ORA red planet

[Gary Majchrzak]

sure looks similar to this Acropora I've been growing for over 13 years. I've been watching the 'red planet' threads for awhile now. Acros can look very different depending on their environmental conditions. It grows into a table for me (in high flow). I've seen others grow it into a staghorn. It can be all pink, all red or pink/red polyps with a blue/green base.
Todd W. (of toddstorch fame) took this coral to Vermont years ago and others in Burlington ended up distributing it around the USA even more. (That's how Gary Greguire ended up with a frag of this coral!)
Additionally, I sold many frags of this coral to others all over the USA.
Is it the same species?
Is it possible that this coral originally came from my aquarium?
Can lineage honestly be traced? (I'm skeptical.)

these pix are the exact same coral grown in many different situations

usually loses green tones under lower kelvin lighting

turns blue/green under 20k

 

[gregod]

time for a DNA test

 

[coraljunky]

I'm not trying to be funny but, send me a frag and I'll place it in my tank along side of my Red Planet. We should be able to decide the outcome after a month or so. Just an offer. No offense taken if you laugh.

 

[drtango]

I've wondered the same about "Nathan's Green Millipora". I've fragged the "Green Monster" more times than I can count.

It would seem more than likely frags of longstanding URS mother colonies have spread beyond WNY--or to the mariculture industry.

John

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

thanx for the offer

thanx for the offer

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13752848#post13752848 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by coraljunky
I'm not trying to be funny but, send me a frag and I'll place it in my tank along side of my Red Planet. We should be able to decide the outcome after a month or so. Just an offer. No offense taken if you laugh.

nice frag! I need to see pix of a grown out ORA 'red planet' colony...

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13752878#post13752878 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by drtango
It would seem more than likely frags of longstanding URS mother colonies have spread beyond WNY--or to the mariculture industry.

no doubt about it, John

I know that Sprung and Shimek got some stuff from me.
Another fella in Georgia started a coral farming operation with a bunch of my frags.

 

[Capt_Cully]

Workin on it Gary. This will be a good experiment. I've got TWO frags. One is mine, another is a "rescue" frag that is in my charge during the ABC Reefs move. So, one will be in my tank, it seems to be growing out in all directions. Hopefully tabling!

We'll see what happens with the second. It's on the bottom in my tank right now and seems to be growing "up" as a stag would do.

crappy photo...not sure why it's so red..(that's the red velvet algae not cyano...)

Hawkins Echinata (mine) ABC red planet, mine is directly above it, Anacropora forbesi (?sp?) and ORA pearlberry (mine).

 

[nwrogers]

Most of this latest batch of corals released by ORA are corals they have collected from hobbyist, grown out, and released under different names. There are several threads about this on the SPS forum. My feeling is that the ORA Red Planet is the same coral as the red table that I saw in Steve Helinski's tank last year. I am not sure the relationship of your coral to Steve's but I have a feeling the "ORA Red Planet" has been around URS for some time now, long before it was released by ORA. I have a frag of it from Steve and it looks a lot like the Red Planet.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

the plot thickens!

the plot thickens!

OK.... we need Helinski in here!

I would expect his coral to show more blue/green because (I believe) his halides are a higher kelvin... (20k?)

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13752965#post13752965 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by nwrogers
Most of this latest batch of corals released by ORA are corals they have collected from hobbyist, grown out, and released under different names.

FWIW I was totally unaware of this

 

[Capt_Cully]

WOW, that's veeeery interesting Nate.

Does Helinski have ties to ORA?

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13065766#post13065766 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Aqua-World PITT
This new ORA coral was just released late today. Here's the description and picture they e-mailed me. (I am a LFS so this is how I get the e-mails)

This is word for word of what they e-mailed me:

ORA Red Planet tabling Acropora! This has been our most anticipated release of the year. The coral is truly stellar and sure to be the talk of the town. It is predominantly vivid red with how pink tips and a metallic green base. fragments of this coral closely resemble what most might call a Acropora millepora or prostrata but it grows into a tightly spaced, flat topped, true table coral as it matures.

