mail order sps brown but pics were coloufull

[maxwell]

Hi
I ordered these 2 colorful sps by mail order and they arrived as 2 browned out corals the supplier said give them 2 weeks and they will be back to the colors in the pics .

1/ will this happen in my experience it will take 12 months if at all.
2/ were they sent out browned out
3/ are the pics photo shopped.

Whats the opinion of any experienced sps guys.

thanks Bill

 

[DaveRaz]

Some corals brown out when fragged and or shipped. I have a vivid rainbow delight colony that sat as a brown frag for 4 months before it colored up.

 

[maxwell]

Dave
The supplier said they will colour up in 2 weeks which i disputed as like you say i think it will be up to 12 months.Do you think overnight shipping and received before 12 would do this as every other sps i have ordered had some colour .
That rainbow delight is a cracker we cant get hold of anything like that in the UK.
Bill

 

[spscrackhead]

The photo doesn't look too doctored to me. I assume you took a photo of the computer screen?

 

[maxwell]

spscrackhead
Yes it was off the computer screen ,i was concerned that an overnight shipping would cause this.I know corals do lose colour through shipping and tank conditions but not to this extent and that it will take time to come back .I was disappointed in the retailer who has a good name saying they will come back in 2 weeks which is a nonsense but as i have not experienced mail order sps in this condition thought it best to ask.

bill

 

[jduck]

Ya those photos don't look very photo shopped. Notice the egg crate is at least white. It it was altered too much they would be pink/purple. It can take months to get a coral to show its colors again. But browned out is more likely to return to colored than something that is bleached.

 

[codydemmel4]

they also don't look too browned out in your tank, I don't think those will take months with the correct water conditions.

it definitely happens sometimes when they come browned out, but honestly yours are not that bad at all. obviously not like the picture you were sent or saw when you bought them but not too bad and I have definitely gotten a lot worse

 

[maxwell]

Cody
That's encouraging , i spoke to a dealer today who says that in his opinion there is no way they would have browned out that bad with over night shipping and they were sent out like that and if they do come back it will be months.They were the last 2 to go in my tank as i have removed several colonies and had a good f raging session.
Bill

 

[Piper27]

Yea browning doesn't happen from shipping ime. Only from bad water conditions and inadequate light. Certain acros will brown easily from stress or fragging but thoes are rare. Most are shipped like that and had the pics taken on arrival from their source since that's when colors will be best. With maricultures I blast them with light right away and they do best, I don't aclimate. I use metal halide as my main light source and t5 with led for supplemental light. They don't look very brown to me and with good water and high light should color back up in a month or so. Although some mariculture mille, or prostrata have been harder than others. Depends on the place it came from probably.

 

[Moort82]

As above, I would think it's more likely that they have lost colour in the holding tanks before being sent. I've imported hundreds of sps maricultured pieces and you only tend to see them brown a tiny amount due to shipping (normally they travel pretty well and shippimg will be longer compared to buying online) or if the water parameters are less than optimal. Sometimes this can't be helped but given a few weeks they will likely show promise.

 

[maxwell]

Piper
Thanks that was my opinion and I sent them pics on receipt and also requested a refund and told if they don't colour up in 2 weeks I can get a refund.they deny sending them out browned out so I wil request the refund on Tuesday and see if it happens if not I will go via PayPal.
Thanks again
Bill

 

[sahin]

Corals DONT brown out during 24 hour shipping. It seriously ****es me off big time when I hear vendors use this excuse! How do you think corals arrive coloured up from the actual wild whilst going through days of shipping and various destinations?

I cannot see the pics as they arent working at the moment. But for sure the corals were sent out brown. I've shipped out corals via Royal Mail next day delivery and they arrived as coloured up as sent.

Its likely the corals were coloured up when photo was taken but placed in tank which caused them to brown out.

They will colour up if the tank conditions are good...but could take a long time.

 

[sahin]

Did you purchase them from Mail Order Corals (based in UK) by any chance? I ordered from them years ago and almost all the corals turned up brown.

 

[maxwell]

Hi satin
I purchased them from a well known german site who now tells me I'm playing games and that I should return them and if they are alive when he receives them he will refund.It will cost me 50 euro! To return them and I made the point that one coral had dead tissue on it when it arrived as algae had grown over it.Today they are still browned out as receive so I contacted again asking for a refund to be told playing games and lighting at fault when they arrived like that.I asked the same questions on a UK site in general reefing showing all pics and a well known dealer replied saying the same they were shipped browned out and may or may not come back but will take months, I paid 167 euros for rubbish .I have put it in the hands of the bank and paypal as a dispute who have advised me to tell them to collect them at their cost I will just have to wait and see now.Many thanks to all the reefers who have responded with advise and opinions.
Bill

 

[maxwell]

Sahin
Apologise for the spelling of your name it was my tablets predictive text.
Bill

 

[maxwell]

Sahin
I think as someone said they take pictures or corals on arrival at there depots before placing in holding tanks .I have ordered from another german site and coral passion in the past and they have arrived as per the advertised pictures.These from FM were expensive at 59 euros each plus 50 euros shipping and to be told your playing games is a big let down and no more orders or products will be purchased from them.I don't think they realise we are hobbyist who only want quality products and will pay for them it's a total insult.
Bill

 

[StarF]

were they bought from Fauna Marin / Extremecorals.de?

 

[maxwell]

Star
Why do ask have you had issues.
Thanks bill

 

[StarF]

i am asking, becaus its the one supplyer i usaly use. I have always had good experience with their corals. How ever its ben a year or so since last time i ordered, and i am in about to set up a new bigger system, in a new house, so my plan was to order from there again, but if their service and quality has dropped i should mabye reconsider that.

so were it from extremecorals / fauna marin?

 

[Big E]

Both those millis pictured by the vendor are stressed, partially shut down and have transitioning colors due to that. People think they are rainbow corals but they are just stressed corals.

That isn't the natural coloration.........it will most likely be a solid color. I would be most concerned with hoping they show good polyp extension and begin to show encrusting or growth signs within the first few weeks.