Where to source non-colorful corals

[penfold2]

I think a lot of the old school corals would fit the bill. Porites is a great one, as you mentioned. Turbinaria reniformis is tan to yellow and has a really nice random plating form. The Leng Sy Monti cap has a purple rim, but is more muted than most caps overall, and can develop interesting vertical nodules. Candy canes can be found in brown with green centers or gray/blue colorations. Fox and bubble corals, Duncans, Duncanopsammia (formerly Turbinaria) peltata are more options. I always loved christmas tree worm rocks, and while the worms are colorful, the corals they inhabit are typically less so. Astreopora and Pachyseris are a couple of oddball corals that don't get too colorful.

 

[wmv]

Sounds like Heliopora (Blue Ridge Coral) is the coral for you. It has some of the most interesting growth patterns I've ever seen in a home aquarium, and unless you cut it in half, it's not very colorful at all. It's a very unique coral with an incredible history you can read about in an old reefbuilders article as well if that interests you. I don't believe it's commonly kept anymore but it's still fairly readily available if you look for it and not expensive either.

 

[exnisstech]

Sounds like Heliopora (Blue Ridge Coral) is the coral for you. It has some of the most interesting growth patterns I've ever seen in a home aquarium, and unless you cut it in half, it's not very colorful at all. It's a very unique coral with an incredible history you can read about in an old reefbuilders article as well if that interests you. I don't believe it's commonly kept anymore but it's still fairly readily available if you look for it and not expensive either.

Forgot about that one. This is mine under natural light.

 

[BZOFIQ]

Right... but I'd hate to pay extra for a fluorescent effect that I'm not really going for, you know?

This happens all the time!

You go to a show, spot something absolutely stunning, bring it home and.....meh!!!

Then there is stuff that look ok, put it in your tank and wow fire!

It's all about how you like your lights. I like mine old school style - no windex look for me.

 

[Jamie9]

Some common non-endangered Florida corals legally harvested on licensed live rock farms like TBS.
TBS 5lbs Nano Premium - UPS

Is that first one oculina robusta? I think I got one of those? (See below)

 

[Michael Hughes]

Am I right that it is almost impossible to get Florida hard corals legally harvested on live rock? I don't see a WYSIWYG so you would pretty much have to order a bunch and hope for the best.

I don't imagine it could legally be resold either so all around tricky to keep.

For what it's worth, I have a sample size of only 2 so far (actually came in today for a completely different project at work). One bucket (15 lbs of nano base rock) had a single coral skeleton (already bleached). Otherwise lots of life on the rock, especially barnacles. Tomorrow I'll have more time to take a closer look for more corals.

The second bucket (15 lbs of nano base rock) had a small colony of Solenastrea, a couple colonies of Oculina robusta, and one Phyllangia americana (I think - will check again tomorrow).

I know the sample size is small, but so far I'm impressed. Also, this isn't their premium rock - this is just the base rock.

 

[Michael Hughes]

I think a lot of the old school corals would fit the bill. Porites is a great one, as you mentioned. Turbinaria reniformis is tan to yellow and has a really nice random plating form. The Leng Sy Monti cap has a purple rim, but is more muted than most caps overall, and can develop interesting vertical nodules. Candy canes can be found in brown with green centers or gray/blue colorations. Fox and bubble corals, Duncans, Duncanopsammia (formerly Turbinaria) peltata are more options. I always loved christmas tree worm rocks, and while the worms are colorful, the corals they inhabit are typically less so. Astreopora and Pachyseris are a couple of oddball corals that don't get too colorful.

Great suggestions! I've been planning on a scroll coral, I love the plating growth. I'll do some more reading on some of the others on your list. I appreciate the suggestions.

A Christmas tree worm rock would be cool! I'm definitely not opposed to color - just wanting to avoid the artifical look in favor of a more natural aesthetic.

 

[Minifoot77]

I have plenty of blue ridge if you go that route and wanna try shipping

 

[Michael Hughes]

Sounds like Heliopora (Blue Ridge Coral) is the coral for you. It has some of the most interesting growth patterns I've ever seen in a home aquarium, and unless you cut it in half, it's not very colorful at all. It's a very unique coral with an incredible history you can read about in an old reefbuilders article as well if that interests you. I don't believe it's commonly kept anymore but it's still fairly readily available if you look for it and not expensive either.

This is a coral I had completely forgotten about, and is a great suggestion! Heliopora epitomizes what I'm looking for in this tank.

Forgot about that one. This is mine under natural light.

Beautiful colony! Thanks for sharing!

Which acro do you have behind it?

 

[Michael Hughes]

I have plenty of blue ridge if you go that route and wanna try shipping

Thanks! I'm a few steps away from actually adding corals, but I'll pm you when I get there. Timeline is looking like this spring.

Any tips on growing blue ridge?

 

[areefer01]

It is not so much the color as it is the name. My opinion is just keep it simple and set a price per frag then go window shopping.

There are plenty of corals that you can buy that will grow into whatever your system supports. I've had a couple 10 USD nubs which two being shades of green and another purple.

Coloration is not a guarantee in my opinion as lighting and nutrients play a role as does day to day husbandry. We can both have a frag off the same colony and yet it will look vastly different. There are a couple of coral grow out contests on this site, and others, that show great examples of this.

 

[me & my baby]

Are we talking hard corals or soft? Lots of plain looking leathers and other soft corals to be had.

Mostly hard corals, other than some occasional zoas, parazoanthids, and maybe Ricordea florida.

The goal is to have one or two pink Pocillopora damicornis as sort of the eye catchers when it comes to color, but have most of the rest of the corals be fairly neutral. It's probably going to be even harder as I get closer to adding corals, but I'll do my best to show extreme restraint in color choices, and really focus on the textures and growth forms.

Think twice about pocillopora , you start off with one they once it starts to grow you will have them all over the tank . If you go to oat vendors sites and look at there frags. The cheaper ones are the ones that have less color . Don’t go so much by growth patters because some not all will be different in each tank do to flow patterns.

 

[me & my baby]

Are you wanting something like this

 

[Hawaiian AQ]

I got some of these guys. From tennis ball to basketball size

 

[Minifoot77]

Thanks! I'm a few steps away from actually adding corals, but I'll pm you when I get there. Timeline is looking like this spring.

Any tips on growing blue ridge?

Keep it wet...

 

[exnisstech]

Which acro do you have behind it?

That's a piece of neon green anacropora I accidently broke off on another tank so just stuck it there to see how it would do.

Here's a couple of pieces under blues.

 

[exnisstech]

Keep it wet...

And learn to like it because it doesn't go away lol. Mine came in on some rock I bought from a tear down and survived months stored in a cold dark brute container.

 

[X-37B]

I always have a colony of Pavona-potatoe chip coral.
The structure of them when they get big is a favorite of mine.
Mines getting there, lol.

Stags are another option. This is a purple
/blueone in my old 120.

 

[Hawaiian AQ]

I always have a colony of Pavona-potatoe chip coral.
The structure of them when they get big is a favorite of mine.
Mines getting there, lol.

Stags are another option. This is a purple
/blueone in my old 120.

What type of lighting were you using in this 120?

 

[X-37B]

What type of lighting were you using in this 120?

The 120 was 2 250 watt de 14K halides.
This is the same coral grown from a piece when I moved in my current 150, just above the damsel. It has a more green/purple look.
2 Photon 50's and 3 or4 uv/v bars.