Blue Ridge Coral

General information

In general, corals coming from the genus Heliopora takes several coral lifeforms like massive, branching, plate-like, columnar or encrusting. Their skeleton is composed of calcium carbonate and iron salts which gives them the distinct blue skeletal color. 

For the Blue Ridge Coral, they are predominantly colored blue with light brown with light violet polyps. This are the water parameters in cultivating Blue Ridge Coral:

• Calcium: 400 – 450 ppm
• Alkalinity: 2.86 – 4.29 MEQ/L (8 – 12dKH)
• Phosphates: 0
• Magnesium: 1200 – 1350
• Strontium: 8 – 10
• Temperature: 72° – 78° F (22° – 26° C)
• Salinity / Specific Gravity: 1.023 – 1.025
• pH: 8.1 – 8.4

The Blue Ridge Coral get its primary nutrition from the symbiotic zooxanthellae living within its tissues. But we still recommend you do supplemental feeding by adding mysis and brine shrimp.

A mature tank is highly recommended in propagating Blue Ridge Coral. They must be set at the middle or bottom part of the tank.

The Blue Ridge Coral requires strong lighting and moderate to strong waterflow.

The Blue Ridge Coral can be found in the waters of the Indo-Pacific Ocean, especially in Japan, Samoa and New Caledonia. They are considered as a vulnerable species listed under Appendix II of the CITES list, which means that their international trade is monitored.

Although the Blue Ridge Coral has a peaceful behaviour, proper spacing must be observed since they have thin yet long polyps.

The Blue Ridge Coral is purely marine. So, therefore, salinity must be maintained thoroughly at 1.023 to 1.025 specific gravity.