Quick Notes about Elegance Corals
| Name | Elegance coral |
| Common Names | Elegant coral, Wonder coral, Ridge coral |
| Scientific Name | |
| Tank size (minimum) | 15 gallons (~60 liters) |
| Keeping | Moderate |
What do elegant corals eat?
Although the elegance photosynthesizes, elegance coral care also includes frequent feeding. These corals will eat a variety of meaty foods, including brine shrimp, krill, plankton, or small pieces of fish. The food should be high quality but the pieces should be small so they are easy for the coral to digest.
What do you feed a coral reef fish?
A few notable foods are krill, Mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, or small pieces of fish, shrimp, or shellfish. Care should be given to the size you feed this coral.
How to care for an elegance coral?
Feed your coral regularly, daily if you can. Mysis, small fish, and brine shrimp, all are great food for Elegance coral. Just make sure that you are feeding it small chunks of food. It may accept larger pieces, however, at night, will regurgitate it back. In addition to that, they also eat plankton or other particles from the water column.
What is the best water flow for elegance coral?
The Elegance Coral is beautiful under any lights, however, place it under actinic lights and you will see its true beauty. Elegance corals will thrive in moderate flow. However, they can survive in low or higher water flow settings as well. In general, higher flow means bringing more nutrients to the coral. Keep that in mind.
Do you need to feed elegance coral?
Elegance corals are photosynthetic much like most corals in the reef aquarium hobby. So long as this coral is provided adequate lighting it will get most of the nutrition it requires from the zooxanthellae dinoflagellates living in its tissue. In our experience however, they also benefit from direct feeding.
How often should you feed elegance coral?
Although some reef keepers have never fed Elegance corals in their tanks; it is still recommended to feed them 1 – 2 times a week. Be sure to feed the Elegance coral adequately, this should be done several times a week to keep it healthy and strong.
How do you look after coral elegance?
9:1213:23Elegance Coral Care Tips - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWe like to feed a mixture of meaty foods such as shrimp fish. And squid as a side note this chloralMoreWe like to feed a mixture of meaty foods such as shrimp fish. And squid as a side note this chloral is an adept assassin of snails be forewarned if you'd like snails in your tank.
What do I feed my corals?
It's important to offer a variety of foods to find one or more that your coral will accept. This can include diced small fish, thawed frozen plankton, phytoplankton, krill, pieces of shrimp, squid, or clams. These are also known as octopus foods and many saltwater aquarists believe this simplifies coral feeding.
Do elegance corals eat snails?
And even those types that can flip themselves over will be stung back into their shell, and with these corals being so large even as babies, they can eat a whole snail easily.
Why is my elegance coral closed up?
Your tank sounds too clean. For phosphates and nitrates, are you running anything like chaeto, GFO, nopox, etc.
Do elegance corals close at night?
Mine retracts at night as well. By this I mean, you can see a fair bit of the base of the skeleton, however you can still see the ends of the tentacles. I assume this is normal just like zoas close up, etc.
Can elegance coral eat fish?
Healthy elegance corals can and will capture and eat healthy fish.
Do elegance corals split?
It produces new buds every few months. They split off randomly after that. Don't think the coral has ever been stressed.
Should I feed my corals everyday?
We generally recommend feeding coral 1-2 times per week when keeping photosynthetic corals in the evening after your aquarium lights have turned off.
How do you make corals happy?
0:113:55Coral Food: Make Your Corals Fat and Healthy - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo they can easily consume pellet or frozen foods such as brian. And my sister in'. Many soft coralsMoreSo they can easily consume pellet or frozen foods such as brian. And my sister in'. Many soft corals and SPS corals have much smaller mouths. And will require liquid or powder foods with smaller.
Can you feed coral everyday?
Spot feeding I'd recommend a couple times a week at most. Feeding the fish daily will also give the euphyllia some food as well.
How much par do you get for elegance coral?
PAR 150-250Lighting & Flow Requirements: The Elegance Coral requires low to moderate water flow and moderate lighting (PAR 150-250).
Do elegance corals close at night?
Mine retracts at night as well. By this I mean, you can see a fair bit of the base of the skeleton, however you can still see the ends of the tentacles. I assume this is normal just like zoas close up, etc.
Can you put an elegance coral on rock?
I just got an elegance coral today and since i don't have any space on my sand bed the LFS guy said it'd be ok to put the elegance on a rock as long as the flesh doesn't touch the rocks. The area its it gets med-high light with low flow. It opened up fully in a few hours after I acclimated it.
Do elegance corals eat fish?
Healthy elegance corals can and will capture and eat healthy fish.
What is the LPS of an Elegance Coral?
