarinfish in his tank. I think Charles also has a dragonet. Same tank?

greg

alde · 12/09/1999, 09:09 PM

Hi All,

The Manderin connection is interesting. A friend who is also a member of this list has an elegance that was doing great until his manderin died. A few weeks later the coral started to decline. I'm sure his population of pods went up. Hmmm, very interesting.

Al

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He who feared he would not succeed sat still.

KASESQ · 12/09/1999, 11:22 PM

It sounds to me like whatever the secret is to keeping elegance corals is the same secret
needed to keep Goniopora. I have the same
symptoms with both-they appear to be starving
to death. As was pointed out above, perhaps
our tanks are TOO clean??

Big Daddy B · 12/09/1999, 11:44 PM

I've had one for about 9mos and it has grown considerably. To my knowledge the problems had just started when we got it. It was completely open 5 minutes after introduction, and hasn't really stopped since. Mine actually every once in while does what was described earlier, puff up real big and shrivel it's tentacles. I saw this as a way it was trying to move because it didn't like where it was. So, I would move it around a little. Now it wasn't doing this all the time, maybe once every 3 weeks. The place it's in now it has been very happy for about 4 mos.

Now for my problem. I have been following this thread for awhile, and this weekend I wanted to get a close inspection of it so I got it to close up most of the way. On one side of the skeleton is greyish covering that was not there about 2 mos ago. I touched and it seems to have the consistency of rubber. It's not touching any of the tissue, and there is no receeding, but what is this stuff. It really is just like a rubbery coating on one side of the skeleton.

Anyone got any ideas??

FOX · 12/09/1999, 11:55 PM

Big Daddy,

It sounds most likely to be a sponge of some sort. Unless the coral starts to recede in that area, or otherwise look to be irritated, I wouldn't worry about it. It's probably harmless.

All on this thread,

It seems to me, that since people used to be able to keep these corals for years, and now there's so many problems, there must be something to the shipping and/or collection problems that have been suggested. I have one that I got from kapu180 about 2-3 months ago. I'm not sure how long he had it, but it's done very well in my tank. A couple days ago, I came home and it was pretty much closed at a time of day when it's normally wide open. I started to worry that mine was going to bite the dust too, but the next day it was back to normal. It's still too early to tell if this one will do well in the long run, but it's doing very well so far.

FOX

------------------
members.xoom.com/KoryFox/index.htm

cjdevito · 12/10/1999, 10:12 AM

Greg:

Yup, same tank. But...the mandarin has only been a resident since 6/99, and the elegance has been around since 1/98.

12/08/1999, 10:02 PM	#26
elvisdoc Registered Member Join Date: Nov 1999 Location: Texas Posts: 122	Anybody read the article in December FAMA about Elegance corals by two Dutch guys from the Netherlands saying they keep them alive for years? What's up with that? What's the longest you guys or gals have kept one? Tried once, no luck, but then again I am from Texas...did use a Dutch oven once, but don't think that counts. elvis

12/09/1999, 09:41 AM	#27
Chad Premium Member Join Date: Nov 1999 Location: Westerville, Ohio Posts: 342	I got one a week ago, it is already dead. Water perameters are good, VHO lighting, it never opened up. I will never, ever own one of these again. There are too many other corals out their that can prosper so well. The elegance is a losing battle.

12/09/1999, 02:35 PM	#28
alde Premium Member Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Bremerton, Washington Posts: 1,354	Hi All, I don't have an Elegance now, but did a few years ago. I had it in my tank for almost 5 years and was doing well and growing. I gave it to a LFS when I moved out of the state. The one thing that was common prctice then and not now is the use of wet/dry filters. I was using one then. Are the people keeping them alive using wet/dry filters? Maybe they need nitrates. I also just had a simple counter current skimmer. I am sure I had more nutrients in the water than the reef of today. Best regards, Al ------------------ He who feared he would not succeed sat still.

12/09/1999, 03:20 PM	#29
cjdevito 10 & Over Club Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: NYC Posts: 635	My elegance is two years old and has laid in two inches of skeletal height in that time, yet my tank runs with no detectable nitrates. Just FWIW.

12/09/1999, 08:59 PM	#30
Bass Cadet Registered Member Join Date: Nov 1999 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 9	KASESQ: I seem to recall reading in TRA or MCRA that they do like higher nutrient levels. BDB: I agree with Fox, it sounds like a sponge. I have a pink one growing on mine as well as some bivalves(?) and other filter feeders. As for puffing up while shrinking its tentacles, mine seems to do that often when I feed (cryopaste) phytoplankton. Alde: nope, no wet dry. Just a protein skimmer. I had an underpowered skimmer for a while and replaced it with a Turboflotor. Doesn't seem to have made a difference with the elegance. I'm still interested in the possible (lack of) copepod/amphipod connection. I know another reefkeeper with two elegances who has a mandarinfish in his tank. I think Charles also has a dragonet. Same tank? greg

12/09/1999, 09:09 PM	#31
alde Premium Member Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Bremerton, Washington Posts: 1,354	Hi All, The Manderin connection is interesting. A friend who is also a member of this list has an elegance that was doing great until his manderin died. A few weeks later the coral started to decline. I'm sure his population of pods went up. Hmmm, very interesting. Al ------------------ He who feared he would not succeed sat still.

12/09/1999, 11:22 PM	#32
KASESQ Premium Member Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Corona, CA -USA Posts: 715	It sounds to me like whatever the secret is to keeping elegance corals is the same secret needed to keep Goniopora. I have the same symptoms with both-they appear to be starving to death. As was pointed out above, perhaps our tanks are TOO clean??

12/09/1999, 11:44 PM	#33
Big Daddy B Registered Member Join Date: Oct 1999 Posts: 51	I've had one for about 9mos and it has grown considerably. To my knowledge the problems had just started when we got it. It was completely open 5 minutes after introduction, and hasn't really stopped since. Mine actually every once in while does what was described earlier, puff up real big and shrivel it's tentacles. I saw this as a way it was trying to move because it didn't like where it was. So, I would move it around a little. Now it wasn't doing this all the time, maybe once every 3 weeks. The place it's in now it has been very happy for about 4 mos. Now for my problem. I have been following this thread for awhile, and this weekend I wanted to get a close inspection of it so I got it to close up most of the way. On one side of the skeleton is greyish covering that was not there about 2 mos ago. I touched and it seems to have the consistency of rubber. It's not touching any of the tissue, and there is no receeding, but what is this stuff. It really is just like a rubbery coating on one side of the skeleton. Anyone got any ideas??

12/09/1999, 11:55 PM	#34
FOX Awaiting Email Confirmation Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Palmyra, Virginia, U.S.A. Posts: 1,035	Big Daddy, It sounds most likely to be a sponge of some sort. Unless the coral starts to recede in that area, or otherwise look to be irritated, I wouldn't worry about it. It's probably harmless. All on this thread, It seems to me, that since people used to be able to keep these corals for years, and now there's so many problems, there must be something to the shipping and/or collection problems that have been suggested. I have one that I got from kapu180 about 2-3 months ago. I'm not sure how long he had it, but it's done very well in my tank. A couple days ago, I came home and it was pretty much closed at a time of day when it's normally wide open. I started to worry that mine was going to bite the dust too, but the next day it was back to normal. It's still too early to tell if this one will do well in the long run, but it's doing very well so far. FOX ------------------ members.xoom.com/KoryFox/index.htm

12/10/1999, 10:12 AM	#35
cjdevito 10 & Over Club Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: NYC Posts: 635	Greg: Yup, same tank. But...the mandarin has only been a resident since 6/99, and the elegance has been around since 1/98.