Purple Stylophora vs "Milka Stylophora" - Is there a difference?

[trevorhiller]

Several months back I purchased a purple stylophora from Top Shelf Aquatics - I presumed it was the "Milka Stylo". It's since about doubled in size, but no white growth tips. Assuming this was a different stylophora, I asked my LFS for a piece of milka stylo last time I was there and he brought me a purple stylophora. Unfortunately it was closed up because he's in the process of moving his SPS tank but he guarnteed me it was healthy so I brought it home. It's indeed a purple stylophora, however, no white tips.

Am I getting some different variant? Is not all purple stylophora "Milka Stylophora" or do frags not show the white growth tips? Perhaps they just aren't growing fast enough yet to exibit the characteristic white tips? Pictures online show both white tips/no white tips so I'm curious what the difference is.

What are your thoughts?

 

[ptrusk]

Pic would seal the deal

 

[trevorhiller]

Here you go: larger one is from TSA. Smaller one lying on the substrate is from the LFS.

 

[19Mateo83]

Generally sps, including stylos, will encrust at the base before you start seeing new growth on the tips. I have two, one that was bought as a Milka and is just starting to get happy without any white on the tips yet and the other I just picked up from a fellow reefer that has huge white tips but I predict they will turn blue until it encrusts and starts growing again. Just my $.02

 

[trevorhiller]

Generally sps, including stylos, will encrust at the base before you start seeing new growth on the tips. I have two, one that was bought as a Milka and is just starting to get happy without any white on the tips yet and the other I just picked up from a fellow reefer that has huge white tips but I predict they will turn blue until it encrusts and starts growing again. Just my $.02

Thank you, that was kind of what I was waiting for, but it didn't seem to be the case with the TSA one. It started as bifurcated "nub" and now has the beginnings of multiple branches as you can see in the photo-but still no white tips.

Long story short, I want a big Milka stylo colony like these. I'm happy to buy another one if these aren't Milka stylo, but if it's just a waiting game, I'll keep waiting. But I'd hate to throw months away if these aren't it.

[Photos below via of Coral Euphoria & Reef Builders]

 

[19Mateo83]

Thank you, that was kind of what I was waiting for, but it didn't seem to be the case with the TSA one. It started as bifurcated "nub" and now has the beginnings of multiple branches as you can see in the photo-but still no white tips.

Long story short, I want a big Milka stylo colony like these. I'm happy to buy another one if these aren't Milka stylo, but if it's just a waiting game, I'll keep waiting. But I'd hate to throw months away if these aren't it.

[Photos below via of Coral Euphoria & Reef Builders]

Here’s the two I have. The left one is the one from the LFS. It’s taken a while to encrust to it’s rock and get happy. You can see the start of white tips on it. The chonky one is the most recent addition.

 

[Acros]

You can see mine on the top left. It always had the white tip. Sold as purple stylo.

Started as the small frag 2 years back. First year was really rough in the new tank.

I gave my friend a frag and it does not have the white tips anymore in his tank. His tank is very high nutrients.

 

[trevorhiller]

Here’s the two I have. The left one is the one from the LFS. It’s taken a while to encrust to it’s rock and get happy. You can see the start of white tips on it. The chonky one is the most recent addition.

Nice, looks just like what I want.

I just checked my log and mine was added August 3, 2022. I knew it had been a while, but not almost a year. Hopefully it'll do a little more soon. Everyone says how quick these grow, but I haven't seen it yet.

 

[trevorhiller]

You can see mine on the top left. It always had the white tip. Sold as purple stylo.

Started as the small frag 2 years back. First year was really rough in the new tank.

I gave my friend a frag and it does not have the white tips anymore in his tank. His tank is very high nutrients.

Hmm interesting. Curious if anyone else has seen similar. I don't think it would be N/P in my case. My nitrates are 1.5 / Phosphate 0.03 as of yesterday.

 

[Acros]

Hmm interesting. Curious if anyone else has seen similar. I don't think it would be N/P in my case. My nitrates are 1.5 / Phosphate 0.03 as of yesterday.

That’s close to my numbers. Maybe it just need a little time to start taking off.

Something interesting that I have noticed is that, it stopped growing vertically once it reached about 1” below the waterline. It is now spreading out, almost like a table. However that has not affected the white tips .

The frag in my fiends tanks almost looks like a Pocillopora rather than a stylo. It is a cool look. No clue why tho. I gave him the frag from this color. His frag is sitting at a much lower light.

Edit: Pocillopora

 

[trevorhiller]

That’s close to my numbers. Maybe it just need a little time to start taking off.

Something interesting that I have noticed is that, it stopped growing vertically once it reached about 1” below the waterline. It is now spreading out, almost like a table. However that has not affected the white tips .

The frag in my fiends tanks almost looks like a birds-nest rather than a stylo. It is a cool look. No clue why tho. I gave him the frag from this color. His frag is sitting at a much lower light.

Do you have any idea what PAR yours is getting? If I remember right, mine should be around 190-210 umol under an XR30 + Reefbrite combo.

I don't think flow would be an issue as I've got 2 MP40s in the tank, although it's sitting in indirect flow.

 

[19Mateo83]

Possibly all purple polyp stylos are “Milka” stylos. Check this out.

Confirmed: The purple Milka Stylo was originally collected in the Red Sea | Reef Builders | The Reef and Saltwater Aquarium Blog

The Purple Milka Stylo aka purple polyp Stylophora is a very unusual coral. Of all the strains of birdnest (Seriatopora) cat’s paw (Stylophora) and Pocillopora that we’ve ever seen imported for the…

reefbuilders.com

 

[Acros]

About 250-300 par under a G5 XR30 Pro.

 

[trevorhiller]

Possibly all purple stylos are “Milka” stylos. Check this out.

Confirmed: The purple Milka Stylo was originally collected in the Red Sea | Reef Builders | The Reef and Saltwater Aquarium Blog

The Purple Milka Stylo aka purple polyp Stylophora is a very unusual coral. Of all the strains of birdnest (Seriatopora) cat’s paw (Stylophora) and Pocillopora that we’ve ever seen imported for the…

reefbuilders.com

I actually did read that before, thanks for sharing though! I've been trying to figure this out for a while actually.

I know that there are other colors of stylo (magenta, blue/green, pink) so I was perhaps wondering if I had one of those. It does look purple to my eye, but who knows. Purple with white tips are the defining characteristics of a Milka and mine are missing the white tips.

 

[jelazar]

Whether it's Milka or not, I believe the white tips are just where it's actively growing. I have a very large colony and some of the tips are white, while branches that are irritated by too much flow or are shaded don't have white tips. The non-white tips show other signs of unhappiness too, like less PE or algae growth.

 

[bobnicaragua]

Here’s a shot of my milka stylo. It’s not like an acro, it’s pretty easy to keep happy and a good grower.