I've had a few Elegance corals over the years. My current one was one of the first corals I added to the tank after it was stable. It's been pretty hardy for me, I even had it blasted with a little to much flow for awhile and the skin receded and started to detach fron the skeleton at the point of high flow. Its gone through periods where it didn't extend right,the tentacles would be short and knubby, and sometimes just look awful.
A few tips I find helpful with these guys.
- As always start with healthy stock! Don't buy one that doesn't look perfect thinking you can nurse it back to health. This is not a petco rescue kind of coral.
- Lot of debate on sand vs rock placement. Sand breeds disease, rock can be to rough and cause injury. Personally I mount on a rock near the sandbed. Build up a little pillar like structure off the rock so the polyp opens nicely and sways. Set it and forget it, don't move them around. Flow should make the tentacles wave but not so strong it pulls the polyp off the skeleton. Lighting should be lower, if you have strong reef lighting having it partially shaded isn't a bad idea.
-Feed them!! These corals love to eat. Mysis and Larry's reef frenzy are amazing. I thaw, turn off the flow, and baste once a week or two. When mine doesn't look 100% and isn't extending normally or inflating as large I know it's hungry. If it's injured feed lightly but continue to feed so it has the strength to regrow and heal.
It is very easy to tell a healthy Elegance from a sick one IMO. Even if they look ok, with the polyp opened and tentacles extended wave your hand gently over the top of the coral. A healthy coral will respond with a feeding like response and will almost feel sticky. The tentacles will all softly stick to your hand almost like static electricity for lack of a better explanation. If it does that it's healthy and can be fed and nurses to health without dips or treatments.
As a last resort I have heard of people using Cipro baths and tank treatments for these guys. Never done it myself but research it.
Here's my guy, probably about 80% opened. It is about 7 or 8 inches by 5 or 6 inches now and the tentacles are long enough to rival most torches mid day. Bought it a year ago maybe 4 by 2 inches.
