A whole new world...reefing while colorblind

[whotzler]

I have not been able to put this subject down, I found this video that explains this well and quickly, sorry he is on the annoying side. I'm very seriously considering purchasing these, but cant help but wonder if they are an expensive novelty that will grow old within a week or two.

 

[rovster]

I'm certified deutan, failed (or passed depending on how you look at it) all the colorblindness tests! I was guinea pig for my wife when she was studying color vision. I disagree with the liking blue tanks because I like mine white as well. Makes the blues which I see very well pop.

One thing I have noticed is that I tend to gravitate to very contrasty corals or corals with one dominant color. All those fancy rainbows with subtle pastel colors just don't do it for me, they look very blah.

 

[I am Maul]

I've always known I was color blind, and always wondered what my reef looked like to everyone else. I have extreme protanopia. Reds, greens, Brown all look basically the same to me. Blue and purple are muted, and light shades of most colors almost look grey.
When I first heard about these glasses, I doubted they really worked. Luckily my boss is also color blind, and his wife naught him a pair for Christmas. Last week I borrowed them so that I could see my tank correctly got the first time.
I was amazed at the different colors that I didn't know were in there. Zoas, mushrooms, hammers, oreos, favias...all different colors. I didn't know my hippo tang and royal gramma were different colors. And my jack o lantern that had always been my favorite coral is cooler than ever.
The only downsides are that I have to give the glasses back, and they don't fully correct my color deficiency (it is to severe).
All in all though, they are pretty cool.

 

[AwildcatsZ]

I have not been able to put this subject down, I found this video that explains this well and quickly, sorry he is on the annoying side. I'm very seriously considering purchasing these, but cant help but wonder if they are an expensive novelty that will grow old within a week or two.

Honestly, I've had them since Christmas...has not grown old. I see the smallest things every time I put them on, and it just blows my mind. Someone shirt, someone's hair that they have dyed, anything just amazes me.

 

[AwildcatsZ]

I've always known I was color blind, and always wondered what my reef looked like to everyone else. I have extreme protanopia. Reds, greens, Brown all look basically the same to me. Blue and purple are muted, and light shades of most colors almost look grey.
When I first heard about these glasses, I doubted they really worked. Luckily my boss is also color blind, and his wife naught him a pair for Christmas. Last week I borrowed them so that I could see my tank correctly got the first time.
I was amazed at the different colors that I didn't know were in there. Zoas, mushrooms, hammers, oreos, favias...all different colors. I didn't know my hippo tang and royal gramma were different colors. And my jack o lantern that had always been my favorite coral is cooler than ever.
The only downsides are that I have to give the glasses back, and they don't fully correct my color deficiency (it is to severe).
All in all though, they are pretty cool.

I'm sorry to hear that you have it worse...I could only imagine. But I'm also glad you've had a chance to experience it. It's something you cannot describe. It takes your breath away.

 

[AJQ69]

Happy for you!!

 

[MRodrigues1991]

It's funny, I found out I was color blind through color tests you provided an example of. I can't see the 7 in that color dot test, yet corals don't look brown to me so I don't think I'm THAT color blind.

Wonder what people that aren't color blind truly see, may need to get a pair of those glasses...

 

[tcampbell23]

Got an email from R2R as usual and I decided to click on the link for a change. This is truly a heart warming story and it nearly brought tears of joy to my eye to read how excited you all were to see your reefs in their true beauty. Really puts into perspective how much we take for granted!

 

[AwildcatsZ]

I too am color blind and not being able to see the numbers in those dam circles has always bugged me! I looked into the enchroma glasses but decided against becuase of cost. My question for you is if you can see the 7 in the circle when you put on the glasses?

Ps. There are quite a few jobs out there that don't accept colorblind individuals. All military pilots, law enforment, FBI ect. You can be a airline pilot if you can pass a light gun test.

You know what...I never thought to take the tests with the glasses. I will do so after work today and get you an answer!

 

[JoeIII]

I have not seen him post yet, but one of my buddies is colorblind and a reefer. He even worked at a LFS for a while.

He has an uncanny ability to pick out specimens that will color up brilliantly, I attribute it to the fact that he does not get distracted by the right colors the way "the rest of us" do, instead noticing contrast or subtle differences in "the shade of brown"

He also gets great deals on coral that he thinks is beautiful that the rest of us don't like, because he sees them differently than we do. All goes to show, beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

 

[cperry7467]

I posted this a couple years ago.
https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?threads/224920/

 

[Grimreaperz]

Truly amazing thank you for sharing.....as many before me have said....it really puts the small things into perspective and shows how much we take for granted sometimes.

I bet you feel like a kid all over again rediscovering the world in a new light!

Happy reefing!

 

[tyler1503]

I would love to try those glasses. However I'm skeptical, I've only seen online videos/advertisements for them made by the company. They wouldn't use footage of people not enjoying them haha. I'm not prepared to risk it at the prices they charge.

Testing is near impossible for me though. The liquid turns from yellow to weird yellow.
I see shades, but can't see anything with a red pigment properly, or it's contrasting colour. Which is literally almost every colour haha.

 

[AwildcatsZ]

I would love to try those glasses. However I'm skeptical, I've only seen online videos/advertisements for them made by the company. They wouldn't use footage of people not enjoying them haha. I'm not prepared to risk it at the prices they charge.

Testing is near impossible for me though. The liquid turns from yellow to weird yellow.
I see shades, but can't see anything with a red pigment properly, or it's contrasting colour. Which is literally almost every colour haha.

