Do colorful corals mean you have stressed corals?

Do you believe that some of our corals produce the best colors when stressed in our tanks?

  • YES

    Votes: 71 12.3%
  • NO

    Votes: 229 39.8%
  • NOT SURE

    Votes: 215 37.4%
  • MAYBE

    Votes: 53 9.2%
  • Other (please explain)

    Votes: 7 1.2%

  • Total voters
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Naso180

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I don' think so. If they were so stressed out they wouldn't grow well so I think that when we have good color and good growth, they are probably thriving. I think our lights don't actually mimic sunlight and that we now provide the right spectrum to support colorful corals, but not full spectrum sunlight.
 

luke duffy

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A lot of times, stressed corals close up a bit. I think that when they close or their tentacles get smaller, the zooxanthellae in their tissue really condenses into one area giving it more of a fluorescent look. Think of it like a palette of watercolors. The color is condensed down into one solid block, but when you add water and paint a thin line it can become less pigmented (how a coral does when stressed). That’s just my two cents, super interesting question!
 

Freenow54

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As I stated in another thread there is a you tube video about this very thing. Look it up. In a nutshell they were talking about bleached coral, and how they try to recover by producing brighter colors to attract back what they need to survive, From memory has to do with light ray frequency
 

Freenow54

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Guess I should read others post first. The link to the video is already there. Fascinating
 

Sharkbait19

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I have one Frogspawn that this is very much the case for. When fully open, it is a translucent brown color with the faintest green tint, but when it’s stressed or closed up, it’s a full neon green. Of course, it’s always better when it’s open and happy, but I do often wonder if the other color can be brought out more, besides when it’s stressed....
74962BE2-9615-4C7C-A20A-6878BE8F8642.jpeg

164930C6-550F-42D5-8942-A8A83E7969BB.jpeg
 

jarviz

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Can a coral be "stressed" and still fully open? I try not to go crazy with getting the "best" colors out of my corals. that seems like a never-ending endeavor. As long as they are happy and don't look worse than when they were at the LFS, I am happy.
 

Cool tangs

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Interresting topic, although just look at how corals adopt in the wild, or any form of life really. Especially during the mass coral bleaching episode and this was rather sad, but what people dont talk about is the reefs that have recovered and adapted. If anything we try to create stable paramters in our tanks. So in reality you would think that would result in less stress long term. Depending if the coral can adjust to the conditions of your tank, and not all corals can. Especially in a mix reef.

On another note, i live next to a wholesaler who goes diving on the reg and omg do some of the corals look so pretty streight out of the wild and just under a bit of blue lighting! Seen some awesome acro fresh out of the ocean that looks just as good as this "aquacultured stuff" which i find personally harder to keep then wild court acro :( but then I use NSW and try to keep those paramters.

I have a wild piece of goni and its the most ultra yellos piecs ive ever seen, it literally reflects yellow of the glass and rock work its amazing and got it from the wholesaler.

I am no expert nor am I sure what the answer is, but none the less great topic!
 

PeterZammetti

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The answer to the question in the OP is very much: NO.

I very loudly want to scream that.


I don't think people are experiencing this in their reef tanks, especially not long term.

This isn't just caused by "stress". And the question is presented in a way that misunderstands what is going on. It's caused by heat and this is a way for them to cool off a bit. It seems to be a specific response to a specific condition, and I doubt people are having those conditions in their tanks in general.

With 1 exception and that is the new growth on corals. This explains why the edges of the growth are often so colorful and pretty. And yet the best way to get this color is NOT by stress, but quite the opposite - excessive growth which would only occur due to lack of stress.
Also most people haven't grasped the fact that when you buy those great high end lights and crank up the UV, they tend to make coral change color when their protective nature sets in. Then some assume its from another perimeter in their tank.
 

oreo54

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Also most people haven't grasped the fact that when you buy those great high end lights and crank up the UV, they tend to make coral change color when their protective nature sets in. Then some assume its from another perimeter in their tank.
As sort if a philosophical point when something builds protection it is generally err "stressed".

Why allocate resources for things that technically are not needed for growth?

There is too much of something so it " defends" itself

Secondly growth has nothing to do w/ stress or lack of . A shortage of nutrients for growth just slows down growth but generally won' t produce " protection".
Stress without consequences?

Honestly it can be looked at either way .
Even as "stress is good".
Or the def if stress is suffering major consequences. Bleaching for example, ir terrestrial plants wilting.

