the problem with the shortcake is that most off the ones getting passed around are cuts from wild colonies. instability and browning is typical to the point of expected at best. The frag simply crashing being the worst in that case and more common unfortunately that browning.
really just the same old same old. wild stuff is not stable. The massive influx of wild cakes has seemingly created this stigma which is unfortunate because like most captive raised sps. shortcake included they tend to fare considerably better in transit and color is a bit more reliable as well upon arrival and well into acclimation.
of course there are always exceptions but ultimately my point is that this is not a problem associated with shortcakes alone but most frags cut from colonies that were actually grown in the ocean.
So Id say no your not doing anything wrong. just treat it as gentle as possible an with any luck it will acclimate to your captive conditions:)
