jefra
Active Member
I purchased two Stichodactyla gigantea carpet anemones from Galactic Coral in Houston, Texas as 1 blue and 1 green but "really small," which was fine because the colors appeared to be very nice. $100 each, $250 altogether with shipping. Below is the picture I received from the vendor. I specifically asked if the colors stayed under whiter light because I don't use heavy actinics and was told yes. I even sent a picture of my tank with my lighting spectrum to verify and was told that would "work fine," the colors would still look great.
Unfortunately when they arrived on August 25, 2020, they appeared nothing like the picture I was given. They were not blue or green, but brown as pictured below.
I immediately contacted the vendor to say they appeared healthy, but I was disappointed that they don't look anything like what I was told. I was told to wait since they "color up quickly" and had my lighting blamed (but have brand new T5 bulbs). Galactic Coral admitted it's not a "true blue" because that would've been much more expensive, even though I asked if the anemones stayed blue under whiter lighting and was told yes. Not only is neither anemone not true blue, they're not any blue or even green, but brown.
So I waited and then reached out again on September 4, 2020 @ 4:27 PM to say there had no change whatsoever, I saw my message was read @ 6:25 PM. I was ignored and not given a response. Below is our full message exchange from both dates.
Aug 25, 2020, 10:44 AM
Me: Nems are all acclimated but I’m disappointed in the colors. I don’t see any blue.
GC: When you put them under 15k lighting they should have a blue base with green tips
GC: What light do you have them under
GC: We were running g4 xr30 pro over them here at our shop
Me: I understand there’s variation in color intensity depending on lighting, but if it was a true blue, it would still be blue in any spectrum. I have ATI T5s.
Me: If it’s only blue under heavy actinic lights, it’s not actually blue
GC: Its listed as a blue/green Gigantea it is blue and green under our lighting. We run the AB+SPS setting on our radions. Solid blue giganatea are $300-$400. We don't have it listed as a solid blue and have sold over 20 of them and have had no other customers mention there is no blue in their coloring.
GC: They also could be stressed from shipping and lost some of their color. When we first got them they were very washed out.
GC: Please send me a picture of them when you have them in the display with the lights on. They should regain their color quickly.
Me: I already sent you a picture in the display with the lights on
Me: It’s a brown anemone with green tips. It’s neither blue nor “blue /green.” I’m an experienced anemone and carpet anemone keeper. No anemone would be so stressed that completely loses an entire color unless it’s bleached, which these are not.Again, if it presents as blue only under heavy actinic lights, it’s not blue. It simply looks blue when kept under a lot of blue light. The prices you listed $300-400 for a solid blue is for medium to large anemone, not a 3” one like this.
Me: $100 for a very small brown carpet is ridiculous
Me: But maybe I’m wrong. I’m happy to post the pictures and this conversation on some reed forums and see what others think.
GC: The picture you send me you used a flash that is around 5k in spectrum. That is not an accurate representation of those anemones.
GC: We sent you pictures under our normal lighting and with whites turned up significantly before we shipped to you.
GC: Please give the anemones time to color up in your system.
Sep 4, 2020, 4:26 PM
Me: Hello, I’m still very disappointed by the anemones I received. I don’t know if you accidentally sent the wrong ones, but they’re both brown. One is not green and one is certainly not blue. I’ve give them acclimation time but nothing has changed. See picture below.
Unfortunately when they arrived on August 25, 2020, they appeared nothing like the picture I was given. They were not blue or green, but brown as pictured below.
I immediately contacted the vendor to say they appeared healthy, but I was disappointed that they don't look anything like what I was told. I was told to wait since they "color up quickly" and had my lighting blamed (but have brand new T5 bulbs). Galactic Coral admitted it's not a "true blue" because that would've been much more expensive, even though I asked if the anemones stayed blue under whiter lighting and was told yes. Not only is neither anemone not true blue, they're not any blue or even green, but brown.
So I waited and then reached out again on September 4, 2020 @ 4:27 PM to say there had no change whatsoever, I saw my message was read @ 6:25 PM. I was ignored and not given a response. Below is our full message exchange from both dates.
Aug 25, 2020, 10:44 AM
Me: Nems are all acclimated but I’m disappointed in the colors. I don’t see any blue.
GC: When you put them under 15k lighting they should have a blue base with green tips
GC: What light do you have them under
GC: We were running g4 xr30 pro over them here at our shop
Me: I understand there’s variation in color intensity depending on lighting, but if it was a true blue, it would still be blue in any spectrum. I have ATI T5s.
Me: If it’s only blue under heavy actinic lights, it’s not actually blue
GC: Its listed as a blue/green Gigantea it is blue and green under our lighting. We run the AB+SPS setting on our radions. Solid blue giganatea are $300-$400. We don't have it listed as a solid blue and have sold over 20 of them and have had no other customers mention there is no blue in their coloring.
GC: They also could be stressed from shipping and lost some of their color. When we first got them they were very washed out.
GC: Please send me a picture of them when you have them in the display with the lights on. They should regain their color quickly.
Me: I already sent you a picture in the display with the lights on
Me: It’s a brown anemone with green tips. It’s neither blue nor “blue /green.” I’m an experienced anemone and carpet anemone keeper. No anemone would be so stressed that completely loses an entire color unless it’s bleached, which these are not.Again, if it presents as blue only under heavy actinic lights, it’s not blue. It simply looks blue when kept under a lot of blue light. The prices you listed $300-400 for a solid blue is for medium to large anemone, not a 3” one like this.
Me: $100 for a very small brown carpet is ridiculous
Me: But maybe I’m wrong. I’m happy to post the pictures and this conversation on some reed forums and see what others think.
GC: The picture you send me you used a flash that is around 5k in spectrum. That is not an accurate representation of those anemones.
GC: We sent you pictures under our normal lighting and with whites turned up significantly before we shipped to you.
GC: Please give the anemones time to color up in your system.
Sep 4, 2020, 4:26 PM
Me: Hello, I’m still very disappointed by the anemones I received. I don’t know if you accidentally sent the wrong ones, but they’re both brown. One is not green and one is certainly not blue. I’ve give them acclimation time but nothing has changed. See picture below.
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