Elegance Help!

this species does not live in sterile, nutrient-deprived settings... but in the wild in muddy, mucky areas semi-buried in the substrate... sometimes in the shallows of nearshore, other times at the base of reef slopes at depths of 20 meters or more.

Take a glance at that page for more info on elegances.

 

Thanks for the link, a lot of useful info on there. I think the only thing I'm doing wrong is being too clean. Like I said, mine is laying horizontal on the sand bed in a low flow area near a rocky over hang but not under it and away from other corals. Do you guys think I should only run my skimmer occasionaly to keep some nutrients in the water for it? If so, would this increase in nutrients lead to algae outbreaks?

 

You know you can spot feed these guys too? Mine eats chunks of squid, and shrimp at least 3 times a week...really scarfs it down too

 

I need it to open up enough to spot feed it first.

 

I'v had mine for about a month and a half, and its already gotten another mouth on it...at least one..possibly 2-3..so big its hard to count em

 

this might have been the problem all along....it had no nitrates to take in, and no spot feeding..it may be starved

 

So how would you recommend I go about getting it to open enough to spot feed?

 

I would start small, with brine, or mysis in a tukey baster...you dont want to stress it too much..gently squirt them onto what flesh and tentacles are showing.

 

I would make sure that the shrimp sits in the water it's being unfrozen in for at least a half an hour, so the stench of the shrimp gets in the water. Then you can use the smelly water, along with the shrimp, in a turkey baster, to entice it to open.

And after doing this, I would go in and try again about fifteen minutes later, as it may take a while for it to open up for food once it recognized it's there.

 

Thanks guys, I'll give that a try. Karma to you.