The elegance coral (Catalaphyllia jardinei) stands as one of the most captivating yet challenging large polyp stony (LPS) corals in the reef keeping hobby. With its flowing tentacles that dance in the current and vibrant colors ranging from deep purples to electric greens, this coral captures the attention of both beginners and experienced aquarists. However, what was once considered an ideal beginner coral in the 1990s has become a species requiring careful attention and specific care protocols.
I've kept elegance corals for over a decade, and the journey hasn't always been smooth. The emergence of Elegance Coral Syndrome (ECS) in the late 1990s fundamentally changed how we approach caring for these beautiful creatures. Today, success with elegance corals depends on understanding their specific requirements, choosing the right specimens, and maintaining stable conditions that mirror their natural habitat.
This comprehensive guide walks you through every aspect of elegance coral care, from initial selection to advanced troubleshooting. We'll cover the critical differences between Australian and Indonesian specimens, decode the mystery of ECS, and provide actionable solutions for common problems that plague even experienced reef keepers.
Understanding Elegance Coral: Species Overview and Natural Habitat
Catalaphyllia jardinei belongs to the Euphylliidae family, making it a close relative of torch, hammer, and frogspawn corals. As the only species in its genus, the elegance coral occupies a unique position in reef taxonomy. In the wild, these corals inhabit sandy or muddy substrates in protected lagoons and reef slopes throughout the Indo-Pacific region, particularly around Australia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
Unlike many LPS corals that attach to rock structures, elegance corals naturally anchor themselves in soft substrates with their conical base buried in sand. This distinctive growth pattern influences every aspect of their care in captivity. Their large, fleshy polyps extend during the day to capture light for photosynthesis through their symbiotic zooxanthellae, while at night, they deploy sweeper tentacles that can extend up to 8 inches to capture prey and defend territory.
The modern elegance coral market primarily features Australian specimens, which demonstrate significantly better survival rates than their Indonesian counterparts. This geographical distinction isn't just marketing - Australian elegance corals show remarkable resistance to ECS and adapt more readily to aquarium conditions. The price difference reflects this reliability: while an elegance coral frag costs $45-80, comparable torch corals can reach $450-800, making elegance corals an attractive alternative for those seeking Euphyllia movement without the premium price tag.
Essential Tank Requirements and Setup
Setting up the right environment for elegance corals requires careful planning and attention to detail. These corals demand specific conditions that differ from typical SPS or even other LPS coral requirements.
Tank Size and System Maturity
A minimum tank size of 30 gallons provides adequate water volume for stability, though 50 gallons or larger offers better parameter buffering. Your system should be established for at least 6 months before introducing an elegance coral. This maturation period ensures stable nitrogen cycles, established beneficial bacteria populations, and consistent water chemistry - all critical for elegance coral success.
Substrate Requirements
The substrate choice directly impacts elegance coral health. A deep sand bed of 3-4 inches allows the coral to anchor its conical base naturally. Fine aragonite sand works best, providing stability without damaging the delicate tissue. Avoid crushed coral or coarse substrates that can irritate the coral's base. Some aquarists successfully keep elegance corals on rockwork, but this requires careful positioning in a sandy pocket or creating a small sand bed on the rock structure.
Placement Strategies
Position your elegance coral on the sand bed with at least 6-8 inches of clearance from other corals. These aggressive corals deploy powerful sweeper tentacles at night, capable of severely stinging neighboring corals. Place them in areas with moderate, indirect flow - strong direct current causes tissue damage, while insufficient flow leads to detritus accumulation and tissue necrosis.
The ideal placement receives 80-150 PAR (Photosynthetically Active Radiation), typically achieved in the lower to middle regions of most reef tanks. Avoid placing elegance corals directly under intense lighting or metal halides, as excessive light causes bleaching and tissue stress.
Critical Water Parameters for Success
Maintaining stable water parameters prevents stress and reduces susceptibility to disease. Elegance corals tolerate slight variations but suffer from rapid changes.
Temperature and Salinity
Maintain water temperature between 75-79°F (24-26°C), with minimal daily fluctuation. Temperature swings exceeding 2°F within 24 hours trigger stress responses. Salinity should remain stable at 1.025-1.026 specific gravity (35 ppt). Use an accurate refractometer calibrated with distilled water for reliable measurements.
