How?

worf59

New member
Hi Anthony

Great article!
There is still something I'd like to know tho. HOW do they dye corals? Do they put the dye in the water and the coral absorbs it?
Definitely don't want a how-to......but would like to understand a little better.

Thanks
Jim
 
Jim, thanks kindly. And your request is understood :)

Have you ever dyed any of your clothes with RIT dye?

Guess what bubba?

Ahhh... ya, they stain the water and the animals in it. There are in fact other dyes used too. The same gist.

FW painted fishes are different... some stained, but many injected(!!!)

Evidence of the action is unmistakeable upon import when the animal's water is the same color as their body.

The whole matter is so staggeringly ironic when corals are so naturally beautiful.

With kind regards, Anthony
 
Just another take on this thread if you don't mind. I would like to know why the dye doesn't kill the coral right away. I know that ultimately they will die because they can not benefit from light any longer due to the dye. But why doesn't they dye it's self kill them? I've read the bottle of RIT and it seems like the chemicals would kill it right away.
:confused:
 
Alas, I am not aware of any scientific studies of the effects of dye on corals, but I'm hopeful that it exists or will be conducted soon. Of course, that is a whole different matter altogther: who is going to pay to have the study done? The industry players that are committing the act? The one trade organization in the pet industry lobbying for us in Washington about our benevolence? Ughh... the money to do the study has to come from somewhere :) OK... over 10K mebers of this board... everybody send Dr Shimek a dollar... and we shall get us a competant study ;)

As to your question, I would ceratinly agree that the dye does not appear to be immediately toxic if toxic at all and that corals stressed by the dye are so because of other reasons than toxicity. In layman's terms... the corals seem to take the dye just like we ourselves take a stain: tanning accelerator, Mercurochrome/Merthiolate/Iodine, etc. In time it fades. Fortunately for us... we are not photosynthetic and our zooxanthellae aren't involuntarily given "sunglasses" (the dye).

For what its worth :)

Kind regards, Anthony
 
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