Tired of really light frags

[natas]

So I am building up my new tank and have been buying frags like a mad man. I bought 15 from Cherry corals and all of them looked nice and healthy. The rest I have been getting locally.

The last 4 people I visited sent me pics before I bought them. They looked pretty good. I go and visit and have them turn the lights to normal viewing and I am shocked. The last 4 people have what I can only say are starving corals. Sure when you turn the lights down and run nothing but blue you can see some glowing colors but put them to a normal rate at 20k equivalent color and almost all of then look white. 4 weeks ago I bought a colony of Red Dragon (larger than a softball) for $125 which was a great deal...however the color on it was almost white (slight pink). I figured for $125 it's worth a shot. Its now darkening up really nice in my tank.

I guess I am just tired of seeing this. I almost feel like sending a pic running no color other than blue is borderline false advertising. Do you guys normally pass on corals like this? I only buy them if I see good polyp extension which tells me the coral is alive. Sometimes these frags literally look like a coral that RTN'ed all its skin.

Maybe I am doing it wrong. I like the blue look just as much as the next person but all blue is not for me. I would say my led's are ran at what looks to be 20k the majority of the day. Only the first and last hour are mostly blue.

 

[71xlch]

Not sure if your just looking for a ear to complain to or not here. I personally buy what I like and pass on what I don't. If you have issues like that maybe only buy in person or ask what light settings people are using in their photos.

I have a blue tipped tenuis that is very pale skinned with intense blue tips. Growing and seems happy. Under daylight its looks brown with blue tips. It just comes down to personal choice.

 

[seaguy7]

This might be off topic and I am no expert but I've been growing corals since the mid 90s and it's amazing how much our systems have evolved. My first system died an ugly death due to uncontrollable algae. Now I believe we've learned enough over the years to make it much easier to maintain an ultra-low nutrient system, but we may have gone too far. ULNS lead to pale corals.

I am a few months into a new build using some of the more recent developments (like bio-pellets and Siporax) and now find I am struggling to raise Nitrates and Phospate by feeding way more than I use to and halting GFO usage. My corals are healthy with lots of PE but the colors on some have been fading. My old favorite Garf Purple Bonsai looks like a Garf Pink Bonsai and my Tri-Color Valida has nice tips but the rest is pale. Some other corals seem to be keeping their color fine.

Still, I would rather have a low nutrient problem than a high nutrient problem. It's easier to fix the former and the problems are less severe. A pale coral is better than a dead one.

 

[natas]

It was more of a complaint (coming off my soap box now) and a general question. Do you guys pass on really pale corals? And does it upset you when you go to see the coral in person that it looks much different in real life?

Some of this maybe people ignorant on how to take a good picture, or people using lightroom or photoshop to bump up saturation to really high levels. I just wanted to speak my mind and say I get disappointed when I see a pic and come to find out it looks completely different in person

 

[natas]

Still, I would rather have a low nutrient problem than a high nutrient problem. It's easier to fix the former and the problems are less severe. A pale coral is better than a dead one.

Hrmm I seem to think in almost opposites here. I much rather have a medium/high nutrient problem then maintaining a ULN system. I found that when running in close to 0 ranges on Nitrates and Phosphates that my coral would react way quicker and worse than from a higher nutrient load. In a higher nutrient system my corals handled ALK swings better for instance.

My philosophy now is to try and get my numbers to decent levels. 5-10ppm nitrates and .08-.10 phosphates don't bother me as much as they did before. My goals are 1-5ppm nitrates and 0.03-0.08 phosphates. Currently I am at 16ppm Nitrate and .10 phosphate but the tank is 3 months old so I am not to worried. I have lost 3 frags (out of about 40) and 2 of them came from the same source (only got 2 from this person), and the other was my own fault with placement and burning it not realizing until it was to late.

Every frag I have got that was very pale in colors has darkened up with color in my tank. Polyp Extension on the other hand has been pretty bad during the day (dang Emperor Angel likes to nip) but at night they are Extending really well.

 

[rovster]

I don't really sell frags unless I have to trim or accidentally frag something, but never try and photochop stuff I'm selling. If anything pics actually under represent what I'm selling. I hear you though, but it's on you to do your due diligence and pass on those pale corals if that's what you want.

 

[natas]

And I do pass on most. But sometimes the drive is 30 miles which always sucks. Maybe I should ask for pics under more white lighting

 

[71xlch]

It was more of a complaint (coming off my soap box now) and a general question. Do you guys pass on really pale corals? And does it upset you when you go to see the coral in person that it looks much different in real life?

Some of this maybe people ignorant on how to take a good picture, or people using lightroom or photoshop to bump up saturation to really high levels. I just wanted to speak my mind and say I get disappointed when I see a pic and come to find out it looks completely different in person

I have been disappointed before, now I like to buy In person plus you can meet some really cool people buying from locals. Generally locals have a line on someone with high end stuff that sells cheap.

I hate more is that frag that looks perfect in a picture and is perfect only to brown on you.

 

[71xlch]

Hrmm I seem to think in almost opposites here. I much rather have a medium/high nutrient problem then maintaining a ULN system. I found that when running in close to 0 ranges on Nitrates and Phosphates that my coral would react way quicker and worse than from a higher nutrient load. In a higher nutrient system my corals handled ALK swings better for instance.

My philosophy now is to try and get my numbers to decent levels. 5-10ppm nitrates and .08-.10 phosphates don't bother me as much as they did before. My goals are 1-5ppm nitrates and 0.03-0.08 phosphates. Currently I am at 16ppm Nitrate and .10 phosphate but the tank is 3 months old so I am not to worried. I have lost 3 frags (out of about 40) and 2 of them came from the same source (only got 2 from this person), and the other was my own fault with placement and burning it not realizing until it was to late.

Every frag I have got that was very pale in colors has darkened up with color in my tank. Polyp Extension on the other hand has been pretty bad during the day (dang Emperor Angel likes to nip) but at night they are Extending really well.

I recently also stopped chasing numbers. My goals are the same as yours and my nitrates 10-15ppm. I doubled feeding and took my ATS offline and have seen an improvement. Some pieces have good colors and others are off. Corals going to do what a coral wants to do.