Chemical Parameters
Calcium levels between 420-450 ppm support skeletal growth without causing precipitation issues. Alkalinity should remain steady at 8-10 dKH - stability matters more than the exact value within this range. Magnesium levels of 1250-1350 ppm help maintain calcium and alkalinity balance while supporting tissue health.
Phosphate levels require careful management. While many corals tolerate ultra-low phosphate, elegance corals perform better with detectable levels between 0.03-0.08 ppm. Nitrate levels of 5-10 ppm provide necessary nutrients without promoting nuisance algae. Complete absence of nutrients often leads to pale, stressed corals that become susceptible to disease.
pH and Trace Elements
pH should remain between 8.1-8.4, with natural daily fluctuation expected due to photosynthesis. Consistent pH below 8.0 impairs calcification and increases stress. Regular water changes typically maintain adequate trace element levels, though systems with heavy coral loads may benefit from targeted supplementation of iodine, strontium, and potassium.
Lighting Requirements: Finding the Sweet Spot
Elegance corals thrive under moderate lighting conditions, making them suitable for a variety of lighting systems. LED fixtures have become the standard, offering controllable intensity and spectrum customization.
PAR Levels and Photoperiod
Target 80-150 PAR at the coral's position. Higher light levels don't translate to better growth - excessive lighting causes tissue recession and bleaching. Use a PAR meter to verify actual levels, as visual assessment proves unreliable. Maintain a consistent photoperiod of 8-10 hours, with 30-60 minute ramp-up and ramp-down periods to simulate sunrise and sunset.
Spectrum Considerations
A balanced spectrum with peaks in the blue (420-480nm) and white ranges promotes healthy zooxanthellae populations while enhancing coloration. Many aquarists run predominantly blue spectrum with 20-30% white channel intensity. Avoid excessive UV or violet spectrum, which can stress the coral without providing significant benefits.
Acclimation Protocol
New elegance corals require careful light acclimation, regardless of their previous environment. Start at 50% of your target intensity and increase by 10% weekly over 4-6 weeks. Monitor for signs of light stress: tissue retraction, bleaching from the tips, or unusual mucus production indicate the need for reduced intensity.
Water Flow: The Goldilocks Principle
Water flow requirements for elegance corals follow the Goldilocks principle - not too strong, not too weak, but just right. These corals evolved in protected lagoons with gentle, variable currents rather than the constant high flow of reef crests.
Flow Patterns and Intensity
Create gentle, random flow patterns using controllable powerheads or wavemakers. The tentacles should sway gently without being plastered against the skeleton or constantly whipped around. Laminar flow causes tissue damage, while completely stagnant areas accumulate detritus and promote bacterial infections.
Night vs. Day Requirements
Consider programming reduced flow at night when the coral extends its sweeper tentacles. This allows effective prey capture and reduces energy expenditure. Many successful keepers reduce flow by 30-50% during nighttime hours, increasing it again after sunrise.
Feeding Your Elegance Coral: Nutrition Beyond Light
While elegance corals derive significant nutrition from photosynthesis, supplemental feeding enhances growth, coloration, and overall health. These carnivorous corals actively capture and consume meaty foods in the wild.
Food Types and Sizes
Target feed with meaty foods 2-3 times weekly. Mysis shrimp, enriched brine shrimp, chopped krill, and quality coral foods work well. Food particles should be appropriately sized - too large and the coral rejects them, too small and they pass through without capture. Aim for pieces roughly 3-5mm for optimal consumption.
Feeding Technique
Feed during evening hours when the coral naturally extends feeding tentacles. Turn off flow temporarily and use a turkey baster or feeding pipette to gently deliver food directly to the oral disc. The coral should respond by folding its tentacles inward to consume the food. Resume flow after 20-30 minutes to prevent water quality issues.
Broadcast Feeding Benefits
In addition to target feeding, broadcast feeding with quality coral foods benefits the entire system. Products containing marine snow, phytoplankton, and dissolved organics support the coral's microbiome and provide nutrition for filter-feeding organisms that contribute to overall tank health.
Understanding and Treating Elegance Coral Syndrome (ECS)
Elegance Coral Syndrome represents the greatest challenge in keeping these corals successfully. This condition, which emerged prominently in the late 1990s, transformed elegance corals from beginner-friendly to expert-level inhabitants.
