Corals from Dr.FostersandSmith

[NapoliNewJersey]

Everytime I've gotten coral from Dr.Fosters the color changes in my tank. I have 2 250w 12K Reeflux HQI bulbs.

For example I just got thier Raspberry Lemonade Nasuta and From the cream/yellow base and red polyps it's turned to a Green base with darker green polyps. I just moved it lower in the tank to about 3/4's down and it's starting to change to a lighter green color and still green polyps.

I also have a Acropora abrotanoides from them that was pink with green polyps and now it's all green again. This one is still high in the tank but I guess i'll be moving that lower and seeing what happens as well.

Not a big fan of Dr. Fosters. When I buy ORA all the colors stay the same. I think Dr. Fosters uses the "1000w lighting" method of taking photos.

The "1000w lighting" method is they blast there corals with 1000w of light for a day so they color up to really great colors. They snap the photos and then put them back under regular lighting. Then when we get them in our 250 or 400 w tanks they don't have the same color.

Am I alone on this one?

 

[3mm3]

LOL funny you say this. I was in the diverden and found a sweet millie with bright pink base and neon green polyps. So I just had to get it. Well now the base seems to have lost its pink and looks more green. My lighting is 2x250 10k xm with actinics

I might raise it higher in the tank to see if the pink comes back like they had it pictured.......

 

[surfn]

keep the abrotanoides up in the highest possible light/flow. thats where i have mine. i also got one from liveaquaria that was green w/ green polyps, but had pink tips. the pink tips have faded a bit......but from the searching i did about it that happened to everyone, but after a while they colored back up if you just leave them alone.

 

[NapoliNewJersey]

Actually that delivery mostly died off. The packing was horrible and the temp of the water upon delivery was in the low 60's. I saved the Nasuta completely but I lost 95% of the abrotanoides ... I cut the tips and saved what was alive. And I lost a Purple haze completely. They did credit me for the entire order + shipping so I have over $250 in credit that I'm waiting to use. I 'm just afraid to order from them because of bad shipping and color problems.

 

[revhtree]

I'll give you $150 for your credit!

 

[reef-nut]

I order from the diversden all the time. I have got several ricordea rocks and zoanthid rocks. There shipping is some of the best I have seen, actually they over package the corals. I have never lost anything and the color is right on. I am very happy with liveaquaria.com. Thank you!!!

 

[NapoliNewJersey]

I order from the diversden all the time. I have got several ricordea rocks and zoanthid rocks. There shipping is some of the best I have seen, actually they over package the corals. I have never lost anything and the color is right on. I am very happy with liveaquaria.com. Thank you!!!

Soft Coral and SPS are extremely different.

I'll give you $150 for your credit! :iconbiggrin:

No thanks. I'll wait for warmer weather.

 

[revhtree]

I was kidding, but yea wait for warmer weather. LA's track record is awesome and they always take care of their customers.

 

[surfn]

I was kidding, but yea wait for warmer weather. LA's track record is awesome and they always take care of their customers.

completely agree with that. i've always thought they packaged things as well as could be expected for larger colonies. sometimes you can't protect every single branch from breaking.

they even re-funded my shipping costs once b/c the package arrived 8min after when it was guarunteed to be delivered by fedex.

as far as the colors on the website go........i think they are represented well. but sometimes things brown out during shipping.

 

[3mm3]

I would have to say that the packaging was one of the best I have ever seen.

 

[NapoliNewJersey]

The packaging is great. But for winter they put one heat pack in a 12x18 styrofoam box.... one heat pack. The water temp was in the low 60's. Someone on the NJ reef website said that he had to request heat packs for his shipping and he told me to do the same but it was too late and the order was already in transit. I guess I could place an order by phone and remind them what had happened last time and see if they can do a better job. I really like some of the pieces they have right now and I could use a purchase to feed my habit.

 

[reef-nut]

I Have nevr had any SPS shipped, but it sounds like they are very difficult to ship as well as keep.

 

[NapoliNewJersey]

So I used my credit at Dr.Fostersmithjohnsoncrabtree.com and I ordered an AcroporaGomezi and a DFS deepwater Selago. I'll let you guys know how it goes when the order comes in tomorrow morning.

 

[gooch]

I took a tour of the Live Aquaria farm last summer. I know the part they let us see was all shallow vats with halides on light rails. I can not remember what lighting it was but I do not think it was 1000 watt bulbs. But I am pretty confident they are not doing anything with smoke and mirrors or photoshop. Most of the stuff looks better in person. I was told some things about the volume of propagating they do and it is mind blowing.

Thing is the system is extremely clean with constant maintenance being done. Probably being kept in the ultimate captive environment. Nutrient levels in our reefs also have a lot to do with color. And just about every sps coral I have ever gotten that was wild or maricultured shifted in colors somewhat. Only sps corals that truly hold colors are multi generation captive. Even then there is some color shifting in everones tank. They are all different.

 

[NapoliNewJersey]

I took a tour of the Live Aquaria farm last summer. I know the part they let us see was all shallow vats with halides on light rails. I can not remember what lighting it was but I do not think it was 1000 watt bulbs. But I am pretty confident they are not doing anything with smoke and mirrors or photoshop. Most of the stuff looks better in person. I was told some things about the volume of propagating they do and it is mind blowing.

Thing is the system is extremely clean with constant maintenance being done. Probably being kept in the ultimate captive environment. Nutrient levels in our reefs also have a lot to do with color. And just about every sps coral I have ever gotten that was wild or maricultured shifted in colors somewhat. Only sps corals that truly hold colors are multi generation captive. Even then there is some color shifting in everones tank. They are all different.

I see what you're saying but where they photograph corals and where they propagate them are in different areas of the facility. Like someone else said in this thread .. the frag racks and sand are over over saturated and you can tell that they are doing something abnormal.

As far as color changing in everyones tank... that's 100% true. But when you have all your colors super lit by super Metal Halide lighting then the color will surely change.