Yellow Leather Coloring Issue -02/21/2008 Good Morning WWM Crew, Iım writing today to inquire more about a coral vanity question rather than its health. <Not to get too philosophical, but shouldn't these be more one in the same? How "beautiful" could any unhealthy coral be?> I got the most spectacular yellow Fiji leather a few months back. As you can see in the picture attached it is sunshine yellow. (Forgive the unhappiness of the coral, the picture was taken only moments after introduction into my tank). <Please see here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/dyedcorals.htm> I have it situated approximately 5² below the waterline under 4 54W T5 bulbs. (1 white, 2 Blue, 1 Purple). Over time it has gradually become more brown in color towards the edges of the skin and the polyps. <Hmmm, this tends to happen as dyed corals recover.> It is growing nicely and extends its polyps daily, <awesome> but it just isnıt the same spectacular sight anymore. <Sure it is... but it's spectacular in a different color now.> Is the discoloration from lack of light or too much light? Iıve also attached a picture of the whole tank so you can see that it is placed far enough away from any other corals that might be causing chemical warfare. <Well, as far as chemical warfare goes, I'd worry more about the leather coral(s) hurting the stony corals. Leather corals can be quite toxic to many stony corals.> Iım interested to know your opinion and your recommendations for how to get the old color back. (Please note these are old pictures and do not accurately portray the color now) <The best advice I can give you is to care for the coral as best you can and to maybe be a bit more "flexible" in what you consider beautiful. Or, if you really must have a bright yellow coral, try to find one that's naturally that way (rather than artificially dyed that color).> Sincere Regards, Jessica L. <Best, Sara M.>

Sarcophyton elegans... or dyed? The latter. RMF.

Dyed Torch Coral? – 11/08/07
Hi,
<<Howdy>>
Is there such a thing as a torch with light purple tentacles with green tips? My LFS has one and said they see them from time to time. Just wondering if they were dyed in your opinion?
Thanks,
James
<<I have seen this color morph (some are quite spectacular) and I do believe it to be real. Their appearance in the trade does seem to be spotty as eluded by your LFS; at least this is so here on the East Coast...and they generally command a premium price, in my experience. Regards, EricR>>
<Interesting... RMF has never encountered such a colored Euphyllia underwater... in thousands of dives>
 

Dyed Leather Coral  9/23/07 Bob, <Sorry, Sara here.> I need some help identifying this coral. I've looked for any picture in the web that resembles it and I can't find one. Is it a colt or maybe a leather? <Yes, it looks like some kind of leather coral.> When I purchased it all it said was that it's a soft coral. I am sending a couple of pictures so that maybe you can identify it. <Leather corals are difficult to ID, but it's definitely dyed. Which is unfortunate since this is very bad for the coral. It should get better though after it sheds.> <<Mmmm, maybe not. RMF>> Thanks Elsa <De nada, Sara M.>

Ooooh, lordie! Dat's peenk!

Dyed Cup Coral?  - 04/07/07
Hi gang,
<Hi Chuck.>
My usually-very-good LFS just brought in two VERY yellow cup corals. . .
<Mmm...if Turbinaria peltata then it almost certainly dyed, however it could be  Turbinaria reniformis which, unlike T. Peltata can exhibit such color. T. Peltata however is unfortunately dyed yellow very often.>
with color hue/chroma/intensity very similar to that displayed by my healthy yellow tang.
<If it's that bright then I'd say the chances of foul-play may be growing.>
What makes me somewhat suspicious -- besides the relative intensity of the color -- is that that 'skeletal' portion also displays the
uniform bright yellow color, even with the polyps retracted. . .
<Could be a recent...and thorough dye job, if is in fact dyed.>
whereas the picture of a yellow I'd seen here on WWM seemed to indicate bright yellow polyps on a close-to-brown skeleton.
<Depends on the exact species...but if dyed recently then the animal would be yellow all over.>
Is it likely these corals HAVEN'T been dyed?
<Mmm it's not possible to give you a 100% firm answer, but from what you have told me I would assume it is dyed.>
I'd love to think they were real. . .
<That's how "they" reel you in...>
Chuck
<Adam J.>

