I've been observing this weird thing with my elegance, and I'm stumped. It seems to open up when the lights are off at night, but for some reason, it stays closed when the lights are on during my regular cycle. Anybody have any ideas on what could be causing this?
Here's a pic of it with no lights, taken at night with fflintix9h on.
As soon as the lights kick in, though, it closes right back up. Here's another pic, taken shortly after my Blue LEDs start ramping up at sunrise. It stays closed the whole time the lights are on.
Strange elegance coral behavior under different lighting
Re: Strange elegance coral behavior under different lighting
I came across something that mentioned light acclimation is pretty important for these, and also they seem to prefer really low light levels.
Re: Strange elegance coral behavior under different lighting
I'd say the first pic is more like partially open, not fully opened up. Your elegance in the first pic looks more like the way mine stays when the lights are off. I've never seen mine close up as much as yours does in the second pic.
Re: Strange elegance coral behavior under different lighting
Appreciate the input so far, still looking for more ideas.
Re: Strange elegance coral behavior under different lighting
I'm curious, how long has the elegance been in your tank. The behavior you're describing seems like it could be a sign of stress, I've seen it before in a dying elegance, hopefully that's not the case here.
Re: Strange elegance coral behavior under different lighting
I'd suggest relocating it to a shadier spot, as some elegance corals are indeed more sensitive to light. Are you providing it with adequate nutrition?
Re: Strange elegance coral behavior under different lighting
Honestly, it's looking like it's on its way out, and I really hope that's not the case for your sake. My two cents, you need a quarantine tank, just in case. When something's not looking right, it's best to move it out so you can treat it if needed, and if the worst happens, it won't crash your whole system. Try putting it in a shady spot and see how it goes, but keep a close eye on it. If it's indeed dying, get it out ASAP.