Any Bright colored softies? ?

Alright everyone, this is not the place to have warring over a hobby. Let it drop and move on. This thread has been a good one and doesn't need to be ruined.
 
But recommending sponges (other than the common Floridian types like chicken liver sponges) is unconscionable, for a mod or anyone else.

Really? You should have this discussion with Bob Fenner then (as I have). He loves :inlove: sponges.

Kevin
 
Really? You should have this discussion with Bob Fenner then (as I have). He loves :inlove: sponges.

Kevin

Agreed. This is a good read.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/april2004/invert.htm

Here's one of mine.

DSC_3242.jpg
 
Sponges are cool but unless it grows by accident im not buying them.

I bought some tree corals there purple and brighter purple and neon green. Live aquaria helped out there. :lmao:
 
I don't recommend sponges as a major tank feature. I had some, red, yellow, and blue for 2 years, before a house move and an accidental rock-cooking event---the tank couldn't be installed for 5 days, pending some parts arriving, and the whole timetable for a one day smooth-as-silk move didn't go well at that point. The sponges came in with the live rock in the tank's first incarnation, and they went in the move, along with the shrooms, the colonista snails, and my four big bristleworms. The ones I had generally preferred shadowed areas, and grew quite nicely without much intervention. The blue venous stuff I'm not sure was a sponge, but it was certainly interesting, and went over several rocks in full mh light. The rest were cryptic, but interesting bits of color.

Most of the softies I have kept tended to be happily low light, back in a 1980's-90's tank setup prior to these two, and I am interested to know that they tolerate brighter light. Oddly enough, my hitchhiker discosomas thrived in mh light, right atop the rock. Which only proves that discosomas can survive a nuclear strike---these ones (including the sponges) survived a fullblown 4 week cycle on my first setup, so they had already been through the mill.
 
The blue venous stuff I'm not sure was a sponge, but it was certainly interesting, and went over several rocks in full mh light.

That happens to be a perfect description of a blue photosynthetic sponge that shows up in the hobby from time to time. I've even known folks that have traded cuttings of it successfully ;)
 
That happens to be a perfect description of a blue photosynthetic sponge that shows up in the hobby from time to time. I've even known folks that have traded cuttings of it successfully ;)

Yup. I've always been surprised that that sponge never became more of a mainstream organism in the hobby. Especially back in the old days when finding -anything- colored blue beyond tridacna clams was a big deal.
 
Yup. I've always been surprised that that sponge never became more of a mainstream organism in the hobby. Especially back in the old days when finding -anything- colored blue beyond tridacna clams was a big deal.


That's because no one ever named it the LE Blue Wowzer or some such! :LOL:

Kevin
 
What would some bright softie corals be ?? were starting a 29 and its going to be softties only. With a 70 watt MH.

If some one has pics please share !


Once your tank is advanced--about a year old and stable, there are several items of high color: there is red sponge, blue sponge, and yellow sponge that can make interesting shapes.

I don't recommend sponges as a major tank feature.

In any case, my offer is stll open.

-R
 
Sponges are not soft corals to start with and dont even belong in this forum. Take the battle elsewhere please.

Greg
 
Back to bright colored softies...

Soft corals are my favorite corals! Not because they are easier to keep than sps, but mostly because they move in the current which is super cool to watch. If you give time and look around you can find some really nice colored ones!

-One of the easiest and brightest soft coral is green star polyps.
-Zoas and mushrooms. You can find all kinds of colors. Orange Yumas are not too
expensive, hardy and super bright!
-Xenia and Anthelia. From pink to purple and blue. Blue is harder to find. There is also a blue/purple caspitularia which is a little more challenge to keep alive.
-Clove polyps. There is many different colors including bright orange, and neon green. I found some rare ones with yellow tips, but I burnt them and they are recovering now. I'll take some pictures when it fully recovers. From my experience cloves don't like too much light so be careful where you place them.
-My favorite soft corals are leathers. I am thinking about starting another tank with carnation corals as I have a friend who makes phytoplankton so I will be able to feed them heavily with not spending a fortune on it.
Besides carnations there is some really nice ones. I was lucky to find purple nepthea, neon green nepthea, gold nepthea, neon green sinularia, lime green sinularia, neon green toadstool and Yellowish sinularia.
 
I've gotten a couple of really nice softies after joining the local reef club. Some of the things for sale by other members, I've never seen in the local fish stores. I recently got a toadstool with glowing green polyps for $30.
 
I agree with Ritten. As a matter of fact, if you live close to Pittsburgh, come to my house. I'll give you a leather. My octomom leather keeps throwing little suckers off. I gave two to a local guy yesterday.
 
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