Anyone have long term success with an indo elegance coral?

[Gizmoh]

I have to apologize as mine was not an indo. But another piece of advise I have is to prepare for grow out! If it stays healthy the flesh can expand very quick!



These were taken about 6 months before I had to get rid of it do to the size

[carriej]

Thanks for all the responses guys, much appreciated.

I am a bit apprehensive about it for sure; I know for sure it's an indo. I think it was in a LFS 4 hours away for a week or two; and it took a 8 hour bus drive here last Wednesday. It was like non existent on the skeleton when it came, so I can't believe how big it expands from nothing.

I'm hoping it takes up the entire section of my 6 foot tank; the whole middle is open about 20 inches and I would like for it to take over that spot (lol) if it will.

So for now I guess I will keep an eye on it; every little thing it does I'm panicking. However I fed it some mysis tonight and it's tentacles grabbed it right away; so it must be feeling pretty good I guess. My tentacles are nowhere near as long as your guys though; holy crap!

[asylumdown]

Yah they're pretty variable in their tentacle length, but I've noticed that as they adapt to your aquarium, their tentacles seem to get longer. I'd bet that if yours does well, in 6 months or so it will look very similar to the ones pictured here.

If they're healthy, they're very robust corals. Easily one of the most forgiving and easiest to keep - it's why they got so popular and were over-collected. The ones that self destruct rapidly are usually sick with a specific disease, so in the absence of that disease, it should be fine. Thankfully, that disease doesn't seem to secretly lay dormant so if you've got it, you'll know pretty soon. If you make it a month with no symptoms I would be confident that it's going to thrive.

You'll never know what sort of conditions/holding facilities it was in along the chain of custody, but if you're looking for some peace of mind, you might want to call the store you bought it from and ask how often they house other elegance corals in the tank that yours was in at the store. I've had two now that were healthy and robust (the first was in my first salt water aquarium a few years ago) and one that came in with disease. The difference between the healthy and the diseased one (other than country of origin) that I could see (again, you'll never know how the wholesaler housed them) was that the diseased coral came from a tank that almost always has other indonesian elegance corals in it. I can't remember ever going in there and not seeing at least one, but usually several are kept in that display tank. The first elegance I had came from Big Al's Calgary, and the second from Red Coral in Edmonton, and the tanks they were in are primarily used from clams and other LPS frags/mini colonies. Those tanks rarely had more than one or two elegances in them at a time, and seemed to go months without any at all. As no one knows what causes ECS, it's hard to say how long the pathogen persists in a system (part of the reason why I've not replaced mine), but if the systems that they're housed in routinely run without any elegance corals in them for periods of time it can only hinder the spread of the disease.

Ultimately though, there's nothing more you can personally do than give it good water, appropriate flow, good lighting and isolate it from exposure to any possible future diseases. Anything that's happened has happened, so it's either going to (hopefully) thrive, or not. You'll know in a few weeks which it will be.

[carriej]

It was the only elegance he got and had in stock... So let's hope it does well ), east coast canada has very small fish stores.. So there is usually only 1 of everything unless it's something popular like frogspawn, etc.

I will be keeping close watch on it; but it seems like it's either going to happen or it's not. I've had it close to a week now.. So between the two moves (one to my dealer, and then on the bus to me) you would think it would have come out if it was going to.. But you never know.

[Rogue951]

I heard elegance don't do well in Eastern Canada, but the love it here on the West Coast... I voluntarily offer my tank as a sanctuary.......

That looks like an amazing piece. I've had good success with elegance in a mature tank. Bought one in my early tank days and it didn't last. (Could've been disease i suppose...)
bought another one that was fragged via bandsaw, in the process of healing and managed to grow it an inch of skeleton before it got too big for my tank and I had to sell it.

[hfp75]

My Elegance was an Indo from Frag-a-lot and it died at my house within a week.

Dont know if it was the disease or what......

I also read that Elegances are being over harvested and now are harvested from deeper water with lower light levels... when they get put into aquariums with more light they are overwhelmed.... and melt.

who knows if mine was sick or a low lighter. either way it melted in a few days....

[carriej]

Hmm, I'll have a week in Weds, and lol Rogue too funny , I think I will keep it!

It is beautiful, green with pinkish-purple tentacles and bright purple tips that glow.

Guess I will see what all happens. I really hope it makes it; I will update in a few weeks with hopefully good news that it's still ticking. It seems pretty happy as far as I can see; and I fed it tonight and it ate.

[asylumdown]

I agree, yours looks like it's in great shape. Based on your description I'd say you have as good a chance as anyone as that guy becoming a show-piece in your tank. If you're ever near a band saw and happen to have it with you... you just let me know

[carriej]

Still doing well.... Knock on wood. Tentacles are getting longer also

Elegance


Close up of tentacles

[Coralgurl]

Very stunning coral!! I've never wanted to try one as I thought they were difficult to keep, but this thread has been quite educational as to what the issues are. May give one a go!!