ORA corals... Has anyone ever had one keep its color?

[werdlone]

I think the ORA corals do very well keeping their colors. There have been a few that seem finicky...the Bellina seems to be a little more touchy and the red planet wants to turn all red. other than those, I have had great color and growth.

Here is my pearlberry

and my hawkins

 

[ryshark]

Is everybody who posted pictures of nice Pearlberries blasting them in high light?

 

[SDguy]

you mean the German Polyp Blue?

when i first got my frag it looked amazing. The structure was very distinct. It's now blanded into a ugly metallic smoother green acro. It's pretty hardy at least?

Is your's in low or high light? Mine is all the way up top.

Well, the polyps have always looked purple to me, so that's what I call it :lol:

Yes, yes, and actually, yes, to your comments/questions . I've been meaning to try a frag lower down... just been lazy.

 

[scarpart1984]

I know most other websites u buy frags from usually keep there corals under 20k lights. So if r using 10k bulbs your obviously going to loose color in your colonies

 

[werdlone]

ryshark: Is everybody who posted pictures of nice Pearlberries blasting them in high light?

Mine is right up high under a 250 watt HQI phoenix bulb. Loves the light. My hawkins is about 4-5 inches lower than the pearlberry.

 

[prospectclmt]

My ORA bellina has been holding it's color under t5's

 

[stayhuman]

 

[stayhuman]

O.R.A. RedPlanet

 

[stayhuman]

several O.R.A.s

 

[CleveYank]

yeah saw those pics on a website a bit ago. Those are your colonies? Anything special you do? Foods, water etc....? Higher light? lower light? Most all of my corals have stunning color except my ora pieces. Makes me wonder if they go into some sort of shock in my uln system or they are getting toO much light.

I was having the same thing with most of my more recent higher end acquisitions.
It was water parameters plain and simple. Once I redid entire system with kicking carbon dosing to the curb, more flow, two daily ca/alk sources and rigid water change schedule things turned around completely. Some things to where I have better colors than when some of the higher end stuff arrived. When they're no longer pathetic little frags/micro colonies I'll post pics of them.

But if you are experiencing the same thing I'd look at the system for low or high nutrient issues/fluctuations, flow and or water chemistry/care possibilities. Rethink your drink and dial it in.

 

[Ralph ATL]

you have to have more than enough light, and keep nutrient levels low. IMHO.

 

[poolkeeper1]

Carbon dosing?

Carbon dosing?

:idea:

I was having the same thing with most of my more recent higher end acquisitions.
It was water parameters plain and simple. Once I redid entire system with kicking carbon dosing to the curb, more flow, two daily ca/alk sources and rigid water change schedule things turned around completely. Some things to where I have better colors than when some of the higher end stuff arrived. When they're no longer pathetic little frags/micro colonies I'll post pics of them.

But if you are experiencing the same thing I'd look at the system for low or high nutrient issues/fluctuations, flow and or water chemistry/care possibilities. Rethink your drink and dial it in.

What did kicking Carbon dosing achieve in the whole scheme of thing do for you? Sounds like your Issues were with water quality plain and simple. Your statement makes no sense IMHO.
Bill:idea::hammer:

 

[Tripel_Hornet]

my fav ora

joe the coral

woolley green acro

 

[tuberider]

If anything, IME, ORA corals only get more colorful over time. I remember the MI Lavender came in brown as *you know* and turned pastel green with pink coralites and white polyps, I'm glad I snagged that one while it was available....

 

[seminolecpa]

I am too

 

[ryshark]

Whats the MI lavender? Sounds nice, any pictures?

 

[seminolecpa]

 

[CleveYank]

:idea:

What did kicking Carbon dosing achieve in the whole scheme of thingS do for you? Sounds like your Issues were with water quality plain and simple. Your statement makes no sense IMHO.
Bill:idea::hammer:

My colors with carbon dosing were washed out and terrible. And on my nicer stuff in particular. It took more tinkering than I care to bother with to try to force them back. And the whole idea of dosing another thing to resolve another thing that was intentionally changed from something else "dosed" doesn't add up for me.

The Alk sensitivity was causing my water PARAMETERS (NOT QUALITY BILL) to fluctuate. It was an 18 month exercise of tail chasing and for my SPS system it was a joke. I went through more test kits and malarkey than I have in 5 of the 21 plus years I've been in the hobby. Statement makes plenty of sense Bill. And since I charted all the changes and issues and will be charting the current status I will have data in 11 more months to justify the move over just my opinion or merely swimming with the tide.

I do not believe in the IN TANK carbon dosing circus for MY SPS systems and I will most likely never try it again. And my refusal to stress my corals intentionally and increase alk sensitivity intentionally should not cause you enough alarm to want to bring the :hammer: down on me. :lolspin: If it's working for you wonderful, it's not for me.

And since kicking it my system became much more stable and the colors are great.
And the lack of dosing still left an issue of nutrient control, which it's become far easier to just pump out and replace 4, 8 or 12 gallons of new system water than play with dosing vodka, testing phosphates, nitrates, daily Alk monitoring during adjustments. And making sure I have MB7 onhand for daily dosing or feeding more, or aminos, or iodine or iron or potassium. Too much malarkey, for me at least.

-----------------
Ya know I just thought of something, I wonder if ORA direct carbon doses their SPS grow out systems?

 

[dvanacker]

I doubt it ...they use natural sea water.

 

[Dave71]

Rose Milli is near the bottom.

I thought millis like a good bit of light. Am I incorrect?