Elegance corals are LPS meaning as stony corals, they require consistent levels of calcium, alkalinity, and to a lesser degree magnesium in order to grow their calcium carbonate skeleton. If your stony coral load is low or if an elegance coral is one of the only stony corals in your tank, I would not worry too much about these levels. The amount of supplementation needed to maintain calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium depends a lot on the size and growth rate of the stony corals in your tank. Although elegance corals can grow to massive sizes, the amount of skeleton they produce is surprisingly little compared to the amount of flesh they pack on. I have seen some elegance corals extend over a foot in length with only a small 4” skeleton below.
What do Elegance corals eat?
In our experience however, they also benefit from direct feeding. There are a variety of frozen fish foods available that make outstanding meals for Catalaphyllia. We like to feed a mixture of meaty foods such as shrimp, fish, and squid. As a side note, this coral is an adept assassin of snails. Be forewarned, if you like snails in your tank, this LPS may completely remove them from the equation.
What do catalaphyllias eat?
There are a variety of frozen fish foods available that make outstanding meals for Catalaphyllia. We like to feed a mixture of meaty foods such as shrimp, fish, and squid. As a side note, this coral is an adept assassin of snails.
Do Elegance corals need water?
Elegance corals appear to be less affected by their flow conditions however stronger flow was beneficial in bringing more food to the coral's tentacles. Like light, water flow is not something that I would go crazy with. Moderate water movement is recommended.
Do Elegance corals need direct feeding?
So long as this coral is provided adequate lighting it will get most of the nutrition it requires from the zooxanthellae dinoflagellates living in its tissue. In our experience however, they also benefit from direct feeding.
Do Indonesian elegances get infected?
Indonesian elegances suddenly became extremely sensitive, and were susceptible to infection. They would get this cotton-like buildup and retract before perishing. Worse yet, the infection would spread to other elegances, even the non-Indonesian ones.
Can you cut elegance corals with a band saw?
At this time, elegance corals are not a good candidate for aquaculture. It is possible to cut them with a band saw however this is risky as you may lose one or both halves. This is something we almost never do here at Tidal Gardens. It was never worth the risk in my experience.
What is the Elegance Coral?
The Catalaphyllia jardinei commonly referred to as the Elegance Coral, Ridge Coral or Wonder Coral is Large Stony Polyp Coral, very common in the aquarium trade. In the ocean, the Elegance coral inhabits both shallow and deep waters. You can usually find it on rocks, however, it inhabits soft substrates as well.
What is the disease that causes coral to swell?
Some of the specimens collected in the wild had an unknown disease. This disease, known as Elegance Coral Syndrome (ECS), causes the coral disk to swell, making these types of corals extremely difficult to take care of.
How to keep corals safe?
However, the best practice is keeping them under moderate lighting. If you want to stay on the safe side, attach it to a place where there isn’t too much light. And then move it until you find the perfect position . Adequate acclimation is mandatory for every new coral after all.
Can Elegance corals be kept in low light?
However, some hobbyists have had success even without following those rules. In terms of lighting, the Elegance corals can adapt to almost every light, without changing their appearance at all. People have had success keeping them in low light and a high light environment as well.
Can you put an Elegance Coral under actinic lights?
Adequate acclimation is mandatory for every new coral after all. The Elegance Coral is beautiful under any lights, however, place it under actinic lights and you will see its true beauty. Elegance corals will thrive in moderate flow. However, they can survive in low or higher water flow settings as well.
What is Elegance Coral Syndrome?
The Elegance coral syndrome (ECS) is a lethal infection known to occur solely in Catalaphyllia species, and a great number of specimens in the aquarium trade, especially those harvested from Indonesia suffer this disease condition.
How big do Elegance corals get?
In relation to the size of the Elegance coral, they can grow really big, up to 12 inches (30 cm) in length and 8 inches (20 cm) in diameter, while the length of the individual tentacles is about 4 inches (10 cm) when fully extended. Unfortunately, Elegances are very slow-growing corals.
Why do Elegance corals leave the skeleton?
While the real reasons for this are unknown, the reef community assumes that too strong water current (high direct flow) and not enough nutrition are the main ones.
What is the best temperature for Elegance coral?
Water type, Temperature, Hardness, and pH: Temperature: The ideal water temperature for keeping Elegance corals is between the range of 74 – 83 °C (23 – 28 °C). pH: Maintain optimal pH values 8.1 – 8.4 for the coral to thrive in your reef aquarium.
How does Elegance coral get its nutrients?
The Elegance coral obtains a great deal of its required nutrition from photosynthesis, which is facilitated by a symbiotic relationship with a marine algae “zooxanthellae” living in its tissue. Additionally, the coral is capable of filter-feeding.
Why do corals need turbid water?
Stronger flow benefits the corals by bringing more food to the coral’s tentacles. In addition, turbid water suggests that corals would get significantly less light (and it correlates with the fact that these corals don’t like bright light). At the same time, many aquarists did not have success with such tank setups.
What food can corals eat?
