How to tell if a coral is dyed a different color?

Tennyson · Jul 6, 2020

Thanks for the confirmation. I really want my $400 back, not even because it was dyed but because this coral was so sick and compromised and a risk to my other coral.

Mr_Knightley · Jul 6, 2020

That is just cruel, these sellers should be condemned for this. Have any of you notified moderators about this?

Tennyson · Jul 6, 2020

The problem is sellers don't want people to think they're dyed and will deny it by showing one or two examples of "healthy" specimens

Tennyson · Jul 6, 2020

Here's some more evidence.

What really stuck out to me was the pink skeleton. This was just so unheard of to me, but this thread from reefcentral echos the same observations I had with a dyed acan from Tonga showing pink skeleton. Could this be the confirmation of a dyed LPS coral?

RobMcC · Jul 6, 2020

These were definitely dyed. I got one. The ink comes off on your hands. Before buying I thought it may have been dyed, but given how unique it would be if it weren’t dyed, I took a punt. Knowing how toxic many dyes are, I have not put these in any of my display tanks. The coral is still in a quarantine tank. I did have a dark green / blackish sun coral some years that wasn’t dyed almost like a non branching micropthalma, and I had hoped this would be similar. Live and learn.

Edit, I meant T. micrantha, not micropthalma

joseserrano · Jul 6, 2020

Whoa that’s pretty messed up

Tl02022020 · Jul 7, 2020

I had no idea this was a thing. It’s a shame that there are people out there who do things like this. Sheesh!

Thespammailaccount · Jul 7, 2020

Tennyson said:
Here's some more evidence.

What really stuck out to me was the pink skeleton. This was just so unheard of to me, but this thread from reefcentral echos the same observations I had with a dyed acan from Tonga showing pink skeleton. Could this be the confirmation of a dyed LPS coral?

Does a green and yellow sun coral exist in nature? Are they all dyed or is this one dyed?

RobMcC · Jul 7, 2020

Thespammailaccount said:
Does a green and yellow sun coral exist in nature? Are they all dyed or is this one dyed?

Tubastrea micrantha and T. diaphana can look pretty close to these dyed faulkneri in coloration. Micrantha is branching though, and diaphana is rarely exported. I think diaphana is probably what I had years ago. Never seen one since, hence took a punt on these.

Dr. Dendrostein · Jul 7, 2020

kyleinpdx said:
@Dr. Dendrostein thought you might have some insight!

I've had mine for about 3 weeks approximately and they are lighter green not much but you can see the difference from the first day when you buy them. Bummer

My Van Gogh sunflowers may actually be paper flowers. Bummer

Dr. Dendrostein · Jul 7, 2020

I'm going to have to get an ICP test done see what shows up. I had one done prior about 2 months ago so anyting odd will show up.

Tennyson · Jul 7, 2020

I may also do an ICP test because my orange sun coral have not been the same since this dyed coral infected them.

I've been keeping the dyed coral in a bucket for now. I can use the water from the bucket and compare to a separate tank that hasn't been exposed yet.

Flippers4pups · Jul 7, 2020

Tennyson said:
So when I first got it shipped it already seemed really sick, had mesenterial filaments everywhere and behaved like it was infected. A couple others who bought blue sun coral have reported the same - mesenterial filaments.

The day after, I notice my other sun coral start looking sick too. In my 5 years of keeping sun coral, I have never seen them do this. Now my other sun coral have mesenterial filaments, the yellow stringy stuff showing.

I dipped the green/blue sun coral and notice its skeleton is exposed right after, pink skeleton

I frag the sun coral with hopes of saving it and stopping the deterioration. the insides are yellow, orange, red (from food), green, with white and pink skeleton.

I cut one frag of just flesh and gastrointestinal tract and notice the insides start out green/yellow (Left photo). After 2 days, the insides are completely green while some flesh from the surface is gone.

Some frags are still alive, but all of them were basically shredded from a quick 5-10 minute fragging session. I've never seen or cut a sun coral that was so weak. And again many of the frags have pink skeleton exposed underneath instead of white.

Definitely look painted. I'm not sure why anyone would paint them, doesn't make sense.

Tl02022020 · Jul 8, 2020

I’m guessing they charge more for these “rare” green ones?

Tennyson · Jul 8, 2020

These were sold to me as blue sun coral when actually they're very green. Seller was trying to get $500 for them and agreed to $275 but convinced me to pay $400 next day. Still waiting to hear if theyll refund me knowing its dyed.

kyleinpdx · Jul 8, 2020

Tennyson said:
These were sold to me as blue sun coral when actually they're very green. Seller was trying to get $500 for them and agreed to $275 but convinced me to pay $400 next day. Still waiting to hear if theyll refund me knowing its dyed.

Did you pay by credit card or PayPal? If so, charge back that ish. You did not receive the product described.

swiss1939 · Jul 8, 2020

Share who the seller is so everyone else can steer clear.

Tennyson · Jul 8, 2020

They're refunding me today so I'm satisfied, they are a great store and I dont want to drag them.

Still denying that they're dyed, which is why I created this post to get answers and support. We may know that they're dyed as a hobbyist, but businesses, suppliers and customers dont want to hear that their investment is fake. How do we get this out there as public knowledge?

Also they said their supplier denies them being fake but is talking to the diver

Fishbird · Jul 8, 2020

They may be a “great” store and refunding you is good but agreeing to one price and then convincing you to pay a lot more the next day is....not great at all.

It’s also not ideal that they’re denying that the corals are dyed with all the evidence.

I’m really glad you got a refund.