Sarcophyton elegans

[10" Red Devil]

Just wondering if someone could give me some details on this species. I am wanting to keep one. My local fish store had a few. However they did not look all that great. None of their tentacles were extended. Is that normal? Should I avoid them? The thing is I have some major credit to blow at this store and really want one. The tank is a year old biocube 14. The pump has been upgraded to the maxijet 900. I have taken off the top and run a oceancurrents 70watt halide. I have a refugium just started in the back chambers and a Tunze 9002 nano skimmer. I keep mostly zoo's, mushrooms and a few lps.

Thanks.

[OARrocks]

im not sure if what i just got is an elegans but it is a yellow umbrella leather, (which i heard is different than a yellow toadstool leather???) very similar looking. it arrived at my lfs thurs. and i got it fri. its polyps werent extended but thats probably cause it just came in the day before. Its a really killer looking yellow i will let you know once it fully opens. i have a bc like you (29) and plan on keeping the same stuff as you. oh yeah and i got mine on credit as well!

[quaz]

red devil. they are one of the more difficult leathers to keep. Your tank discription does sound like you'd meet their requirements. They love flow like an sps and high light. They hate being touched by other corals and will retract and may just turn to mush if they are being continually attacked by zoas, mushrooms or other stingers. If the ones at the store have any brown sluff on the surface or any part that looks like its disolving try either to stay away from it or get the store to hold it and put it in a good flow spot away from being touched by other coral. But just because the tenticles are retracted doesn't means it isn't a healthy coral. Good luck. Oh and they are probably my favorite leather too.

[10" Red Devil]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10919316#post10919316 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by quaz
red devil. they are one of the more difficult leathers to keep. Your tank discription does sound like you'd meet their requirements. They love flow like an sps and high light. They hate being touched by other corals and will retract and may just turn to mush if they are being continually attacked by zoas, mushrooms or other stingers. If the ones at the store have any brown sluff on the surface or any part that looks like its disolving try either to stay away from it or get the store to hold it and put it in a good flow spot away from being touched by other coral. But just because the tenticles are retracted doesn't means it isn't a healthy coral. Good luck. Oh and they are probably my favorite leather too.

Wow! Good information! Thank-you very much!

[10" Red Devil]

Is it normal to charge $99.99 for a specimen that has a 1.5-2.5" Stalk and a maybe 2-2.5" Across cap? That is what my lfs is charging for them.

[GoingPostal]

That's pretty expensive, F & S has them for 1/3 that price. But if you have the credit go for it, they are bad shippers and fairly delicate, make sure there's no black spots or signs of sickness.