When I get a sun tan I'm certainly not really stressed but you could say my skin is and is wasting resources to produce " useless" melanin. But since my skin isn't sentient what does it care.

Pigments are produced to moderate the environment. Dare say make it more err relaxing..... :)

When an anemone moves is it due to "stress"?
It can physically moderate its environent to a certain degree. Things that can' t move have different mechanisms.

Granted some pigments are just produced for whatever evolutionary reasons. Some like chlorophyll and photon capturing/transferring pigments are naturally colored. No stress necessary

Just thought of another analogy. Sitting in your living room with the widow shades open.
You decide to close them. Why?
Is it bothering you? Would it be more relaxing?
Or will it increase your growth? You need to err needlessly expend energy to get up and close them.

Sooo if you define stress as irritation that can lead to major effects on growth and/ or survival in a relatively short period of time (does it need a time factor? ) then no, most pigment production will not clear that bar.

If you define stress as stimulus that makes you needlessly expend energy then yes.

There is sort if an equivalent in the freshwater plant world and to people who wonder why their plants don' t turn red yet grow great.
I tell them its because they are happy. ;)
Doesn't t go over so well so they bombard them w/ higher intensity light or nitrogen starve them so less chlorophyll is produced.




Sorry, insomnia..
Have at it.
 

DJF

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Also most people haven't grasped the fact that when you buy those great high end lights and crank up the UV, they tend to make coral change color when their protective nature sets in. Then some assume its from another perimeter in their tank.
“Protective natural response” to what? What’s to protect if there is no stress? Couldn’t the added heat be considered stress triggering the protective response?
 

PeterZammetti

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“Protective natural response” to what? What’s to protect if there is no stress? Couldn’t the added heat be considered stress triggering the protective response?
When Corals (tank born) have never had true UV then they suddenly do, they will change to protect from the ray same as in nature in the ocean. Unfortunately if you loved a specific color and it changes, oh well, that's nature.
 

oreo54

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Different idea completely but yes this is true too. What I mean is the coral physically changes color, not just what you see under light.
Coral physically changes color was part of that presentation sort of. If you consider increased flourescence and color mixing with non-flourescent pigments (always visible) as a color change.
Now somewhere there is data to say it is reverse-able and some color changes aren't.
The UV/color/needs debate is ongoing..

And:
Coral Pigment Name Activator Transition Pigment Clade
Dendronephthya sp.
Dendra Blue Light @ 488nm Green to Red D
Dendronephthya sp.
DendFP UV-A at 366nm Green to Red D
Favia favus
Kikume UV & Violet (350-420nm) Green to Red D
Lobophyllia hemprichii
Eos UV @ 390nm/Violet Light ~400nm Green to Red D
Montastraea annularis
UV/Violet Light Green to Red D
Montastraea cavernosa
mcavRFP UV/Violet Light Green to Red D

Trachyphyllia geoffroyi
Kaede UV - Violet Light (350-410nm) Green to Red D
Here's the info from my data base. Note all are from Clade D fluorescent proteins.

Battad et al., 2007 report that pH values above 9.0 can ‘kindle’ (that is, cause a chromoprotein to become a fluorescent protein) many coral pigments and cause dramatic (20-100 fold) increases in fluorescence efficiencies. Of course, we’re talking about corals’ tissue pH and not that of the ambient water.
It's all a mess really..
 

Timfish

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Randy Holmes-Farley

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I got asking myself if it was possible that what we call "ideal parameters" could actually be designed to cause stress. But it seems to me that if that was true, we wouldn't have colonies growing enthusiastically and living long lives. Stress over time is generally detrimental to life. So, just guessing of course, I think most of the color we see in our aquariums is from us selecting for those colors, not forcing those colors.

Depends on your husbandry.

Some commercial methods seem to attain pastel colors in corals by killing of zooxanthellae with chronic "poisons". That sounds "stressful" by the very definition of the word, IMO.

Zeospur comes to mind:

"
ZEOspur 2 is designed to reduce the amount of zooxanthellae in acropora, anacropora and montipora coral tissue to bring out brilliant coloration. The reduction of zooxanthellae in the outer layers brings out the colors from deeper within the coral. ZEOspur 2 will have the fastest and most dramatic impact on coloration and your whole system. Optimizing your dose for your tank is critical to maintain overall health of the system."
 

Calm Blue Ocean

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Depends on your husbandry.