Identifying ECS Symptoms
Early ECS symptoms include unusual tissue retraction, particularly from the base upward. The coral produces excessive mucus, and tissue appears to peel or slough off in sheets. Advanced cases show rapid tissue loss, exposed skeleton, and a distinctive rotting smell. Unlike typical bacterial infections, ECS progresses rapidly, often killing corals within days of symptom onset.
Prevention Strategies
Prevention remains more effective than treatment. Purchase only Australian specimens from reputable suppliers. Quarantine new arrivals for 4-6 weeks, observing for any signs of stress or disease. Maintain stable parameters and avoid introducing stressed or damaged corals to your display tank. Some aquarists prophylactically treat new elegance corals with coral dips, though effectiveness varies.
Treatment Protocols
The fresh water dip treatment has gained traction in the reef keeping community as a potential ECS intervention. This controversial method involves immersing the affected coral in temperature and pH-matched fresh water for 30-60 seconds. While some report success, others experience complete coral loss. The treatment appears most effective in early stages before significant tissue loss occurs.
Alternative treatments include antibiotic dips using medications like Cipro or Furan-2, though success rates remain inconsistent. Some aquarists report success with increased flow, aggressive siphoning of necrotic tissue, and temporary placement in lower light conditions. No treatment guarantees success, emphasizing the importance of prevention.
Common Problems and Troubleshooting Solutions
Beyond ECS, elegance corals face various challenges in captivity. Understanding these issues and their solutions improves long-term success rates.
Tissue Recession
Tissue recession from the base indicates poor water quality, inappropriate placement, or bacterial infection. Check parameters immediately, particularly nitrate and phosphate levels. Ensure the coral isn't placed on sharp or coarse substrate. Increase flow slightly to prevent detritus accumulation, and consider moving the coral if substrate irritation seems likely.
Brown Jelly Disease
Brown jelly disease appears as a brown, gelatinous mass on the coral tissue. This rapid bacterial infection requires immediate intervention. Remove the coral to a quarantine tank, siphon off all visible brown jelly, and treat with an iodine-based coral dip. Some aquarists report success with hydrogen peroxide spot treatments, though this requires extreme caution.
Failure to Expand
Corals that remain contracted indicate environmental stress. Verify all parameters, particularly alkalinity stability. Check for aggressive neighbors - even corals several inches away can engage in chemical warfare. Reduce lighting if the coral shows signs of photoinhibition. Sometimes, a simple position change resolves chronic retraction issues.
Bleaching
Bleaching manifests as tissue lightening or complete color loss while maintaining tissue presence. Unlike tissue loss, bleached corals can recover with proper intervention. Reduce lighting intensity immediately and ensure adequate nutrient levels. Slightly elevated nitrate (5-10 ppm) and phosphate (0.03-0.08 ppm) often help recovery. Increase feeding frequency to provide additional nutrition while zooxanthellae populations recover.
Tank Compatibility and Coral Aggression
Elegance corals rank among the more aggressive LPS corals, requiring thoughtful tank planning to prevent coral warfare.
Compatible Coral Species
Other Euphyllia species generally coexist peacefully with elegance corals, though they shouldn't touch. Soft corals like leather corals, mushrooms, and zoanthids typically remain safe at appropriate distances. Many SPS corals work well in the same system when placed higher in the water column, outside the elegance coral's reach.
Incompatible Neighbors
Avoid placing elegance corals near other aggressive LPS corals like brain corals, plate corals, or bubble corals. These species engage in chemical and physical warfare that stresses all participants. Anemones pose particular risks, as their mobility can lead to unexpected contact with devastating results.
Fish Compatibility
Most reef-safe fish coexist well with elegance corals. Clownfish occasionally host in elegance corals, though this behavior can irritate the coral if excessive. Angelfish and butterflyfish known to nip at coral polyps should be avoided. Beneficial fish include wrasses and gobies that help control pests without bothering the coral.
Long-term Maintenance and Growth Expectations
Successful long-term elegance coral care requires consistent maintenance routines and realistic growth expectations.
Growth Patterns
Elegance corals grow slowly compared to other LPS corals, adding perhaps 1-2 inches of skeleton diameter annually under optimal conditions. They don't branch or split naturally like torch corals, making propagation challenging and risky. Most growth occurs through tissue expansion rather than skeletal extension.