Dyed Kenya coral   12/31/06
Hi
<,>
i
<I>
wondered if you thought that this was a dyed coral? it
<It>
is being sold as an orchid kenya
<Kenya>
tree.
thanks
<Thanks>
 for your help
-Branden tucker
<Tucker>
<Mmm, did you send a pic with this? Not here... Have seen dyed Kenya Tree Corals... Bob Fenner>

Dyed Ricordea? - 06/20/06
Dear Crew,
<<Evening Narayan>>
I've read about dyed soft corals, anemones and glass fish on WWM.
<<Indeed>>
But just out of curiosity, have you heard of anyone dying Ricordea?
<<Can't say that I have>>
The reason I ask is that my LFS has a bright florescent-green polyp that looks too bright and florescent to be real.
<<Hmm...>>
I searched the Internet for pictures and haven't found one that colorful.
<<Perhaps a true "find"...or perhaps not...>>
I'm very tempted, but I want to make sure...
<<Is a possibility I suppose...I think you'll have to use your own good judgment here>>
Thank you,
Narayan
<<Welcome, EricR>>

Re: Dyed Ricordea? - 06/21/06
Thanks! I'll let you know if it's offspring are not as vibrant!
Narayan
<<Please do!  EricR>>

Dyed finger leather?
<Mmm, your pic didn't come through... but yes, there are such things...>
Well unfortunately I saw your articles to late, and my vote went to one of
the bad guys.. But even with my slow learning curve I will make sure this
will never happen again.
<Good>
My tank is a more or less a lagoonal set up with moderate light and flow.
After reading it sounds as if this optimum conditions for my "starving"
softy. But am I reading correctly that I'm more or less doomed?
<Need definitions... oh, your Alcyoniid might yet recover, lose the artificial color...>
Because of
the efficiency of food we can possibly provide? Could I impose on you to
first confirm what I have is dyed? Secondly, any suggestion to keep this guy
from becoming a sad statistic?  Thank you in advance for your time and
consideration.
<Please do try sending along the pic as an attached jpeg or bmp... Bob Fenner>
Justin Bales

Dyed Colt Coral...oh, yeah! The proof is in the skimmate 2/13/04 Crew, <cheers> I saw several Colt Corals (Cladiella/Alcyonium) in a LFS last night and wonder about their "authenticity".   <no need to wonder... a common and nefarious practice> They had beautiful rose to purple color with relatively long branches. I've never seen a Colt that color.   <and never will in the sea <G>> I inquired about their origin and was told that they came from some island off Australia.  The name was East T.... (sorry, can't remember the exact name). <haha...hoohoo...hehee> Anyway, the story was that they came from reefs that had not been harvested for over ten years due to civil unrest in the area.   <haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahhahaha. Oooooh. That's a good one> Some of the shipment had deteriorated and the owner had placed them in a propagation tank to see if he could salvage some cuttings.  I noticed the skimmer cup from that tank had pink tinted skimmate.   <oh, yeah> Is it possible that these corals are dyed or is there a true rose/purple colored Colt?   <nope... you win the hairy kewpie doll. The coral was/is dyed. And the LFS in this case passed on or created a naughty lie about the origin of it I suspect. Natural corals do not "bleed" color as evidenced by your keen eye on the skimmate. Kudos to you my friend> Your insight would be appreciated. Regards, Barry <an article here on the shameful practice: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/dyedcorals.htm <..... civil unrest off the coast of Australia preventing purple colt collections. Heehee... I loved that one <G>. Thanks for sharing :) Anthony.

Article Q&A, collection practices in Indo. Hi <Hello> You have a question from a user titled: Dyed Colt Coral...oh, yeah! The proof is in the skimmate 2/13/04 http://www.wetwebmedia.com/dyedcoralfaqs.htm You just might want to make a note of the place he is talking about in reference to the location of the dyed coral is: East Timor. Close to Australia but not part of Australia. <No> There's a lot of very bad collection practices in Indonesian waters and on principle many people from Australia wont buy from Asia Pacific. Cheers Leanne <Thank you for this. Will try to find this piece and post your note alongside it. Bob Fenner>

