Blue tip Acropora solitaryensis, just added to display tank.
Picture taken September 2005, Nikon D70 Digital SLR, Sigma 105mm macro lens

This coral was sold as a captive grown Acropora solitaryensis from Bali.

Although the colors are a bit faded, the blue tips can e clearly seen. The coral has an excellent encrusted base.

The rock the coral is attached to is significant in size and well encrusted with coralline and other oddities. You can also see a nice feather duster worm.

Blue tip Acropora solitaryensis, recovering from bleaching event.
Picture taken January 2006, Nikon D70 Digital SLR, Sigma 105mm macro lens

Within a few weeks of being added to the display this coral bleached out. It looked nearly dead but still had a glow under actinics. I left it in place to see what would happen.

Slowly the color darkened. It's now recovering pretty well with shades of green and some other light blue on encrusting edges.

This picture is taken from above using my Acrylic Camera Box.

Blue tip Acropora solitaryensis, 5 months later.
Picture taken June 2006, Nikon D70 Digital SLR, Sigma 105mm macro lens

This coral is starting to show some nice colors again. It's possible it will be more than just blue tip, but may be a tri-color acropora.

Notice the extent of the encrusting base it's color.

This picture is taken from above using my Acrylic Camera Box.

Blue tip Acropora solitaryensis, bleaching 3 months later
Picture taken September 2006, Nikon D70 Digital SLR, Sigma 105mm macro lens

During the hot summer months of August 2006 water temperatures reached over 86*F for several days and this coral bleached on me.

This image shows the coral recovering from this bleaching event. I removed it from its original location and placed is on the bottom of the display tank.

Blue tip Acropora solitaryensis, Recovering 3 months later
Picture taken December 2006, Nikon D70 Digital SLR, Sigma 105mm macro lens

This Acropora is well onto its way to recovery. As can be seen here the base color has returned and new growth is showing nice color.

I still have this coral just above the sand bed. I think I will leave this coral lower in the tank.

Blue tip Acropora solitaryensis, polyp macro.
Picture taken December 2006, Nikon D70 Digital SLR, Sigma 105mm macro lens

A macro picture of the polyps and growth tips. Some of the tips are blue and some are purple.

Blue tip Acropora solitaryensis, polyp macro.
Picture taken February 2007, Nikon D70 Digital SLR, Sigma 105mm macro lens

A macro picture of the polyps and growth tips. Interestingly some of the polyps are only half populated with zooxanthellae. I think is that the new growing tips are just getting populated and not that they are losing it.

Blue tip Acropora solitaryensis.
Picture taken October 2007, Nikon D70 Digital SLR, Nikkor 18-70mm DX lens

This image shows considerable growth over the past year considering it is very low in the tank -- it is effectively growing off the glass bottom tank.