The coral will gladly accept: mysis shrimp, krill, brine shrimp (and other similar sized food items), vitamin-enriched brine shrimp, daphnia, copepods, reef roids (link to Amazon)
How big do Elegance corals grow?
Elegance corals can grow to be quite large, reaching about a foot in diameter, with tentacles that extend to half that length. Because of this, mature corals will need a tank of about 100 gallons. The elegance's long tentacles actually make it look quite similar to an anemone, although it isn't closely related.
What color is the elegance coral?
The elegance coral, also commonly known as the ridge coral or the wonder coral, is an aggressive but beautiful large polyp stony coral, popular with intermediate and advanced aquarium keepers. The coral shines under aquarium lighting, displaying a range of blue, purple, orange, and green tipped tentacles.
Why do corals tear?
These corals enjoy a medium water flow. The tentacles should wave gently through the water, sweeping back and forth, and the correct water flow will help with this. A water flow that's too gentle will mean that the coral won't capture enough food. A water flow that's too fast may cause the tentacles, which are relatively fragile, to tear. A quick water movement can also cause the coral to close up.
What do elegance corals eat?
Although the elegance photosynthesizes, elegance coral care also includes frequent feeding. These corals will eat a variety of meaty foods, including brine shrimp, krill, plankton, or small pieces of fish. The food should be high quality but the pieces should be small so they are easy for the coral to digest.
Why do corals need iodine?
Affected corals can be dipped in an iodine solution to ward off further infection and get rid of bacteria. In extreme cases, the diseased portions of the coral can also be split off.
Where do polyp stony corals come from?
Large polyp stony corals, like the elegance, are, as the name suggests, larger corals that create a stony calcium carbonate base, topped with soft polyps or tentacles. This particular coral, which is native to the Great Barrier Reef and the waters near Micronesia, Japan, and Mozambique, expands during the day, opening to take in light and collect food from the water. It's during these hours that keepers will be able to enjoy the elegance coral the most.
Why does my coral have a brown mass?
It may actually be caused by a number of different things, such as stress, injuries, or bacteria. The disease can be identified by a brown, jelly-like mass that floats on or near the surface of the coral. This is actually tissue necrosis, and the coral will continue to lose tissue as the condition progresses.
Survivability of Caryophyllidae
The Elegance Corals that are collected today should not be kept at this time by any but the most dedicated and experienced hobbyists willing to use constructive experimentation and study for their care.
Care of the Modern Elegance Coral
Some things to keep in mind if you are going to care for this animal, despite warnings against it, the purple tipped variety is the worst to attempt to keep. Since these are the corals being collected today, this article will focus on their care.
Elegance Coral Syndrome (ECS)
Beginning sometime in the late 1990s, specimens entering the trade were doomed by a condition that had no known cause or cure, ECS, characterized by the following:
Elegance Coral: A Bold Beauty
Lighting
- Elegance corals photosynthesize through the help of internal photosynthetic algae, so they do require a good amount of light. However, this light doesn't necessarily need to be too strong. Moderate light from fluorescent lights or LEDs will work well. As an added benefit, fluorescent light will also make the colors at the tips of the coral's tentacles appear more vibrant.
Flow
- These corals enjoy a medium water flow. The tentacles should wave gently through the water, sweeping back and forth, and the correct water flow will help with this. A water flow that's too gentle will mean that the coral won't capture enough food. A water flow that's too fast may cause the tentacles, which are relatively fragile, to tear. A quick water movement can also cause the co…
Placement
- Elegance corals prefer to rest on the sand in the wild, and to mimic this in the tank, you can place your coral at the bottom, directly on the substrate. However, some aquarists place their elegances on live rock, and most corals readily adjust to this placement. Be sure to leave plenty of room between your elegance and any other corals. When the elegance expands during the day, it will r…
Feeding
- Although the elegance photosynthesizes, elegance coral care also includes frequent feeding. These corals will eat a variety of meaty foods, including brine shrimp, krill, plankton, or small pieces of fish. The food should be high quality but the pieces should be small so they are easy for the coral to digest. When and how often to feed elegances va...
Propagation
- Propagating elegance corals can be done but it can be somewhat difficult. An elegance should generally only be fragged, or split, if it has simply become too large for the aquarium. In addition, only corals with a wide base, as opposed to a cone-shaped base, should be cut. In that case, you can use a bandsaw or other small, sharp saw or razor blade to cut between the coral's mouths a…
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why is my elegance not opening?
There are a number of reasons why an elegance might not want to open up. If the water parameters, such as the nitrate and phosphate levels, have changed recently, this may cause the elegance to remain closed. Testing the levels and bringing them back down into a healthy range … - What is elegance brown jelly disease?
Brown jelly disease or brown jelly syndrome is a contagious coral condition. It's not known what the exact cause of the disease is. It may actually be caused by a number of different things, such as stress, injuries, or bacteria. The disease can be identified by a brown, jelly-like mass that float…