Oldude Reef Pix
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mc-cro
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iPhone pix
The seldom seen, and under appreciated Blue Ridge coral...I have a very nice size colony that I got over 10yrs ago. No one ever wants a piece of the "boring brown looking turd", but its a special piece for those who know it
mc-cro
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did you know its not actually classified as a stony, technically its an octocorall, like a toadstool because of its polyp structure....
I forget why its blue, something about the way it takes up ...???... turns it skeleton blue
I forget why its blue, something about the way it takes up ...???... turns it skeleton blue
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OP
OP
Oldude
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Thanks
Thank you
I have had mine for about 8 years I think and yes it is a very under rated coral.
Thank you
True it is not an sps - but it is hard & crunchy on the outside.
Heliopora [FONT=&] coerulea [/FONT]
What are blue corals? Blue corals belong to Phylum Cnidaria. Although they produce a hard skeleton, they are NOT hard corals and are more closely related to soft corals. Blue corals are the only members of the Order Helioporacea, Family Helioporidae. They are also the only members of the soft corals (Subclass Alcyonaria) that contributes to reef-building, like hard corals do.
Living fossil: Blue corals are considered living relicts of fossil species known from more than 100 million years ago. Most other corals have an evolutionary age of only several hundred thousand years. Blue corals used to be dominant before the last Ice Age when the seas were warmer. They are now only found in warm tropical waters.
Features: Blue corals are confusing. Firstly, they are often brown and don't appear blue at all. Secondly, although they have a hard skeleton, they are not grouped with other hard corals.
Colonies 15-30cm, polyps about 0.5cm. Their internal skeletons are blue, hence their common name. The blue colour is due to the iron salts that are incorporated into their skeletons. On the outside, they are usually brown because the thin layer of brownish living tissue that covers the outer surface of the skeleton. The skeletons are made of a different kind of calcium carbonate (fibro-crystalline argonite) that is more brittle than that of true hard corals that belong to Subclass Sclerectinia. Inside the skeleton are tubes where the long, thin polyps live and a system of canals. Blue coral colonies are usually boulder shaped with knobs. They may also have thick leaf-like forms or columns, and may even be encrusting or plate-like.
Tiny polyps (about 0.5cm) have 8 tentacles with fine branches like other soft corals (True hard coral polyps have smooth tentacles in multiples of six). The polyps stick out of tiny holes (0.2cm) in the skeleton. They may be white or beige.
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That is a very nice blue ridge. Love even if it is brown.
The sponge growth does effect the coral.? Did the growth start after the coral was in your tank?
The sponge growth does effect the coral.? Did the growth start after the coral was in your tank?
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Very nice sir!
OP
OP
Oldude
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Thanks for your interest, that species of sponge grows throughout my system and gets everywhere but has no affect on the coral I am aware of. Heliopora is very resistant to other corals stinging it etc. Some days it is really shiny and looks like it was just varnished and then it sheds that layer and looks like a flat finish again. Polyps only come out once or twice a month - not sure if is due to lunar cycles or something else but it is interesting. This colony started in my tank about the size of a fist (at least 8 maybe 9 years ago) and now is growing into a beast - 14 inches across, 12 inches high and about 8 inches front to back. It is not aggressive but because it is pretty much immune to stinging it can literally overgrow and swallow other corals. That said, several years ago I had a seriatopora hystrix growing beside it in which a single branch of the birdsnest grew right through it and came out the other side - crazy!That is a very nice blue ridge. Love even if it is brown.
I have never had much interest in it before, I assume because of the brown color but for me it has some sentimental value because it survived a crash that no other corals did and I think it gives a unique dynamic to the reef.
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eagle
Active Member
Love the tank. Really nice that you can keep nutrients down with skimmer only. The Euroreef/Reef Dynamics skimmers do a really nice job. I've ran them for a long time. Love the side view pics.
I wonder always wondered what the live version of the skeleton of blue coral we use to have in our Saltwater fish tank looked liked alive. Would get one for all those corals that people still have in their tanks. I am not a fan of dead coral decorations after keeping corals alive all these years.
\
mc-cro
Active Member
Tried to get a pic of mine yesterday with its polyps out. Its a crappy cell phone pic, but ff you look close. You can see its blue growth edge as it spreads across the bottom of the tank
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