Blue tort--before and after
 

Here's the BEFORE (Jan 2006)
[IMG]C:\Documents and Settings\Dan\Desktop\blue tort_001[/IMG]

crud. i wanted to paste a pic in here.

Dan, you need to load it to your gallery in reef central and then post it in your thread. If you need more info maybe I can help in the morning.

What I'd really like to do is post a larger pic in a thread.

Let's see if this works.
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/showg...=78654&thumb=1

It worked. Thanks Todd. Too bad about the detail or pic size though. Anyway, that's the growth between the end of January (I think) and the end of May--just 4 months! I got this one from COreefer.

What lighting are you using?

So what color is an actual blue tort supposed to be? I have seen completely deep blue, green and deep blue, light blue, blue with green polyps, etc., etc...

I'll give you a hand with the pics. I tried to enlarge them but they were just a bit blurry.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/...e_tort__1a.jpg

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/...ue_Tort_5a.jpg

Nice growth. I picked up a Cali blue tort last week, but my lights melted it. I need to come up with a better light acclimation process.

ORA torts as that is can be purple, blue, blue green...it all depends on the conditions in the tank. There are a variety of torts, ORA, califorina tort, Oregon tort, etc...

BTW Dan...nice color and growth rate on that one.

Lighting is 3-175W 10,000K over a 125G tank. No Actinics. XM's are on the ends and an Aqualine in the center. I've read that the lower Kelvin rated bulbs have a better spectrum for growth, so I'm sticking with these for now.

I'm using the 3-part home-recipe for B-Ionic (Ca, Alk and Mg) and once a week supplement with Kent Coral-Vite.

I'm not sure which is helping the most, but I'm definitely sticking with it. It's cheap and effective.

Hey FishnWishn, how did you get the images in the post?

Really nice growth. Much faster than mine. What kind of flow is it recieving?

Not much flow at all where it's sitting. I'd say moderate to low.

Hey Russ, that digi frag you gave me turned out to be the same type as one I got from Robert. Are they from the same source originally?

Not sure Dan. The original frag I got was from COreefer so it could be.

You gotta love that homemade 3 part recipe. I think the coral growth (explosion) in my tank, can be contributed to this type of dosing. I don't know if it is the ingredients, or the steady dosing, but it sure seems to stimulate great growth.

My Oregon is purple and green under actinics and more blue and grey under the MH.

Todd, you sure can't beat the cost.

Looks good Dan.

OK, I have this figured out. I managed to take a great pic recently that shows green polyps and general green/purple coloration on the main trunk and purple polyps on the branches.
This is 6 1/2 months' growth using the home Ca/Alk recipe. Does anyone else have any before/after pics with either B-ionic or the home recipe?
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g4.../TortJan06.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g4.../TortAug06.jpg

Crit, I do not have pictures but 6 Mo growth on mine is about three to four times as much. IMO if you maintain Calcium and Alkalinity parameters within the acceptable ranges regardless of what you use to do it it will make no difference in the growth. It will grow a lot faster with more light but be warned you may loose that wonderful coloration. Mine paled considerably So my recommendation is for you to keep it as it is.

BTW which bulbs are you using?

Well, with 1600 total watts of lighting, you'd better have more growth! Jeez!

I think you missed my point. As a recent convert to SPS I was sharing my success with fellow clubmembers regarding a favorite blue tort frag, not bragging that the home recipe was any better than B-ionic, although it IS orders of magnitude cheaper and, IMHO, about as effective. I think at a gallon or so per mixture each month I'm spending about $12-15 a year for Ca, Alk and Mg combined. I believe that a reef tank can be successful and eye-pleasing without spending thousands upon thousands of dollars on a complete reef biology lab.

I used 3x175W 10000K, supplemented with 260W 50/50 PCs until a month ago, then switched to 14000K's and half 50/50 and half actinic PCs. I'm very happy with the growth considering it was just over an inch tall in January and I'm not keeping my local electric company afloat. One reason I'm allowed to keep the tank is that I can tell my wife that the big expenses are in the past--except for a fish or two--or three--oh, and that crocea I've had my eye on! So for that reason alone, I have no plans to change a thing.

Nice alveo and clavularia specimens, BTW.

Yes, I am lowering the par of my lighting by switching to 20K, See how it goes, Thanks.

Dan, you got that from Eric L right? Mine is much more purple than yours is, almost solid purple, just not as much growth. Then again, I am only on my second gallon of 3 part.