dyed Anemone

[haftafish]

Can someone tell me how you can tell if an anemone is dyed? When ever i see them a lfs's i can't tell if one is dyed or not. My tank is going on 6 months old so i may look to get one in a couple of months, but i am concerned about this. I don't want to start off on the wrong foot.

Thanks
Erik...

 

[bradleym]

One great tip is to try to look through the anemone. A healthy one will not be clear but the dyed ones you will be able to see right through the tentacles and sometimes even the oral disc. Healthy ones should be brown inside the body and tentacles. Also the oral disc and tentacles will be nearly uniform in color if it is dyed. Healthy anemones usually have variances in color.

 

[BonsaiNut]

A dyed anemone will have the same universal color throughout - ie tentacles will be yellow, columns will be yellow, etc. Most naturally colored anemones will have different colors for columns and tentacles, or else will not be universally the same dark color.

Additionally, keep an eye out for brilliant yellow and fluorescent pink. For whatever reason, those are the most commonly used dyes.

 

[elegance coral]

Look for two different colors. Most healthy anemones sold in our hobby, should have two colors. A tan looking color that appears deep in the tissue, and other areas where the pretty colors are. Check out this anemone. If you look close, you'll see the lower parts of the tentacles are kinda tan. Only the ends are purple.

 

[albano]

A dyed anemone will have the same universal color throughout - ie tentacles will be yellow, columns will be yellow, etc. Most naturally colored anemones will have different colors for columns and tentacles, or else will not be universally the same dark color.

Additionally, keep an eye out for brilliant yellow and fluorescent pink. For whatever reason, those are the most commonly used dyes.

+1...usually yellows, in this area!

 

[phender]

They are getting pretty sophisticated with the dyes. I have seen sebae anemones dyed two different colors with the bases being hot pink or hot orange and the tentacles yellow. Still there are 3 basic dye colors, bright yellow, hot pink and hot orange, with the yellow and pink being the most popular. If you see those colors, even if they are faded, you are looking at a dye anemone 98% of the time. I have seen some H. malu that were naturally a pale yellow. Personally, the only anemones I have ever seen dyed were sebae (H. crispa and H. malu) anemones. I heard reports that someone said they could turn a brown BTA into a Rose BTA with dye, but I never saw any evidence that it was actually happening.

 

[D-Nak]

Personally, the only anemones I have ever seen dyed were sebae (H. crispa and H. malu) anemones. I heard reports that someone said they could turn a brown BTA into a Rose BTA with dye, but I never saw any evidence that it was actually happening.

+1. If you stick with a BTA or RBTA, it's most likely not dyed. They look good as is -- therefore more marketable/sellable -- no need to dye. I've only seen dyed sebaes too, and all were obscenely bright and obvious that someone tinkered with them.

 

[haftafish]

Thanks for the reply. Some of the ones i've seen have been white except for the tips being a different color. Could these be dyed?

 

[jdthomas]

Without more description, the best bet is you're looking at a sebae (white body, colored tips). Probably not dyed in this case.

 

[D-Nak]

While I've heard that there are white morphs of some anemones, a white anemone is usually a sign that it's not healthy -- bleached and has expelled zooxanthellae. Most white anemones I've seen are sebae. When they are healthier they usually turn a dirty brown color -- brown is a sign of the zooxanthellae population growing.