Help! Elegant Coral is sick

[Taninflorida]

Bought him 8 days ago. Three days ago looked like "something" was eating at one of the heads. Today, three days later, looks like the head is gone. You can see the white skeleton in the picture.

I only have a Mandarin fish, emerald crabs.

56 Gal
1.024
A0 N02 0
N03 7

Any ideas?

[mcgyvr]

Its just dying in that part or very unhappy..
It will just recess into the skeleton and just disappear/die..

Their tissue is very delicate and it could be that it got cut,etc.. scraping on that rock..
They really need to be on soft sand away from anything "sharp"
Should be in low/moderate flow too again to avoid tissue damage..

Alk?
Cal?
Phosphates?

Looks like you have a fairly new tank too (based on the green film algae on the rocks,etc..)

[Taninflorida]

Thanks! The tank is two months old.

Yes it is possible it got scraped.

Alk 9-10
Cal 375 (I am starting to dose)
Phosphates still pretty high, .2 ppm

[slief]

Thanks! The tank is two months old.

Yes it is possible it got scraped.

Alk 9-10
Cal 375 (I am starting to dose)
Phosphates still pretty high, .2 ppm

I hate to say this but your tank is nowhere near mature enough for an Elegance Coral let alone many other coral. The Elegance is one of the toughest LPS corals to keep even in a well established tank. I would wait a good year so your tank is fully mature before trying again and even then, it will be tough. My tank has been setup for 20 years now in it's current location and everything I put in the tank thrives but Elegance corals. I gave up on them log ago. The Aussie variety are more hardy from what I understand but given their cost and the fact that most end up dead, I wouldn't bother with them.

[tang named junkyard]

Impossible to keep. They look so cool in store but most end up dead. Just like flowerpots

[Kies1]

I have had my elegance coral for over 4 years now, moderate flow in the corner of a 90 gallon, been lucky I guess