Mo$t Expen$ive Coral$
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fender
Active Member
I don't have a pic yet, but I have a one inch California Blue Tort Acropora that I paid $40 for from Steve Tyree. I won the chance to buy it in a drawing at a local frag swap. This was about 3 week ago. I spent $85 that day and took home 9 frags including the tort... so I averaged it in to minimize my wallet anxiety.
steveweast
Member
This is a three year old colony (grown from a one inch frag) of the blue Oregon Acorpora tortosa. This coral goes for $80 -$100 per one inch frag at the few online stores that even have it available....so, how many one inch frags do you think this colony will produce?
steveweast
Member
Well Kip..You've entered a a controversial topic..but here goes...
There are basically two types of "torts" in our hobby today IMO...the Oregon and the Cali.
The Cali tort is alleged to originate from a guy named Scweb in the bay area I believe. The Cali tort grows very quickly and is blue...but, not solid blue...and has lighter, almost greener shades to it and it will polyp out even in the day. It tends to grow with many branches in many directions. Since it is a fast grower, alot of people got a hold of it and distributed it...like Bennet, Berman, and ORA. The ORA tort is a Cali tort... ORA is just a distributor...as is evident in their current drive to acquire a few Oregon torts from a few folks up here in Portland.
The Oregon tort arrived here in Oregon around 1998 as a hitchhiker on a shipment from Bali to Waves Marine. They propagated and distributed it locally. Most sps reefers up here have it. It is a very slow grower and is solid blue and will stay blue unless exposed to low light where it will turn purple. It only polyps out a little bit during the day. If allowed to grow (and most folks don't let it grow at upwards of $100 per frag), it will grow more like a christmas tree...upwards, compact, and the branches will fuse together as it gets fatter. It can be bonsai trimmed to make it branch more...but, if left alone, it will look like mine.
The Cali and Oregon torts look similar in the frag stage and only differentiate themselves by the Oregon being more blue... and by their eventual different growth patterns. BTW, this different growth pattern probably means that one of these two torts is not a tort after all....but, that's another controversary.
I think your tort is a Cali.
There are basically two types of "torts" in our hobby today IMO...the Oregon and the Cali.
The Cali tort is alleged to originate from a guy named Scweb in the bay area I believe. The Cali tort grows very quickly and is blue...but, not solid blue...and has lighter, almost greener shades to it and it will polyp out even in the day. It tends to grow with many branches in many directions. Since it is a fast grower, alot of people got a hold of it and distributed it...like Bennet, Berman, and ORA. The ORA tort is a Cali tort... ORA is just a distributor...as is evident in their current drive to acquire a few Oregon torts from a few folks up here in Portland.
The Oregon tort arrived here in Oregon around 1998 as a hitchhiker on a shipment from Bali to Waves Marine. They propagated and distributed it locally. Most sps reefers up here have it. It is a very slow grower and is solid blue and will stay blue unless exposed to low light where it will turn purple. It only polyps out a little bit during the day. If allowed to grow (and most folks don't let it grow at upwards of $100 per frag), it will grow more like a christmas tree...upwards, compact, and the branches will fuse together as it gets fatter. It can be bonsai trimmed to make it branch more...but, if left alone, it will look like mine.
The Cali and Oregon torts look similar in the frag stage and only differentiate themselves by the Oregon being more blue... and by their eventual different growth patterns. BTW, this different growth pattern probably means that one of these two torts is not a tort after all....but, that's another controversary.
I think your tort is a Cali.
D
daniel411
Guest
Originally posted by fender
I won the chance to buy it in a drawing at a local frag swap.
The one in clinton township? Grr... I so wanted to attend that, than I was called into work the whol weekend Originally posted by dburr
I think steve just blew us away.
Definately! I feel enlightened
cousinreinz2
Member
I just wanted to say thanks to Steve
S
spsaddict
Guest
steve would you say the robz tort is a cali or oregon?
steveweast
Member
spsaddict....I'm somewhat familiar with Robz's stunning reef and a couple of his tort-like specimens. None of the ones that I have seen of his seem to be like my tort in color or growth....but, that's about as far as my knowledge can go into accurate identification.
I've never got caught up into the identification of coral craze that seems to be running rampant in our hobby these days. I feel that our attempt at accurate identification is futile....so, I just don't try.... or even care too much about identifing a coral beyond the basic acropora, montiopora,etc. I always dread the question...what's that (insert color here) coral? Even on my upcoming website, there will be no livestock list.... I just don't think accurate identification matters, or is even possible.
I also think that the current desire to accurately identify everything is resulting in a dual naming system...one for the scientific community and one for the hobbiest. An example of this is the aquacultured "echinatas" coming from Bali that look nothing like the echinatas in Vernon's book....but, all the hobbiest know exactly what you're talking about if you mention a Bali "echinata". This is also happening to other acroporas (ie. the great soli/efflo debate)... as well as some montiporas.... I just choose not to get into this dead end debate.
I've never got caught up into the identification of coral craze that seems to be running rampant in our hobby these days. I feel that our attempt at accurate identification is futile....so, I just don't try.... or even care too much about identifing a coral beyond the basic acropora, montiopora,etc. I always dread the question...what's that (insert color here) coral? Even on my upcoming website, there will be no livestock list.... I just don't think accurate identification matters, or is even possible.
I also think that the current desire to accurately identify everything is resulting in a dual naming system...one for the scientific community and one for the hobbiest. An example of this is the aquacultured "echinatas" coming from Bali that look nothing like the echinatas in Vernon's book....but, all the hobbiest know exactly what you're talking about if you mention a Bali "echinata". This is also happening to other acroporas (ie. the great soli/efflo debate)... as well as some montiporas.... I just choose not to get into this dead end debate.
reefer44
Member
i agree with you...With all the different growth forms that are radically different to the natural growth forms it is nearly impossible to proberly name many of the corals
and as you said i am sure some of the corals we have given names to are indeed inaccurate...
by the way it is such a honor to have salt water gurus like steve and other of are moderators and such
and as you said i am sure some of the corals we have given names to are indeed inaccurate...
by the way it is such a honor to have salt water gurus like steve and other of are moderators and such
fender
Active Member
Originally posted by Daniel411
The one in clinton township? Grr... I so wanted to attend that, than I was called into work the whol weekend It was at Mustangs(From Mich-reefers)/Kens in Macomb (Are you a member at MR?). Here's a pic.... (it's getting hit by sunlight in the pic so the color is a little off)
D
daniel411
Guest
Originally posted by fender
It was at Mustangs/Kens in Macomb (Are you a member at MR?). Here's a pic.... (it's getting hit by sunlight in the pic so the color is a little off)
Yeah, I'm a member, just not to active lately... I live about five minutes from Ken's.
golfish
Active Member
Originally posted by MEP
the most expensive coral sold was on e bay blue zoo's for 600$
out of control
Mike, we should be able to get those soon. Anthony was the guy who sold those for 600.00 and I'm pretty sure Ben has some too. Whenif I get some I'll let you know.
Originally posted by fender
I don't have a pic yet, but I have a one inch California Blue Tort Acropora that I paid $40 for from Steve Tyree.
That's not a bad price from Steve, I don't even know if he has a tort in any of his tanks. Everytime I've seen his tanks the lights are off. Its probably a frag he either got from Scott Berman or Shawn Bennett in trade, which is the cal tort aka Shawn Bennett tort..
FWIW, the Cali tort can be bought from Shawn Bennet direct. I have a link to his web site for anybody intersted.
golfish5@msn.com