Acro color-loss from shipping

[ryshark]

Lately I have been buying most of my corals online since there are so many well respected and trusted vendors nowadays selling higher end harder to find corals.

I have a question on shipping and color loss. We know that shipping is stressful and causes color loss, however, do you feel that the color loss starts to happen while still in the bag during the less than 24-hours of transit? Therefore, as soon as it arrives from UPS and goes into our tanks it already has less color than it did the day before when it was bagged? Or do you feel the acro frag is still at full color when first arrives and goes into our tank and then loses color quickly in the coming days?

 

[eraser2001]

Hi
Corals could change during shipping due stress, also the light and parameters from the original tank could be different from buyer's tank.

 

[ryshark]

Hi
Corals could change during shipping due stress, also the light and parameters from the original tank could be different from buyer's tank.

Yeah, those other factors like different light and different parameters can create color loss over the coming days.

I’m specifically wondering if there is actually color-loss while it’s still in the shipping box.

 

[eraser2001]

Yeah, those other factors like different light and different parameters can create color loss over the coming days.

I’m specifically wondering if there is actually color-loss while it’s still in the shipping box.

Yes
Corals could loss color due shipping process. According with my experience

 

[Waters]

Both will/can happen depending on the frag and shipping conditions. I have had some arrive in full color and others that have browned out.

 

[Battlecorals Verified Sponsor]

Generally speaking I think “shipping stress” is just a convenient way to excuse crummy looking frags.

Am i guilty of blaming shipping on poor coral condition on arrival? Definitely! And I’ve probably leaned on this a little even to explain less than ideal coloration myself. I mean it’s like low hanging fruit. Shipping can really mess a frag up and it happens all too often. but in my experience, color as in actual pigment coloration is not affected that dramatically that rapidly.

translation: a brown frag on arrival was very likely a brown frag prior to shipping.

 

[audioTom]

It depends.
Tankraised frags are mostly hardy and lose little (directly visual) coloration. Fluorescence can be lost more easily due to the shipping process and it takes more time to recover in perfect conditions.
Especially the indonesian maricultured pieces like tenuis tend to lose its coloration and fluorescence fast when finally shipped to the customer. These corals then needs waaaay more time to adapt to tank-conditions and get full fluorescence back.

 

[ryshark]

Generally speaking I think “shipping stress” is just a convenient way to excuse crummy looking frags.

Am i guilty of blaming shipping on poor coral condition on arrival? Definitely! And I’ve probably leaned on this a little even to explain less than ideal coloration myself. I mean it’s like low hanging fruit. Shipping can really mess a frag up and it happens all too often. but in my experience, color as in actual pigment coloration is not affected that dramatically that rapidly.

translation: a brown frag on arrival was very likely a brown frag prior to shipping.

Thanks for chiming in. Definitely one of the most qualified people in the forums to answer this question. What you said makes sense. Here’s a couple BC pics I took yesterday.

BC Double Rainbow

BC Bubblebath Unicorn

 

[ryshark]

@Battlecorals
This one is brown and not coloring up yet. I heard it can take 6-months to start to
color up and then becomes extremely bright. What are your thoughts on this one?

BC Gilligan

 

[Illini_Drew33]

I used to get a lot of my frags from Top Shelf Aquatics and they are very reputable. However, I always have trouble with color loss and VERY slow growing to start. Once its settles in after a year or so they become beautiful and grow like weeds. So now I try to get my corals from local guys b/c I don't love waiting that long for things to color up in my tank.

This was a pretty boring piece and after a few years it really took off. Love the look now.

 

[exnisstech]

I used to get a lot of my frags from Top Shelf Aquatics and they are very reputable. However, I always have trouble with color loss and VERY slow growing to start. Once its settles in after a year or so they become beautiful and grow like weeds. So now I try to get my corals from local guys b/c I don't love waiting that long for things to color up in my tank.

This was a pretty boring piece and after a few years it really took off. Love the look now.

What is that piece? It looks similar to one I have.

 

[Illini_Drew33]

It is a TSA purple passion. Doesnt look like many purple passions ive seen but this is how it colored up. Almost has a vivids confetti look.

 

[billyocean]

There's usually a little color loss when they go into my tank and take a couple of weeks to a few months to start coloring up nicely. As long as there is PE and growth happening it will just go HAM all of a sudden and come into it's own...sometimes pulls better colors than it did for the vendor who sold it.

 

[Battlecorals Verified Sponsor]

@Battlecorals
This one is brown and not coloring up yet. I heard it can take 6-months to start to
color up and then becomes extremely bright. What are your thoughts on this one?

BC Gilligan

Hmm in this case I think more light definitely wouldn’t hurt. If possible

 

[ryshark]

Hmm in this case I think more light definitely wouldn’t hurt. If possible

I definitely have spots with more light. Thanks!

 

[Uncle99]

Each one different, some a month, some 6 months, a few longer, some poof out. It’s not abnormal to lose 5 out of 100 just to import time let alone the multiple trans ship until it gets to you.

Stability reigns king in their recovery and most will at some point. Must remain clean.

I’ve had better and faster colour ups with the fauna Marin dip than others, but only with acros….

If she ain’t white, she still hanging on.

Looks good, give it time.

 

[ryshark]

Each one different, some a month, some 6 months, a few longer, some poof out. It’s not abnormal to lose 5 out of 100 just to import time let alone the multiple trans ship until it gets to you.

Stability reigns king in their recovery and most will at some point. Must remain clean.

I’ve had better and faster colour ups with the fauna Marin dip than others, but only with acros….

If she ain’t white, she still hanging on.

Looks good, give it time.

Thanks. Hopefully there is no confusion, I’m not saying that BC corals come in colored down. I’m talking about all shipped acros, in general.
I just posted some of my BC corals since he chimed into this thread. With that said, I do need to color up the Giligan. I’m going to move it up to more intense light today.

 

[Uncle99]

Thanks. Hopefully there is no confusion, I’m not saying that BC corals come in colored down. I’m talking about all shipped acros, in general.
I just posted some of my BC corals since he chimed into this thread. With that said, I do need to color up the Giligan. I’m going to move it up to more intense light today.

I just see it as “normal” shipping response regardless of source.
Most if not all get unhappy the longer they travel.
I have a strawberry short cake which came in green, took six months for it to “recolour” and the pinky tips reveal themselves.

When you drop them your DT, the environment is different in terms of chemistry, nutrient, and light availability, and most adapt well, but at different times.

Has little to do with source provided packed well.