Need advice: Elegance coral not happy

[cgill311]

Last Tuesday, I bought an elegance coral and bubble coral. Both opened right up. However, for the last 2 days, the elegance has been retracted into its skeleton. All other corals and fish are fine. Water params seem fine.

I noticed this morning some of the elegance tentacles were cut or broken off and resting underneath the bubble coral. Is something in my tank trying to eat the elegance?

Possible culprits?
Peppermint shrimp (This guy regularly stole mysis from it)
Hermits
Maroon clowns
Scribbled rabbitfish
Lawnmower blenny

Any suggestions?

 

[flyingarmy]

My guess is your Peppermint shrimps were the culprits. Mine have picked at corals that they percieved as aiptasia or anenomes. They will problably leave it alone now that they knows its not tasty. Good luck!

 

[jessezm]

Basically, very few people have had any success with this coral in a long time. It's hypothesized that they need a nutrient-rich tank, which most try to avoid these days. It's a wonder they continue to collect these beauties...

I would be wary of the peppermint shrimp, and try to feed it first before you feed the elegance, if you can get still get a feeding response from it.

Also, if it's in direct light, maybe you could give it some shade. They tend to occur among seagrasses in the wild which probably offer some sun protection.

 

[mkinna1]

Mine is directly under a 250 halide and doing well but one of my buddies runs a store and he has never seen one to last. I doubt anything would try to eat it! They have one of the most powerfull stings mine has killed a bubbletip over night! My elagance has been around for 5 months but I dont know how long it will last

 

[cgill311]

I moved it to a lower light area of the tank and did a 10% water change. I'll keep an eye on it to see how it's doing. It may be a few days before it heals and comes out. I can see little bits of green tentacles on the sand.

I'm guessing it will recover. I think I'll just have to be careful during feeding times or just not feed it at all.

 

[jessezm]

sounds like someone was sampling it...

 

[darren24]

They have a very low survival rate in aquariums. I had one for about 3 months and it would look good one day and horrible the next. Then it died.

 

[dakota9]

Lets put the nutrient theory to the test......

I too picked up an elegance coral on Tuesday a week ago, its big and beautiful. I have no shrimp in my tank, and as most people know I do not use RO water. The water going in my tank has a reliable TDS of 80, and also has a DSB (emphasis on the D, as it's 8" inch some spots, but fear not, my tank is prettier than it sounds). We'll see if the added nutrients helps the survival of my elegance coral, as so far it's done great!

My plate coral on the other hand has not fully openned in the week that I've had it, and I'm concerned for it.

 

[georgiasunflower]

jessezm;102741 wrote: Basically, very few people have had any success with this coral in a long time. It's hypothesized that they need a nutrient-rich tank, which most try to avoid these days. It's a wonder they continue to collect these beauties...
.

My husband and son bought me one in September and mine has doubled in size since then. I will find a picture, it is beautiful and I have never had problems with it.

I am concerned about the peppermint shrimp comments. I JUST added three yesterday in a cleaning package I bought. They said it was reef safe, so I assumed the shrimp would not harm my corals... Should I remove them?
Thanks

 

[georgiasunflower]

I just read about the Peppermint Shrimp and they said on Saltwaterfish.com that these shrimp are peaceful, reef safe, and are "popular shrimp because of its desire to eat nuisance glass anemones (Aiptasia). " I don't think they are eating your coral?