24 replies to this topic

[jythong]

Just spent quite a sum on this recent shipmentfrom ?Fiji - it looked blue with nice greenish tips/polyps under the metal halides of the LFS, but when I brought it home, I was disappointed to find that it is almost pure white , perhaps with a very slight tinge of blue...under my compact fluoresecnt lights (2 actinic and 2 white).

How often have you been disappointed by a different look of your sps when you put it inside your own lighting?

This photo below tends to give a bluer tinge to the original specimen. I might as well buy a dead white coral!

[Tang Master]

Not to disappoint U...but it looks 'DEAD' & some algae is starting to grow on some of the polyps tips. BTW, did U see any polyps extension before U buy ?

Edited by Tang Master, 15 December 2008 - 10:14 PM.

[jythong]

I did not really check for polyp extension actually...the whole shipment looks so perfect and colourful, I was just too preoccupied with choosing the nicest colours....very strange...to be frank the possibility that it could be dead did not cross my mind at all, since it is a reputable lfs and charge quite ex too....

And the brown tips...actually not algae....my fungia had decided to produce copious amts of mucous and sort of smeared the sps with some mucous..subsequently stains turned brown.

[Tang Master]

I dun see any polyps extension...is there any flow in its direction ?

I did not really check for polyp extension actually...the whole shipment looks so perfect and colourful, I was just too preoccupied with choosing the nicest colours....very strange...to be frank the possibility that it could be dead did not cross my mind at all, since it is a reputable lfs and charge quite ex too....

And the brown tips...actually not algae....my fungia had decided to produce copious amts of mucous and sort of smeared the sps with some mucous..subsequently stains turned brown.

[thomas_lim]

From the look of it, it does look dead. I think we owe it to ourselves to ensure the specimen we bought is healthy and alive when we bought it. Unless it is choosen by the LFS owner and pack for you.

Did the bag of water in your SPS turn milky when you reach home? If yes, chances your SPS is gone.

Another reason for sudden "death" of SPS is due to transport stress from LFS to home too. Many times, we take a chance on the SPS due to it unique/nice colouration and didn't wait long enough to let it settle in the holding tank. I was a victim of such situation before and I learned from such experience.

[jythong]

From the look of it, it does look dead. I think we owe it to ourselves to ensure the specimen we bought is healthy and alive when we bought it. Unless it is choosen by the LFS owner and pack for you.

Did the bag of water in your SPS turn milky when you reach home? If yes, chances your SPS is gone.

Another reason for sudden "death" of SPS is due to transport stress from LFS to home too. Many times, we take a chance on the SPS due to it unique/nice colouration and didn't wait long enough to let it settle in the holding tank. I was a victim of such situation before and I learned from such experience.

OK, the display tank turned milky for some hours after I placed it in the tank. Today still no polyp extension, still pure white, so I guess it is dead. But for it to die to fast, just from transport alone....that is really amazing.

[Solo77]

bro, take it easy. It is a learning experience and thanks for sharing. No wonder every now and then when go chiong shipment, can see sps buyers staring at their liked pieces so long.....maybe you can seek advice from experienced reefers on what are the tell tale signs of dying spses.....

so how is your tank now... think your fish stock is max...now only corals...hehe...

[thomas_lim]

OK, the display tank turned milky for some hours after I placed it in the tank. Today still no polyp extension, still pure white, so I guess it is dead. But for it to die to fast, just from transport alone....that is really amazing.

The mikly 'scene' is coz by the dead tissues. Should be dead then.
Chances are you had bought a very "stress" specimen and did not make it thru.

Usually, I will put my new acquisition in a lower flow area to acclimatize it before moving to higher flow areas. Especially for new shipments as compare to those kept for a while in tanks and sold later. Do note that too much of a flow will "stress" this new arrival further.

[One4SeveN]

jythong,
There is certain amount of risk that all reefers must undertake when they want the freshest picks in the shipment. It is also through experience that we avoid certain specimens altogether ,as the chances of survival is almost zero.
A reputable LFS responsibilities are many. However, they also have to take chances when they are ordering from other 'reputable' sources whether from figi or walt smith. They ,too, experience DOA or incorrect stocklist.
Talk to some of the LFS owners and you will soon understand. Moreover, Singaporeans are really not the easiest consumers in the world.
I am sure you will be more careful in future. Get your reefing buddy to go chiong shipments together with you in future. An extra pair of eyes can help ascertain specimen health and identities too.

Have fun!!

Edited by One4SeveN, 16 December 2008 - 10:17 AM.

[jythong]

Thank you so much for the above advice. I will be more careful next time and not be too distracted by colour selection. Looks like the expensive dead coral will go to my cichlid tank then

NB: I am still amazed how fast this coral dies: it is probably just a short drive. BTW I used tap water to wash off the sps before placing into display tank, you think that had caused its demise?

[Solo77]

maybe.........any bro can advice on how to aclimatise sps....good learning lesson. Thanks.

[thomas_lim]

Thank you so much for the above advice. I will be more careful next time and not be too distracted by colour selection. Looks like the expensive dead coral will go to my cichlid tank then

NB: I am still amazed how fast this coral dies: it is probably just a short drive. BTW I used tap water to wash off the sps before placing into display tank, you think that had caused its demise?

You mean you wash the SPS with fresh water before putting into the reef tank???
If this is the case, no wonder it die off immediately...
Care to share why you do that?

[jythong]

You mean you wash the SPS with fresh water before putting into the reef tank???
If this is the case, no wonder it die off immediately...
Care to share why you do that?

I thought it was akin to a freshwater dip (like what was done to zoos and fish), to get rid of any undesirable organisms. Also the life rock smells quite bad when I took it out of the bag, so I thought better clean it. So you mean one cannot subject sps to freshwater? But even if the freshwater killed it, the coral was already quite white when I placed it in the tank after the freshwater. Does sps lose colour so fast?

[One4SeveN]

I thought it was akin to a freshwater dip (like what was done to zoos and fish), to get rid of any undesirable organisms. Also the life rock smells quite bad when I took it out of the bag, so I thought better clean it. So you mean one cannot subject sps to freshwater? But even if the freshwater killed it, the coral was already quite white when I placed it in the tank after the freshwater. Does sps lose colour so fast?

SPS can sometimes be rather stressed out during transportation. they are rather sensitive to temperature,salinity,light and etc changes. If proper acclimatisation is not practiced, the SPS may have poor chances of survival or retention of its vibrant colors( brown out). This may take place in a relatively short time(RTN) or slower death (STN).
A good practice is to drip acclimatise all ur livestocks(coral and fish). As for ur case, i think you have innocently subject your sps to commando style training.
Another thing to address is that lighting does play a part in the 'look' you were trying to describe in your first post. It is thus inaccurate to judge the color unless u are very experienced. Brown can appear Red under the right light. So white can definitely be blue under heavy actinics or a 20k mh. Try looking at your white shirt when u are in a disco. It will look luminous blue.
If condition permits, try to view the coral under natural lighting.

One extra tip: Remove all traces of hitchhiking sponge when u are buying sps. I have lost a few SPS during transportation home after a purchase.

Edited by One4SeveN, 16 December 2008 - 12:54 PM.

[moddy]

OK, the display tank turned milky for some hours after I placed it in the tank. Today still no polyp extension, still pure white, so I guess it is dead. But for it to die to fast, just from transport alone....that is really amazing.

I think it's dead too. when shopping look for healthy display tank too not just the colour of the coral.