elegance coral not doing good

[amber3k]

I have had this coral for just a week and it opened up and looked good right away. After a couple hours my clownfish decided to "play" in it, she does it with almost every coral in my tank. Right away the coral closed up and has been on the decline since. They center actually looks like its melting and the ends still fill up and extend tentacles but not fully. I really dont know what to do from here, so much of what I read online says its a goner.

[cloak]

Whoa, that does not look good. I'm not sure if you've already seen this article or not, but perhaps this link will help.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-01/eb/index.php

[coralsnaked]

Clowning around with it shouldn't bother it too much. If all other corals are doing good then I would ASSUME all parameters are good. I see its on the bottom so not too much light there. But it does not like too much flow. This will cause it to stay partially retracted. Sometimes they just close up a couple of days. Worst thing is to start messing around with it.

[coralsnaked]

Originally Posted by cloak

Whoa, that does not look good. I'm not sure if you've already seen this article or not, but perhaps this link will help.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-01/eb/index.php

True but a bit outdated. There was concern 5 years ago and I haven't really kept up with the disease process as I do not keep elegance.

But with that said I believe if you really study the morbidity of the disease process you may find this specimen shown is not demonstrating the same symptoms, as so far as mucous production etc..

[amber3k]

I read a lot on the ec disease, and I did not see any of those symtoms. I am kind of thinking my clown tore the tissue a bit and that is what caused this. She is about 3in and can be rough when playing in the corals. All my parameters are within spec (as per sk8ers sig), but my calcium runs around 500-520. I do not know phosphates. All my other corals are happy and thriving.

[cloak]

FWIW, I had a pair of Ocellaris clowns destroy a Duncan coral one time. The constant interaction was just to much and over the course of about a month or so it was pretty much a slow decline. Being that you've only had the coral for a week, the clowns do not interact with it on a regular basis, and it's been on the decline ever since, that link posted above is definitely still something to consider. Whatever might be wrong with it, I hope it pulls through for you. GL.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=310425

[ca1ore]

Hard to tell for sure from the photo, but looks like dead and necrotic tissue. Elegance are tough and not easy to keep.

[snorvich]

Clownfish can destroy corals.

[Teenreefer15]

Looks dead to me

[Kies1]

That is why I do not have any clowns in my tank

[amber3k]

Looking worse as the day goes by...how disappointing.

[SM2444]

I have an Elegance which does this often. He's not quite on the floor of the tank - and gets plenty of light. My Elegance looks lifeless like in your photos most every night when the lights are softening. Also, after I've fed it with prawn or shrimp it will be limp for the whole next day - I feel it's almost like all the energy is being used to digest the food given before it comes good again a day later. I have mine in a spot that has big current and it thrives. I also know when my KH is low since the Elegance goes quite limp then too. I've had mine for 8 months now - super hardy, huge and healthy.

BTW - just noticed two white lines to the right of your 2nd photo. Are they antennae of shrimp? Or perhaps they belong to another coral positioned too close to your Elegance and stinging him?

[amber3k]

There are a couple cleaner shrimp that hang out on a ledge above the coral, no other corals close by. This morning there were pieces of coral flesh on the sand around the coral, its just falling apart very quickly. I'm sure my clown tore some flesh and hurt it. She keeps going over to play in it but stops before rubbing all over it. I will be catching and rehoming her. She is a larger clown and I guess im not wanting to take any chances of her doing that to my bubble corals, too. I will post a pic a bit later of the coral and update this thread (only because I hate finding info on a thread only to never find out the outcome in the end).

[amber3k]

How it looks today

[fearyaks]

Any updates? Was thinking of perhaps getting one of these this weekend.

[amber3k]

Skeleton looks completely bare. There are just a few spots of tissue left between the skeleton "fins" that I see inflate every now and then. I keep it in my tank just in case it comes back. I do not recommend this coral if you have a large clown that plays aggressively in the corals.

[fearyaks]

That's a bummer. Good luck.

[droog]

I think a lot of this must be luck. I have 2 large clowns hosting an elegance coral and they are all happy after about a year together.

Have you tried running carbon wonder if its some kind of alleopathy issue.

-droog