I don't blame you for being skeptical. Seems too good to be true. All I can do is tell you that I have them and they work! The price is pretty crazy and if I did not receive them as a gift I probably would not have them.

Testing is certainly easier with the glasses. I can clearly see when the sample turns color.

 

[tyler1503]

I wish that they made glasses so people with normal vision could see what we see...it's amazingly sad...haha.

There's a video I saw recently which teaches someone with full colour vision how to see through the eyes of someone with protanopia (red/green colourblind). I tried it and as someone with protanopia, I can confirm it really did change how I perceive red.
It involves shining a torch in your eyes, so it's definitely not a great idea and if you did it too often could probably lead to eye problems, but as a once off, it really worked. I found it even harder to distinguish between colours I usually can't see well.

 

[tyler1503]

I don't blame you for being skeptical. Seems too good to be true. All I can do is tell you that I have them and they work! The price is pretty crazy and if I did not receive them as a gift I probably would not have them.

Testing is certainly easier with the glasses. I can clearly see when the sample turns color.

Oh it definitely seems too good to be true haha. But so does being able to keep a slice of the ocean in our homes and that often works out well [emoji23]
I may ask my family to chip in and help me get them for my birthday or something.
I wonder what red actually looks like!

 

[AwildcatsZ]

There's a video I saw recently which teaches someone with full colour vision how to see through the eyes of someone with protanopia (red/green colourblind). I tried it and as someone with protanopia, I can confirm it really did change how I perceive red.
It involves shining a torch in your eyes, so it's definitely not a great idea and if you did it too often could probably lead to eye problems, but as a once off, it really worked. I found it even harder to distinguish between colours I usually can't see well.

That seemed interesting. Do you have any idea where you saw this?

 

[tyler1503]

That seemed interesting. Do you have any idea where you saw this?

I can't remember where I saw it, but I'm fairly certain I saved it haha. I'll have a look for it and post it here if I find it.

 

[cobergas]

This is a great post. A few years ago at a coral show a father and his son where walking around looking at corals. The son was very very very disinterested and it was apparent. The son stayed behind his father with his arms crossed and just did not look like he was having a good time while his father geeked out on buying new corals. We had some of the famed orange glasses sitting out on the table and as the father and son duo walked up to us the son for some reason picled up the glasses and put them on. I instantly saw this young teenagers face light up.

I wondered what was happening because I thought from noticing him earlier with his arms crossed he was not having a good time. His mood was like a light switch, it instantly changed. He grabbed his father and in a very loud voice said "Dad, I can see all the colors now. This is why you like this stuff so much." I was a little taken aback by this because I had zero clue as to what was going on. His father turned to me and explained that his son was color blind and he never understood why he liked his tank so much spending so much time buying stuff for it. The father asked how much for those glasses and honestly from seeing his sons reaction I could not ask for any money from him. That kids attitude changed instantly and he now went from moping around to literally going from tank to tank staring at everything. I had literally just witnessed someone's addiction to reefing begin. His father was sooo very thankful. I declined his offers to pay for the glasses and because of that I now always keep at least one pair with me at shows in case I hear someone mention that they are colorblind.

To date I have handed out about 10 pairs. The most recent was to the KingofDIY at reef stock. It amazes me when I see their face light up like that father and son did a couple of years ago. Now, I did not get into details as to which set of colors his son could not see or what the glasses do for each type of the different colorblindness and I never asked to get more details from other people. I just know they work for everyone I have handed them to. If you are colorblind and are at a reef show and see some of these glasses on a table ask to try them on and see if it helps you. I know it did for someone. As long as I am in this great hobby that will be my best story ever. [emoji2]

 

[cobergas]

This is a great post. A few years ago at a coral show a father and his son where walking around looking at corals. The son was very very very disinterested and it was apparent. The son stayed behind his father with his arms crossed and just did not look like he was having a good time while his father geeked out on buying new corals. We had some of the famed orange glasses sitting out on the table and as the father and son duo walked up to us the son for some reason picled up the glasses and put them on. I instantly saw this young teenagers face light up.

I wondered what was happening because I thought from noticing him earlier with his arms crossed he was not having a good time. His mood was like a light switch, it instantly changed. He grabbed his father and in a very loud voice said "Dad, I can see all the colors now. This is why you like this stuff so much." I was a little taken aback by this because I had zero clue as to what was going on. His father turned to me and explained that his son was color blind and he never understood why he liked his tank so much spending so much time buying stuff for it. The father asked how much for those glasses and honestly from seeing his sons reaction I could not ask for any money from him. That kids attitude changed instantly and he now went from moping around to literally going from tank to tank staring at everything. I had literally just witnessed someone's addiction to reefing begin. His father was sooo very thankful. I declined his offers to pay for the glasses and because of that I now always keep at least one pair with me at shows in case I hear someone mention that they are colorblind.

To date I have handed out about 10 pairs. The most recent was to the KingofDIY at reef stock. It amazes me when I see their face light up like that father and son did a couple of years ago. Now, I did not get into details as to which set of colors his son could not see or what the glasses do for each type of the different colorblindness and I never asked to get more details from other people. I just know they work for everyone I have handed them to. If you are colorblind and are at a reef show and see some of these glasses on a table ask to try them on and see if it helps you. I know it did for someone. As long as I am in this great hobby that will be my best story ever. [emoji2]

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