Dyed Colt Coral...oh, yeah! II 2/13/04
Anthony,
<cheers, my friend>
Thanks.  Although I was pretty confident of my assessment, I wanted to get your expert opinion.
<understood and agreed... there certainly are many naturally occurring colors every bit as pretty as this dyed specimen in the sea. As such, your hope that it was real and good sense to check before buying were all quite natural and warranted>
Actually, I think the young owner and his "start-up"
business were duped by a supplier.  
<it is often the case... do feel welcome to share that article of mine with him if this shop own is open minded. It would be great to win over and help to shape a conscientious merchant. I wish him/her the very best if they are so inclined to learn and grow. Profits can be made by being a responsible retailer>
I enjoyed the "off the coast of Australia" story too and, in fact, that was as much a giveaway to me as the color.  Thanks for the link - that's it - they're MAGENTA! exactly as in the
picture in your article.  I will inform the owner and the membership of my Reef Club re: these corals.
<excellent my friend... and be sure to do so politely. Much better to educate than offend a LFS :) >
Also "In shared admiration of the sea" Barry  
<ah, yes! Thank you Barry. Kindly, Anthony>

Dyed yellow Turbinaria 2/26/03
Greetings to the crew.  Your site has helped me so much I can never repay you enough except to say that my 55g reef is doing well now and will buy all your books (not a plug) in the future.
<thanks kindly <G>>
I did make the mistake of purchasing a yellow Turbinaria p.  From your site I now know this animal has probably
been dyed.  
<not too bad... it is on of the few corals that can survive dying because you can feed it (and must)>
The LFS of course told me it was a rare specimen and at 25% off
I would kick myself if I didn't buy it.
<wow... that clerk was a real scumbag>
Now I am kicking myself right in the.... Anyway the specimen looks mostly a pale brown color except for the extended polyps that are bright yellow. My question; the polyps extend every day and they seem to be accepting food
<excellent! that's most of the battle>
(I use a blender to mix krill and phytoplankton then turkey baste).  I noticed today a small, about 1/2' round area on the very edge of the animal that is turning red.  
<I have seen some specimens issue a red/burgundy growth edge instead of a doughy pale colored one>
Any thoughts on what this might be and what measures I
should take?
<if the tissue doe not look necrotic, it may be natural. Do send a picture if you can>
There are no other bothersome fish or animals in the tank.  Water checks out great, skimmate daily, some iodine and calcium added weekly.  PH 8.4, calc 475, sg 1.024, etc....
Any help would be appreciated.
<keep strong turbulent (not linear) water flow over this specimen too for optimal polyp extension. Anthony>

Red Lobophytum
Hi: <<Hello, JasonC here...>>
I bought a red leather coral @ a local pet store. I tried to find the genus on the web and found that it is a Lobophytum sp. The problem is the color. I could find no information that says that it comes in red. I did find a picture of one that looks just like mine but it is green. The one I have is BRIGHT pink. I'm wondering if this Lobophytum could be dyed. <<Does sound like it...>> Although it has been 3 weeks it has not faded but the liquid in the protein skimmer IS red. <<Interesting, certainly a good indicator.>> If it is dyed how long will the color last? <<Not more than a couple of months.>> Lastly will the dye harm anything else? <<I doubt it, and it sounds like your skimmer will grab it out so... no worries.>>
Thanks Steve
<<Cheers, J -- >>

Another dyed coral pic
Anthony, here's a couple of shots of a very green Heliofungia I saw at yesterdays.... WWPSA tradeshow (!) in Anaheim. Have placed one on the FAQs file alongside your article on WWM.
Bob F

Re: Another dyed coral pic
Bobster... thank you for the pic post.
It reminds me that I haven't done anything with that
article.
I though FAMA would be one of the few mag.s that might
publish it.
<They will Anthony... and I'd send it for sure to German, Italian, French and Japanese magazines... Yes, I do the same with worthwhile pieces like this expose>
Can you think of another mag that might give it a
shot?
<Mmm, next choice would be AFM... worth trying... they're no slower to print, pay better... but FAMA will give you and hobbyists the largest exposure, and impact...>
I figured the soapbox tone and the fact that enough
shops carry the dyed corals would make it untouchable
for mainstream rags?
<Not at all>
I hadn't heard of any Fungiids being dyed...sheesh!
Did it look very unnatural?
<No... I could see it "glowing like radium" from across the hall...>
The optimist in me says remember the natural green
Fungia from Bali, and the lovely green helmets
(Cycloseris) from the Solomons...
But, that Helio is REALLY green!!!
<Really, REALLY green, believe me. I thought, hoped this was just a replica... as some of Walt's new product was on display in a tank in the same vendor's booth... but it was... alive... for the while>
Gonna go find a beer to cry into :)
<I'd join you, maybe I will any way, in abstentia. Bob F>

