Re: weird frogspawn coral question... hlth. f'    3/12/08
Hi Bob,
<Ken>
Here is an update on the frogspawn coral situation.
I have discontinued the use of powered aragonite and purple-up in my top off water.
<Good>
I have reverted back to using my wonderful tap water, which has a pH of 8.1 and is hard enough to leave lime deposits on my pot plants.
<Wow! Like ours here in S. Cal... we affectionately label it "liquid rock">
One of these days I will test the calcium and KH to see what it is. I do know that there are no excessive phosphate and nitrate levels in the water. The reservoir the tap water comes from here is over an ancient limestone deposit which used to be ocean floor; explains the extreme parameters.
Anyway, back to the coral. Not wanting to disturb the livestock, I decided to wait a while longer and see if the frogspawn would improve or start wasting away. The color has continued to darken and intensify. In my opinion the coral is much prettier now than when I received it. A few tentacles are still falling off, but new ones are growing back from the center of the polyps.
<Good signs>
Also, each of the 5 polyps has divided and now has two mouths. I think it is still too early to make a final decision but I think it may have been the light causing the weird response. If the new tentacles start to drop and the coral does not "stabilize", I will most likely remove the galaxy coral, as I like the frogspawn much better.
<Did you read on WWM re Oculinids... are big winners in the sting-competition realm>
As for the 40 lbs of live rock, it is the dense Florida rock, but I do have the tank quite full. You can never have too much live rock. (I even added another small piece three days ago with some sort of unidentified SPS coral on it.)
Thank you for your last response, it was most helpful.
Regards,
Ken
<Welcome! BobF>

Elegance Coral Worry... Worries are a Waste!   1/27/07
Hello Bob,
<Hello Jason, Mich with you today.>
I hope you can help me out a little bit here. I just have a question or two for you. Yesterday I received a new elegance coral, and it acclimated to the tank really well. I did a slow acclimation over about a two hour period. The coral is about 4 to 5 inches across, with 5 or 6 mouths on it. It truly is a beautiful specimen. (which is why I bought it)
I have read your home page article on elegance, and all of the frequently asked questions and answers. There is some great advice in there, thank you.
<Glad you found it helpful.>
There is one thing that I saw mentioned in a couple of places, but no one really asked and you didn't mention it anywhere, so I am asking, because it is happening to me on day two. my elegance coral is/has "spit" a blackish/brownish substance from its mouths.
<Likely waste products... literally potty mouth!>
Now, I am new to having corals, and I have been afraid to get them, hearing that they are difficult to take care of, but I decided to get a few, they were all listed as easy........ I tried to research (as I always do on everything I do), but I guess this time, I didn't do enough on this one.
<Research is key to success in this hobby.>
anyways, I guess my question is, is this black stuff normal? Is it the elegance's way of getting rid of waste?
<Yes, can be.>
Is it something I should be concerned about?
because I am worried..... I want the corals in my tank to thrive, and if they can not thrive, then I would rather give them to someone or return them to a store that can take care of them. The other corals I have are a toadstool leather, candy cane LPS, xenia pulsing, and a bulb anemone.
<Watch the anemone, can cause big problems when they decide to go for a walk.>
If this expelling of the black material is normal, then I am happy, but if it isn't, and I can do something to correct it, please let me know.
<Please correct your lack of capitalization, the first letter of a sentence is capitalized, I not i please!  
I truly appreciate you taking the time to read this and help me out with any info you have. Thanks again for all the info on your site that you have posted, it helps us newbies out a whole lot.
<It is a tremendous, invaluable resource.  Bob has dedicated countless days of his life to it.  I'm glad you have found it useful.  Thank you for the kind words.  -Mich>
Jason Muzzey

Catalaphyllia jardinei mucus  - 2/4/2006
Hello WWM Crew.
<Angela>
  I would not be bothering you with an e-mail, but I am just packing to leave town and haven't yet found the answer to my problem on your
Amazing Web Site. I am running out of time. It seems our Elegant Coral, which we have had for nearly a year, is spewing out a kind of white
"fluffy" mucus. It doesn't seem to be affecting her
<Will affect your other livestock>
much as she still opens fully during the lighted hours in our tank. Unfortunately, we have just recently (about a month ago) lost a Hammer Coral, and half of a
Torch Coral, to a brown jelly infection that did not seem to be bothering them much until it was too late. (The biggest problem here was
that I had never encountered this infection before and did not notice that anything was wrong until the jelly actually appeared). I have tried
using a turkey baster to gently blow the mucus off and scoop it out with a fish net, but I can't get it to come off. I do not want to harass her
unnecessarily Is this mucus a sign of something horrible to come?
<Too likely the latter>
Should I be worried and call off my trip?
<Mmm, no... but I would move/isolate this animal/colony>
I will not leave her unless I know she is going to be o.k.   Thank you so much for taking the time to read my e-mail and respond
(assuming you have the time). I think it is wonderful that you all volunteer you precious time and knowledge to help us all in the never ending pursuit of happy, healthy reefs.
  I eagerly await your response.
                                      Angela
<Glad to share... I take it you've seen my piece re captive care of this species... I would move it to "somewhere else"... a planted shallow setting, on the bottom... if at all possible. Bob Fenner>

Elegance Coral 11/26/03
Hello!
<Hi>
My husband and I have a question about our Elegance Coral.  Normally she has beautiful long green tentacles but today we noticed that she looks "swollen" so to say,  She almost looks an anemone-as in she is "closing" like an elephant ear when they are eating.  Her tentacles stick out of the center of the
"swollen' body about 1cm.  I've never seen her do this before.  Do you know what might be wrong?
<sounds like a feeding strategy... have you gone light on feeding it as of late? This is a very needy/hungry coral. They can/will starve slowly over months if not fed several times weekly>
Also, there is a tiny patchy of green "hair" coming up out of the sand, directly next to her.  It's only about 1cm high in a group no larger than a quarter.  Do you have any idea what in the world this maybe?
<tough to say without a picture. Do send for ID if you can>
Thanks!
<best regards, Anthony>