want to add something blue...ideas?

[puckbs]

I have never been too big into sps but i'm starting to get the bug. I have a 20h with a 150w 14k DE phoenix bulb. I have mostly zoas but i have a few different digitata, caps, sunset monti, and a green milli that all seem to be doing well, great polyp extension, color and growth....

I do not want to be super anal about this tank, and for the softies I have, i don't want the water to be super clean either...anybody have any suggestions for this type of environment? i have an asm skimmer rated for 75g so the water isn't filthy, i just don't want to have to go crazy....

basically, i'm asking what blue sps could i add that wouldn't be considered expert/difficult....;-)

Thanks in advance!

[bigsink]

I will frag my tort if you wish

[Logzor]

ora blue bottlebrush, very easy to grow.

[rutz81]

ORA/Cali Tort

[gbreynol]

Blue Milli or Cali Tort

[puckbs]

thanks..and even better, i like those...lol....which to try first..hmmmm

[puckbs]

.

[rutz81]

tort will look bluer and milli not so much since most of them the polyps are brown, so it will hide the blue(except on the tips)

[Peter Eichler]

Other than SPS a crocea clam might be a good choice.

[jaxspsreef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14379966#post14379966 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Peter Eichler
Other than SPS a crocea clam might be a good choice.
i was thinking the same thing....

[SDguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14378073#post14378073 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Logzor
ora blue bottlebrush, very easy to grow.

I have heard the opposite, but have no first hand experience.

My oregon tort is as blue as you can get, and has managed to survive, no matter how hard I've tried to kill it ;)

[tcmfish]

I vote clam, but they are all good suggestions.

[bkztrini465]

Blue torts are really nice :) Maybe an all blue stag?

[puckbs]

thanks for all the help everyone....i think i found the spot for it, now i just have to go find "it"....lol

[lokikegs]

How about blue hydnopora, not many people have it though, http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm354/lokikegs/DSC00436.jpg

teal blue, pics under 10k lighting couldn't imagine it under 14,or 20's.

[miwoodar]

Hydnophora would be cool but I wouldn't recommend it for such a small tank. It will win any territory dispute and *could* cause immediate and complete death of whatever it touches. In my case I lost a nice birdsnest...complete disintegration in a few short hours from just a single touch from the hydno.

What about an Oregon Tort? Dark purplish blue...

[puckbs]

yeah, that's what i'm hoping for....a true blue....to match my tubs blue zoas...lol....gonna start looking into the oregon and the cali tort....is one traditionally bluer than the other?

[miwoodar]

If you get them to color up well both are awesome....

Oregon is dark purplish blue.

Cali can be medium blue with green undertones.


Here's a pic of MakoJ's Oregon from his TOTM article:
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-03/totm/images/oregon.jpg

[puckbs]

well, um...that's kinda nice....lol ;-) think he'll send me a piece??

[60Cubed]

Yeah I agree the hydno is a mean coral! I have seen that coral kill an acro before it even touched it. Probably the meanest coral IMO. I believe it is a LPS as well.

[SDguy]

I've only ever seen green hydno's :confused:

[rutz81]

I would look around the FS/FT forums for Cali Torts. You will most likely get the best deal from a fellow hobbiest since the rate of growth on the Cali is pretty quick for an SPS. The Oregon on the other hand grows MUCH slower but, it is defintely bluer. But, since you are looking for a beginner coral, I still would say go with the Cali.

[Logzor]

Here is my cali tort under T5's:
http://fc37.deviantart.com/fs40/i/2009/010/6/0/Cali_blue_tort_by_Logzor.jpg

I think its more purple than blue in my tank.

Here is the blue bottlebrush, which has intense neon blue on the rims. Its pretty stunning in person:
http://fc42.deviantart.com/fs39/i/2008/333/0/1/Blue_Bottlebrush_01_by_Logzor.jpg

[lokikegs]

hydnopora is an sps, it is not nearly as aggressive as the green. I have them both, not nearly the sweeper tentacles on the blue. Not to say if something dropped or touched it, that it wouldn't be toast.

[miwoodar]

I think the line between LPS and SPS is different depending on who you're talking to. Being that it is not a scientific classification, has nothing to do with lineage, and is totally subjective, simply put, this is the way it's going to be. Not that it matters but I think that popular consensus would call a hydno an LPS though.

[lokikegs]

I have never seen a hydnopora sold as an lps though.

[SDguy]

So is someone going to throw up a pic of a blue hydno, or are you gonna make me google it? ;)

[miwoodar]

I googled it for you Peter. To my surprise, Liveaquaria claims to stock one.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/images/categories/thumbs/th-38945-hydophora.jpg


Chris Jury wrote an interesting perspective on the state of the hobby and our approach for naming corals. I'm almost as guilty as anyone else when it comes to the points he makes. A year ago I was more guilty.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-03/cj/index.php

[glennr1978]

I'd go with either a blue milli, or the blue bottle brush. Both grow fast, and are relatively easy to keep.

[reefer31]

I have a blue milli that has white polyps..its an awesome piece btw..bright blue and white polyps..and plates out a tiny bit when its a larger colony.

Some more blue acros that you could try would be gomezi/hoeksemani or however you say it and some blue torts. I guess the gomezi and the hoek are a little harder to take care of, but they seem to do great in my tank :P. Oh yea..blue formosa will probably be pretty good. I got in a blue prostrata but im not sure if the colony that I have is blue since it came in a bit blue but has browned out and is barely just starting to come back. I guess there are some ideas for you. Im unsure if my rambling is understood just tell me and I can explain a bit more haha plus its late!

[dots]

Oregon
Cali
Becker
Icefire
Blue Matrix
Ultimate Stag
Ultimate Stag II
ATL Tarheals
Loads Gomezi that are a cool blue
and Loinsette
and yeah the Formosa is very "cool" blue!!

for instance some that I had in the past:


http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f285/dougspivey/SEP%2008/CaliTort.jpg

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f285/dougspivey/SEP%2008/JustinsBlueTip.jpg

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f285/dougspivey/DEC%2008/Icefire2.jpg

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f285/dougspivey/SEP%2006/blueacro.jpg

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f285/dougspivey/JAN%2008/BlueMatrix-1.jpg

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f285/dougspivey/DEC%2008/OregonTort-1.jpg

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f285/dougspivey/DEC%2008/OriginalUltimateStag.jpg

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f285/dougspivey/DEC%2008/Selago.jpg

[Oldude]

There are so many cool blue's to choose from
Hoeksemai
Torts
Mille's
vermiculata
robusta
etc.
(and those are just a very few)