Staghorn Advice Please

[64Ivy]

I am in the process of...well, meddling with my tank and decided to maybe add a couple more staghorns. I already have the green slimer, a nice purple Hoek, and a sky blue/grey Elias. I also have a purple 'Ultimate' stag but it's still just a pup. What I'd like is a fairly fast growing, colorful piece or two, though I'd take colorful over fairly fast growing. Also, it would help if the species has the potential to grow in big and thick. Any thoughts? Favorites? Pics? TIA.

 

[MIKE NY]

Torts...fairly good growers especially the Cali and colorful also not very fast growers like Formosas or Microthyalmas...

 

[jbanks]

If you can find ORA Purple Plasma.... Also a very beautiful an relatively fast growing stag, with really pretty green poylps...

 

[MIKE NY]

very true ORA has some nice stags too..I have a Blue VooDoo which isn't a fast grower and is nice

 

[29reef]

Blue slimer, purple/blue formosa(get TR), and classic Cali tort.

 

[mborn]

If you want one that grows big and thick, here's a link to one at Vivid. They are regularly imported as small maricultured colonies and are quite thick for a stag. I'm reluctant to name species as accurate identification is dubious, but the ones I've seen typically are green with red/pink tips and are thick.

http://www.vividaquariums.com/10Expand.asp?ProductCode=08-4836&Category=Coral And Invertebrates:WYSIWYG SPS Colonies&SortBy=Price

 

[madkeenreefer]

If you want one that grows big and thick, here's a link to one at Vivid. They are regularly imported as small maricultured colonies and are quite thick for a stag. I'm reluctant to name species as accurate identification is dubious, but the ones I've seen typically are green with red/pink tips and are thick.

http://www.vividaquariums.com/10Expand.asp?ProductCode=08-4836&Category=Coral And Invertebrates:WYSIWYG SPS Colonies&SortBy=Price

Correct very nice peice (A.Abrotanoides.) however very hard to keep.
http://sdmas.com/corals/21.php.

This coral does best in mature tanks, up top in strong lighting and in strong random flow. again very nice if you can keep it long term.

 

[fcmatt]

If you can find ORA Purple Plasma.... Also a very beautiful an relatively fast growing stag, with really pretty green poylps...

This! You will not be disappointed. Hardy and good looking. Pretty easy to get
too.

But.. there is always a but.. it is not thick branching in my experience even
with high turbulent flow. Still, a very good looking addition.

 

[64Ivy]

I'll look into both the abrotanoides at Vivid and the Purple Plasma from ORA. Does anyone have a pic of a mature PP colony? And any thoughts on Vivids Rainbow Prostrata?

 

[samuelkl]

The rainbow prostrata from vivid is nice, mostly red/pink with a green base and blue tips. Vibrant coloring and keeps it's color in a mature tank.

 

[Whisperer]

Abrotanoides have thicker branches and many have pink tips with green base, nice color comb. However, they are rather harder to keep IME. My most recent attempt is now in its third month. The others lasted only a couple of days. Good luck.

 

[Stanley-Reefer]

Don't have a name on this one....it's brown with blue growth tips and would be a nice contrast to yours you have in color.

Here is a couple of pics. All you see in my 90 and 175 started from a 2.5" frag in my 90 about 4 years ago. It is very strong--plating montis grow around it and it continues to grow into leathers. Shrooms gow onto the base and the base bleaches but the midsection and tips keep growing!

90 grown out

First frag to 175 3/09

4/11

Most recent pic

 

[jbanks]

Not a full colony shot of ORA PP, but a nice pic none the less from Reefbum's tank in 2009.

 

[64Ivy]

Thanks for the posts. I'll keep an eye out for PP frags also. Apparently, they're not quite as prevalent as they used to be.