Coral id

[ed99]

Could someone give me a hand identifying a coral. Unfortunately I can't seem to insert the pictures into this message but the two pictures are in my Canreef gallery. The first picture is from a few months ago when it was relatively healthy. The second is recently and it is not doing well. The preliminary diagnosis is that it is not getting enough food from the water column so I am trying to get my hands on some phytoplankton. I will post my water parameters in the next day or two when I have the chance to see if that could be a factor - but any comments in the meantime are appreciated.



Thanks,

Ed

[Quinn]

You don't seem to have a Canreef gallery... :question:

[Delphinus]

I think I found them. Here they are...

http://www.canreef.com/photopost/data/505/482yellowcoral-oct2003-med.jpg

http://www.canreef.com/photopost/data/505/482yellowcoral1-med.jpg

Looks like some kind of finger leather to me. I'm not sure what to make of that colour in the first one.

[Van down by the river]

Hello Ed,
What you have is Sinularia, possibly Sinularia polydactyla. That's not the important part here. It seems what you have is a dying DYED CORAL.
Pictures can distort color but it looks far too yellow to me. The second picture with necrosis in the tips definitely gives it away.

Please Check this posting from Anthony Calfo:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/dyedcorals.htm

Now I don't want to start a store slam, but I would like to know at which store you bought this coral. I'd also ask you to tell them next time you are in the store that you are very unhappy with this particular purchase. Then explain why. Unfortunately, the store may have actually not known it was a Dyed coral so it is important for you to let them know so that they don't order more!( the staff in many stores are often unaware that any such practise exists)

I think Anthony sums it up well in the following quote:
coral exporters and dealers, are not operating charities! Rest assured that they do not wish to ever offer a product that will not sell well, let alone incur a loss or debt. And so, the educated consumer need only vote with their feet by leaving the establishment selling inappropriate animals and not spending their money. This will promptly and directly impact what is offered in the market. On the contrary, a dyed coral purchased by an aquarist is a vote FOR the product and will likely be replaced by another in kind.-Anthony Calfo

There are husbandry suggestions on the site as well to assist you in nursing your coral back to health.

[ed99]

Thanks for the answers and the links. Somebody else suggested a dye job as well, and after looking through some of the pictures it appears that there were other dyed corals at the shop that day. The shop I bought it at was Ocean's Aquarium in Calgary. I'm not sure if they were aware that they were dyed, but I lost confidence in the shop based on other conversations I have had with their staff on a different subject.

Another lesson in not relying on the lfs for advice. Thanks again for the link- with that info and other advice I'm getting, hopefully I'll be able to bring him back to health.

Ed

P.S. Delphinus- thanks for posting my pictures. I used the 'Img' button before and after the address of the photo gallery where the pictures were and yet it just gave me the box with the red x. Am I missing something obvious? I've just tried again:

http://www.canreef.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=464&password=&sort=1&cat=505&page=1

[Delphinus]

The image button thing needs to link to a file that is just an image (i.e., a .jpg file). The photo page that you're linking to is a webpage (i.e., HTML file) that includes the image. So you need to go to that webpage, when you see your picture, right-click on the image itself, select "properties" and you should see something like "http://www.canreef.com/photopost/data/505/482yellowcoral-oct2003-med.jpg?2718". (I don't know what the question-mark and number is, that follows the filename for the .jpg file. Ignore it..). So you copy THAT text (up to the .jpg part, but not the question mark or number), and paste it into the "img" tags.

It's kind of hard to explain. Maybe someone else can jump in and explain better than me!

[MitchM]

Regardless of which LFS it was, I don't think that retail outlets can specifically order dyed corals, can they?

Mitch

[ed99]

Thanks Tony. Just tried it and it works.

I would also doubt that stores can or would knowingly order dyed corals, however I would expect them to know if they received them and do something about it. They, as well as us aquarium-keeprs should be responsible for these animals. Many of us have relied on them for advice before we found other places such as Canreef.

[EmilyB]

I also purchased a dyed coral there. I had my suspicions but it was a leather species that comes in yellow as well, and it wasn't brightly dyed. Fortunately for me, it is a nice healthy brown now.

It is quite possible they just don't know, because they really seem to be lacking on knowledge in general. Seeing as management has to want to improve, I have my doubts about that happening in this particular store. I am assuming it is the boss who keeps trying to sell me sharks and jellyfish. :rolleyes:

Anyway, I hope they prove me wrong.

P.S. You know, that may also explain why Gold's refused to sell me that exact same leather that day......hmmm

[MitchM]

Actually, as it turns out, you can order dyed corals... :confused:

On the order sheet for corals, you will see choices such as "yellow, purple or green" cabbage coral (as an example)..just check off the one you want. :evil:

It doesn't say "dyed", but if you know anything about corals, you know that they don't come in different colors.
If they come with too much dye in them, they will perish.

Mitch