TM
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TM
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Route Edition EE
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In addition to these qualities, the MIPM originally has white tipped tentacles. The rest of the transparent polyp center appears to possess multi pigment capabilties. Another incredible Route 66 Marine one of a kind Small Polyped Stony SPS coral. This coral has a strong potential to create a few different captive grown morphologies.
Reeffarmers is currently maintaining a seed section of this coral in a 8 foot Raceway Gyre BiZonal system. The original colony was not present when the Route 66 Marine facility was forced to cease its operations. We are assuming it was lost and it was rather small colony. They may have distributed one or two fragments. For now we are assuming only the Reeffarmers seed, first edition and second edition are the only surviving fragments of this coral.
There has been some criticism about calling this specific coral a Limited Edition. Well we actually elevated its classification to Exclusive Edition. Supposedly the operation in the Marshall Islands is a farm. This Acropora came in the first shipment from that operation. This original colony was significantly large enough to not have been grown primarily in a farm. It was at the most a harvested branch from a source colony that had grown quite extensively. It may have been mounted to a small culture rock or plug, but that is impossible to tell. Could have been a complete harvested colony. At any rate, was at Route after the second shipment from the Marshalls arrived and it was very disappointing. No other pieces of this coral were in the shipment. The shipment primarily consisted of poor quality Montipora superman on plugs. And even some green Montipora on plugs. The few Acro would not make it and they were not that spectacular. Both me and Eric agreed it was very poor quality and neither one of us would call this an up and running farming operation at the time. So Reeffarmers does not expect to see anymore of the Marshall Island Purple Monster exported, but we will keep our eye open. Please contact us if you happen to acquire one and we will note that here. It is typical for a new farm to have problems. We saw the same thing occur in 1996 when the farming operations in Solomons just started up. They eventually got it right a couple of years later and shipped some incredible coral, but then a civil war occurred and the farming ceased.
Our system is naturally filtered with a semi-cryptic zone and a reef flat exposed zone. In this captive reef the coral is positioned to receive moderate light and moderate water current. The first edition fragment of this coral was sold to Dennis Sandoval, while the second edition was sold to Mike Paletta. Recommended list price on February 16th 2015 was $165 for a small fragment.
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