Dyed Corals article
Antoine (and Steve), please find my marked-up copy of your piece here: 
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/dyedcorals.htm
Pls note my suggested changes (marked as bold AND italicized words). I have simply added a word or two or changed number... not meaning as I agree with the thesis here, and its fervor of argument. You are welcome to utilize the dyed anemone pic sent on (I have others if you'd like), and to adopt these changes or modify the piece back to its original form.
Bob F

Re: Turbinaria species, Dyed coral
Anthony...How can I better tell if this is a dyed animal? 
<a matter of experience/information... size/shape of corallites and polyp structures on the corallum indicate that this animal is almost certainly T. peltata. It really cannot be anything else. Color has nothing to do with coral identification. T. peltata for that matter occurs in brown, green, teal, pink/tan, etc. Unfortunately yellow is not a naturally occurring color for this species. Furthermore, T. peltata is categorically in the top three commonly dyed coral. A truly abhorrent practice as I'm sure you'd agree. An insult to the magnificent beauty of the coral reef in all of its natural forms. Reports indicate that this animal for its hardiness may survive the dye job although not without some stress. Occasional feeding of very fine food will be especially helpful to compensate for the reduced symbiotic activity of the now masked (dyed/pigmented) tissue for zooxanthellae> 
All areas of the coral that are flesh covered are the same shade of yellow. There is an area near the base stem that are not flesh covered and it is pure white. If this is in fact a dyed animal, what type of success do you predict (i.e. is there any chance)? In the future, how can I avoid the purchase of a dyed coral.
<just research a species before you buy it. Know its needs, hardiness, natural behavior (and colors<G>). Also read about current trends in the industry... many threads about dyed corals on the big forums and message boards. Membership in a good local aquarium society as well will keep you informed>
Regarding the Sebae, I have it under 275w PC lighting. 3X55 10k/actinic, 1x55 6400k, 1x55 actinic. I change my bulbs app. each 12 months...not all at once, but about 1 every month or so until they are fresh. 
<excellent technique with the bulbs! Kudos>
I feed the anemone about once per week, usually squid, octopus, or shrimp. Also, I have "blender mush" that I feed the tank and usually the tomato clown gives a chunk to the anemone. 
<also excellent>
When I bought the anemone it was pure white with purple tips. A few days later it expelled more zoo(sp?)anthe and proceeded to let go of the rock it was on and roll around the tank. 
<yes... sadly typical>
I moved it to a preferred (by me) position under the lights, and it grabbed on, only moving about 8" to the place where it has been for last 22 months or so. It has since turned brown, but has grown in size from 3" across to now more than 14".
<excellent... a success story. Thank you for sharing it. FAQ readers take heed>
I change about 15g per month in this 50g system. I rarely use carbon at all, but I do get a lot of skimmate from my Bak-Pak skimmer. 
<yes.... critical for exporting dissolved organics especially with your lack of carbon and average water changes schedule>
My water is usually crystal clear, but I use tap water so I get some diatom algae. 
<not a crime>
For current, I have the Rio 600 on the skimmer, AquaClear 802 ph, AquaClear 301 ph, and Catalina 100 PH. They are all on different flow paths so the current is pretty random. 
<wow... fantastic! over 1000pgh total circulation in this 50 gall but strategically random turbulent. Highly effective and to be recommended. Keeps detritus in suspension for a good skimmer, feeds corals more, etc>
Also, I have my LR elevated above the DSB with the Catalina PH blowing directly under the LR structure. I maintain my Ph at 8.4, Alk at 14dKh, CA at 350-400ppm. I don't have any measurable NO2 or Ammonia, but my NO3 is usually about 5-10 ppm. I supplement with Kent SuperBuffer, strontium/molybdenum, Zoë, and some other that I can't remember.
<sounds very fine>
Other corals in the system are: Hammer, Brain, Frogspawn, bubble, candycane, lots of colts, Sarcophyton, Sinularia, green star polyps, hairy 'shrooms, other misc. 'shrooms, and fox coral. I'm thinking of adding a pink Fungia and maybe a couple of brightly colored sponges. Attached is a pic of the system taken in April...it looks a little different now.
<again... thank you for sharing. Best regards, Anthony>