Maintenance Schedule
Establish a consistent maintenance routine including weekly 10-15% water changes, daily parameter checks for new specimens, and weekly testing once established. Clean powerheads monthly to maintain proper flow patterns. Monitor calcium and alkalinity consumption, adjusting dosing as the coral grows.
Signs of Success
Healthy elegance corals display full tissue extension during daylight hours with vibrant coloration. Feeding response remains strong, with tentacles actively capturing offered food. The coral shows steady, albeit slow, growth with new tissue extending beyond the skeleton margins. Successful specimens may survive decades in captivity with proper care.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do Australian elegance corals cost more than Indonesian specimens?
Australian elegance corals demonstrate significantly better survival rates and resistance to ECS. The higher price reflects their improved adaptability to aquarium conditions and lower mortality rates. While Indonesian specimens dominated the market historically, their susceptibility to ECS has made Australian specimens the preferred choice despite the premium price.
Can I place an elegance coral on rockwork instead of sand?
While elegance corals naturally inhabit sandy substrates, rockwork placement can succeed with proper setup. Create a small sandy pocket on the rock or use rubble to cushion the coral's base. Ensure the placement prevents the coral from falling and provides adequate spacing from other corals. Sand placement remains optimal for long-term success.
How long should I wait before adding an elegance coral to a new tank?
Wait at least 6 months after initial setup before introducing an elegance coral. This maturation period allows bacterial populations to establish, parameters to stabilize, and any initial algae issues to resolve. Rushing this process significantly increases failure risk, particularly with sensitive specimens.
What causes elegance corals to release excessive mucus?
Excessive mucus production indicates stress from parameter swings, aggressive neighbors, physical irritation, or disease onset. Check water parameters immediately, inspect for nearby coral aggression, and observe for other disease symptoms. Temporary mucus production after handling or parameter adjustment is normal, but persistent production requires intervention.
How often should I feed my elegance coral?
Feed 2-3 times weekly with appropriately sized meaty foods. More frequent feeding supports faster growth and better coloration but requires careful attention to water quality. Reduce feeding if nitrate or phosphate levels climb excessively. Adjust frequency based on the coral's response and your system's nutrient processing capacity.
Can elegance corals recover from bleaching?
Yes, elegance corals can recover from bleaching if addressed promptly. Reduce lighting intensity, ensure proper nutrition through increased feeding, and maintain stable parameters. Recovery takes several weeks to months, with gradual color return indicating success. Patience and consistent care prove essential during recovery.
What's the ideal alkalinity level for elegance corals?
Maintain alkalinity between 8-10 dKH, with stability more important than the exact value. Daily swings exceeding 1 dKH stress the coral and impair growth. Test at the same time daily to account for natural pH-driven fluctuations. Consistent alkalinity prevents tissue recession and supports healthy skeleton development.
Should I use a coral dip before adding an elegance coral to my display?
Prophylactic dipping remains controversial for elegance corals. Some aquarists report success with gentle iodine-based dips, while others find them unnecessarily stressful. If dipping, use a mild solution and minimize exposure time. Quarantine observation often proves more valuable than aggressive dipping protocols.
Conclusion: Mastering Elegance Coral Care
Successfully keeping elegance corals requires dedication, patience, and attention to detail. These stunning corals reward careful husbandry with spectacular displays of color and movement that rival any coral in the hobby. By understanding their specific requirements, from sandy substrate placement to moderate lighting and stable parameters, you create an environment where elegance corals thrive.
The key to success lies in prevention rather than treatment. Choose Australian specimens from reputable sources, quarantine diligently, and maintain stable conditions. While ECS remains a concern, proper selection and care dramatically improve success rates compared to the challenging experiences of the early 2000s.
Remember that elegance corals grow slowly and require long-term commitment. Quick fixes rarely work, and patience proves essential when addressing problems. Build your experience gradually, starting with a single specimen before expanding your collection.
With proper care, an elegance coral becomes a centerpiece that anchors your reef display for years or even decades. Their unique beauty, combined with relatively affordable pricing compared to torch coral alternatives, makes them an attractive choice for dedicated reef keepers willing to meet their specific needs. Success with elegance corals marks a significant milestone in any reef keeper's journey, demonstrating mastery of advanced husbandry techniques that benefit the entire reef system.
