Sps Spotlight: Oregon Tort

[revhtree Verified Admin]

We're rolling out the old school Oregon Tort for this weeks Sps Spotlight!

It may be old news but it is still one beautiful sps piece that is desired by many sps aquarium enthusiast.

Please share your photos and the best lighting, flow, and placement that you have found that provides optimal growth and color.

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[BillyC]

This acro cannot get enough light! The stronger the light, the more blue it gets. Mine is a few inches under my 250w halides and likes moderate to moderately high flow. I'll try to snap a pic but it in an awkward spot for photos.

 

[CUNAReefer]

Here is my ORA Oregon Tort. It's still getting its blue color slowly but surely:

And a growth shot as of 10/6

 

[robby2782]

Here is my ORA Oregon Tort. It's still getting its blue color slowly but surely:

That doesn't look like a Tort

 

[CUNAReefer]

How so? Here are a couple more torts for comparison:

 

[landlord]

I wish I could ofer some insight but torts have always been sub par performers (growth wise) for me. I know that eventually my issue is that I have too much in a 90 gallon tank and the faster growers usually end up crowding out this beautiful coral. Bluest one I have and I have tried a bunch. Better blue than Palmer mille, any hoek I haven't managed to kill. Funny but the only blue rivaling it would be a patch of tubbs zoas.

Oregon Tort

Kurt

 

[64Ivy]

 

[robby2782]

How so? Here are a couple more torts for comparison:

I apologize for coming off rude, but with the PE it looked similar to a Tenius sp. your other pictures prove your point. I know a couple years ago someone sold me a bogus Oregon Tort.
There's a lot of look-a-likes going around unfortunately.

 

[Acrokeeper3729]

One of my favorite acros of all time. Cuna, thats definately a tort, but I have never seen the Oregon tort get any green in it. The ORA Cali tort and ORA Ice tort get the green in the base but I have never seen any green like that in my Oregon, or any Oregon I have seen. Thats an awesome tort you have, and I am not trying to be rude I am just saying what my experience with this tort is.
At any rate, I keep mine in moderate to high light and high flow and although its a slow grower at first, as it settles in it grows at a moderate clip. Still the slowest growing tort I have though.

 

[CUNAReefer]

I apologize for coming off rude, but with the PE it looked similar to a Tenius sp. your other pictures prove your point. I know a couple years ago someone sold me a bogus Oregon Tort.
There's a lot of look-a-likes going around unfortunately.

Hi Robby,

There is no need to apollogize at all. I didn't think you were rude in the slightest. Your passionate about SPS and you call em like you see em. :bigsmile: I'm sorry to hear someone sold you a bogus Oregon Tort. I have several corals in my tank that were sold to me as one type of coral, but were something completely different. I no longer buy from those reefers. This ORA Oregon Tort came from a reefer named flynnstone. He was the prior owner of LFS here in Metro Detroit. He was even kind enough to place and ORA order for me. 16 pieces of ORA still in the bag with a copy of the ORA receipt. A top notch reefer! If you go to orafarm.com, they do have a nice pic of the ORA Oregon Tort. You can see the base is a purplish color where the coralites are deep blue. I have a ways to go before I get the perfect blue, but I will eventually get there!

Warmest Regards,
James

 

[wysiwyg]

wow that torte has some amazing colors

 

[CUNAReefer]

One of my favorite acros of all time. Cuna, thats definately a tort, but I have never seen the Oregon tort get any green in it. The ORA Cali tort and ORA Ice tort get the green in the base but I have never seen any green like that in my Oregon, or any Oregon I have seen. Thats an awesome tort you have, and I am not trying to be rude I am just saying what my experience with this tort is.
At any rate, I keep mine in moderate to high light and high flow and although its a slow grower at first, as it settles in it grows at a moderate clip. Still the slowest growing tort I have though.

Hi Nicks387,

Hope all is well!

Your not being rude at all.:bigsmile: The tort has slowly been getting its blue back. It didn't have as much blue when I first got it, but with some patience, TLC, and stability, It has been getting the deep blue coloration. You are also right about the Cali Tort and Ice Tort (Ice Tort is pictured above). How about this... I"ll continue to update this thread with the change in coloration of my tort.

Warmest Regards,
James

 

[Acrokeeper3729]

Hey James, I am sure it very well may be Oregon tort, like I said, I just had not seen that nice green base on the ones I have seen. Of course, many things can make a corals colors shift. Good luck with it, it is a beautiful piece. Nice Ice tort too, that ones getting harder and harder to find.

 

[CUNAReefer]

Hey James, I am sure it very well may be Oregon tort, like I said, I just had not seen that nice green base on the ones I have seen. Of course, many things can make a corals colors shift. Good luck with it, it is a beautiful piece. Nice Ice tort too, that ones getting harder and harder to find.

Thanks, Nick! Much appreciated. James

 

[brian_reefragr]

I'm on vacation right now, but when I get home I will snap a couple pics of my Oregon and Cali torts. These are 2 of my all time favorites, and for me they both do really well high up in the tank within 12-16" of my 8 bulb T5 with decent to high flow. The Oregon tort and what I was told was Purple Monster about a decade ago, were the reasons that I decided to take the plunge into keeping sps and although I have never been able to find that exact purple coral (seen tons called purple monster since) I have always had a piece of Oregon tort in my tanks, and always will!

 

[Big E]

Heavy flow & near the top............. it will stay all blue & grow faster

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[darryl_v]

perfect example of an oregon tort big E. Deep blue from base to the very tip (no lighter growth tips)....also a somewhat chaotic axialite growth form. Beautiful peice. Last time I tried to buy a frag it died in shipping

 

[rossco]

Mine at it's peak. Directly under a Radium 250, good flow.

 

[Rabidgoose]

Interesting....I have the ORA Blue Tort (which I see they don't even list anymore) and wondered if it was the "Oregon Tort". That, as I recall is where they got there piece originally. After reading thru the thread I'm convinced it's different because without massive light mine will turn green as well. Now I'll need to add the OT to my list because I really don't like the tendency for mine to turn green. With a PM my ORA Blue Tort......

Not many pics of it.....

 

[Acrokeeper3729]

Almost 100% certain the ORA blue tort is just the ORA Cali blue tort. They list the Oregon tort as ORA Oregon tort. I love the Cali tort too and I have not seen ORA offer any of the 2 in a long time.