Some commercial methods seem to attain pastel colors in corals by killing of zooxanthellae with chronic "poisons". That sounds "stressful" by the very definition of the word, IMO.

Zeospur comes to mind:

"
ZEOspur 2 is designed to reduce the amount of zooxanthellae in acropora, anacropora and montipora coral tissue to bring out brilliant coloration. The reduction of zooxanthellae in the outer layers brings out the colors from deeper within the coral. ZEOspur 2 will have the fastest and most dramatic impact on coloration and your whole system. Optimizing your dose for your tank is critical to maintain overall health of the system."

I had never heard of products like this. And I agree, this sounds stressful, and all in the name of color.

I am starting to feel like if I don't learn something new about reef keeping (good or bad) every day then I'm not looking!
 

Timfish

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(Been meaning to post a more detailed response and was reminded by another thread I saw. :/ )

To start with the video in the OP seems to strongly infer (starting about 2:10) that in a normal healthy corals the bright colors are made by the zooxanthellae with the coral only making color at the ends. To be clear, it should be pointed out zooxanthellae only provide brown coloration to the coral. All the fluorescing and chromo proteins that provide color are being made by the coral.

Research clearly shows corals make flourescing and chromo proteins to deal with less than ideal conditions. When we manipulate environmental conditions to force them express more color we are creating less than ideal conditions for them. To what extent that's bad is debatable. But since we can't quantify a healthy coral by coloration it seems to me we need to be looking at what research is showing to be best for corals, not what brings out a desired color. Innate immunity of a species/genotype/variety is a significant factor in a corals survivability under stressful conditions. While one coral may survive a set of condiitons another coral with a weaker immune system will do poorly or die. I would add while the only coloration zooxanthellae provide is brown, meleanin is an important part of coral immune systems and may color corals brown as well. For those interested here's links to some of the research:

Optical feedback loop in colorful coral bleaching (I know I already posted this video but I like it).


Just to point out white may not necessarily be bad.
White but not bleached, healthy corals without bight colors

Coral level of immunity variability A coral's inherent immunity effects how it respones to stress

Roles of coloring proteins

Photoprotection

High light levels induce bleaching and is additive with high temperature

Fluorescing and chromo proteins used as antioxidents to neutralize excess oxygen from photosynthesis

Flourescing protein used to deal with internal parasites.

Lighting spectrum influence on coral, differential responses by corals to light

Melanin


One concern are we selecting for genotypes/varieties that have reduced melanin production and are inherently more sensitive to bacterial infections and bleaching.

Nutrients

"When I see the colors of some of these low nutrient tanks, I can't help but be reminded of bleached coral reefs. It should therefore not come as a surprise that feeding corals in such systems becomes a very important component in these systems. Though reefs are often catagorized as nutrient "deserts" the influx of nutrients in the form of particulates and plankton is quite high when the total volume of water passing over a reef is taken into consideration.

Our crystal-clear aquaria do not come close to the nutrient loads that swirl around natural reefs. And so when we create low-nutrient water conditions, we still have to deal with the rest of a much more complex puzzle. Much like those who run their aquarium water temperature close to the thermal maximums of corals walk a narrow tight rope, I can't help but think that low-nutrient aquariums may be headed down a similar path." Charles Delbeck, Coral Nov/Dec 2010, pg 127

Southhampton did a series of expereiments with various corals maintained in a closed system for over 8 years. Here's an image from one of their paper "Phosphate deficiency promotes coral bleaching" showing the effects of different Nitrate:phosphate ratios on a Euphylia Sp. (keep in mind corals are also using particulate and organic forms) . Ideally it seems what would help us tremendously would be comparison shots of every coral commonly kept under different conditions, hopefully someday. Listed below are some of their papers.


An Experimental Mesocosm for Longterm Studies of Reef Corals

Phosphate Deficiency:
Nutrient enrichment can increase the susceptibility of reef corals to bleaching:

Ultrastructural Biomarkers in Symbiotic Algae Reflect the Availability of Dissolved Inorganic Nutrients and Particulate Food to the Reef Coral Holobiont:

Phosphate deficiency promotes coral bleaching and is reflected by the ultrastructure of symbiotic dinoflagellates

And for those carbon dosing or nitrate dosing to accentuate colors:
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

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    Votes: 63 36.6%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 59 34.3%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 24 14.0%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 26 15.1%
  • Other.

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