Calling all elegance coral experts!

[carriej]

Hi Folks,

Thought I would make a new thread and it would haul in more responses than if I posted in my other elegance coral thread.

We have spoken on the topic of the dreaded elegance coral disease. I have had my elegance for approximately 1 month.

About a week ago I noticed on one side that the tentacles are a bit stubby. Was just a couple; I figured whatever. Anyway, now it's more than a couple.

Coral still eats, opens and closes everynight, etc.

Here is a picture of it maybe a week and a half ago with my nice camera.





Here is a picture of it tonight. Now I do admit; it seems like it acts more irritated some days than others. However; this is a $125 dollar coral and I don't want to kill it or have it die. It was my own mistake of buying an indo elegance; but I had never heard of the problems with them and assumed they were all the same. See how the tentacles on the right side are stumpy? Some are very stumpy and short.. maybe a few cms... The polyp is also lifted a bit off the sandbed and not resting their like the other polyps.




So am I doomed? Is it just being cranky? Advice would be greatly appreciated.

[asylumdown]

My elegances did something similar to that every so often when they were healthy, but it usually didn't last longer than a day or so if I remember. When the one that I exposed to ECS started showing symptoms, I don't remember it being a decline by degree like that, but to be totally honest it might have been and I just didn't notice.

Time will tell. I'm crossing my fingers for you! That's such a beautiful piece. Whatever happens I hope you document it, if yours does go in to decline I think there's value in publishing the progression. I wish I had taken more images of mine as it fell apart. Better yet I wish I had had my micrscope when it was happening.

[asylumdown]

also, is there anything on that side of the coral that the elegance touches when it's fully expanded? If those tentacles are being irritated, it might explain why just those ones are retracting.

The other thing I would closely look at is the interface where the flesh meets the skeleton. On my australian one that I showed you pictures of I discovered what turned out to be a female gall crab. It was irritating the bejesus out of coral. It looked like this:

[carriej]

It shriveled up pretty tight last night when the lights went out, and I took a flashlight and didn't see anything but that doesn't mean something isn't there.

I'm stressed! LOL

I hate to take it out; because I hate to touch it period. It shrivels up to NOTHING at night; and opens up everyday... My lights are about to turn on for the day so I'm heading down to the basement to check it out now...

[reefwars]

Originally Posted by carriej

It shriveled up pretty tight last night when the lights went out, and I took a flashlight and didn't see anything but that doesn't mean something isn't there.

I'm stressed! LOL

I hate to take it out; because I hate to touch it period. It shrivels up to NOTHING at night; and opens up everyday... My lights are about to turn on for the day so I'm heading down to the basement to check it out now...

Having them shrink at night is normal , what your looking for is seperation where the flesh meets skeleton or any milky strings or mucas.

[carriej]

Nothing stringy and no mucus... I posted on a few forums and some say its doomed and some say its fine... Guess I will have to wait and see what happens