We have been working with this particular strain for over two years. We started with a single tiny fragment obtained from a hobbyist in Europe. We are truly proud to finally release this one.

The Red Planet Table displays excellent growth and color under a wide variety of lighting conditions and has proven to be one of our hardiest corals. You truly must see it to believe it. You can be sure that your customers will be anxiously awaiting this acro's arrival so you might want to go ahead and start your waiting list.

FWIW + 2
I had requests in the past to ship livestock to Europe. I never did.

 

[Capt_Cully]

That's crazy, but it's nice to know aquaculture is going strong!

 

[tmz]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13752965#post13752965 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by nwrogers
Most of this latest batch of corals released by ORA are corals they have collected from hobbyist, grown out, and released under different names. There are several threads about this on the SPS forum. My feeling is that the ORA Red Planet is the same coral as the red table that I saw in Steve Helinski's tank last year. I am not sure the relationship of your coral to Steve's but I have a feeling the "ORA Red Planet" has been around URS for some time now, long before it was released by ORA. I have a frag of it from Steve and it looks a lot like the Red Planet.

I agree looks a lot like it.. iIhave a colony froma frag I got from Stev over a year ago. The picture shows the top of it.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13753120#post13753120 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tmz
I agree looks a lot like it.. iIhave a colony froma frag I got from Stev over a year ago. The picture shows the top of it.

that's definitely it, Tom!

anyone that knows me well already understands that gimmicky names and LE pieces don't impress me. (I think I have some Tyree and Larry Jackson stuff but it's no big deal to me.)
I do think it would be very kewl if the ORA "planet" could be traced, though

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

FWIW + 3

IME even though this coral might appear pink, red or brown under lower kelvin halides it will still glow green under actinics.

What lighting are you running, Tom?

 

[nwrogers]

Haha. I doubt Steve has ties with ORA and I would be surprised if ORA would ask for permission to re-release these corals under new names. I wouldn't think they would need to ask for permission either. Just because someone puts there name on a coral doesn't mean someone else can't come along and give it a different common name. I wish ORA would release the scientific names of their corals more often but I am sure there are reasons they don't.

Gary, the coral was super pink/red in Steve's tank. IMO it was the nicest coral in his tank by far. In my tank is is that same nice reddish pink with a green base that you see in all of the Red Planet photos. Vince (fatrip) also bought a piece of it and it was red in his tank as well. IMO it is not blue/green at all.

I don't have the search feature but there are several people that think the new Purple plasma was actually the Tubs Acropora Horrida. And some people think the Red planet looks like the Acropora anthocercis from soutassaltwater.com...

http://soutassaltwater.com/product.php?productid=16140&cat=0&bestseller
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1442671&perpage=25&pagenumber=2

And I think the new Blue Voodo Stag they are selling is the same Blue Slimer that Steve Lowes has been selling for years. Of course I have no proof of any of this and I mean after all these corals all did come from ocean at some point so there is not reason to believe they didn't get them directly from the ocean but either way the bottom line is they are nice, really nice. ORA charges a good amount of money for them but they have a history of selling very hardy corals so for the little extra money you are sure to get a great coral. At least the is my take on it.

 

[nwrogers]

tmz: That is what it looks like in my tank as well! ORA Red planet, I think so

FWIW I run a 175W SE MH XM 10K with VHO super actinics.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13753180#post13753180 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by nwrogers
Haha. I doubt Steve has ties with ORA and I would be surprised if ORA would ask for permission to re-release these corals under new names. I wouldn't think they would need to ask for permission either. Just because someone puts there name on a coral doesn't mean someone else can't come along and give it a different common name. I wish ORA would release the scientific names of their corals more often but I am sure there are reasons they don't.

ditto that.

thanks for those links, Nate.
We need Helinski to get home from his hot Saturday night date
I can't recall if he ever got a frag of this from me or someone else... (maybe Magyar?)

 

[Capt_Cully]

Can I ask how guys like Leng Sy, Larry Jackson, and Tyree "make" their corals in differring colors? Is it lighting? Do they put 2 different corals of similar G. and species near each other, let them grow together and grow out?

I just don't get how all of these color morphs are created.