Am I being difficult?

MixedFruitBasket · Sep 30, 2019

Okay, I want to start off with saying, I am normally very happy with what I receive from Live Aquaria, however lately I have received a couple orders that were not what they were described at. Mostly from the ORA list, an item described as having yellow polyps or gold with yellow, arriving dark purple. Not retracted purple but I mean PURPLE so dark there is like no room for an "accident". In the past they have been very good to give me store credit. Which I'm good with honestly. I can understand not wanting to send back money. But lately, ever since they went up on shipping minimum, the responses to color issues has been to balk a little. I waited almost a week to hear back on the ORA disaster, and only when I actually got someone on the phone to look at the photos with me while I was on the phone, did I receive a credit.
Now it's happened again.
I recently purchased a sinulara (for a premium) on Diver's Den, normally I do not do sinulara because they can quickly take over a tank. And I would never pay what I paid for this one had it looked like it did in my tank (I wouldn't even have taken it for free honestly). But when I saw this one on DD I made an exception for. When it arrived (think it was the 26th) I was shocked at the color difference. I called and of course I know it can take days for stuff to fluff out.Which is fine. I was told that if it hadn't colored up in a few days to take photos under white light, which I did. Now Live aquaria wants me to wait more days (okay I can deal with that) but then follows up with there is a difference between lighting. Which I understand, but holy moly, this is really drastic in my opinion. Anyhow, I have enclosed pictures (I now screen shot anything I buy now, descriptions etc). You tell me if I'm not warranted in my concern. And if their lighting alters the color this much, then maybe they need to take pictures under white lighting.
And does the item (second photo) I received resemble (as shown in the photo and stated in the description) a YELLOW sinulara with PINK polyps? I took one over head shot and two front shots (it's in the back behind the gorgonian) so that different views could be observed.

MixedFruitBasket · Sep 30, 2019

Want to add, the toadstool that's behind it on the rocks is green and purple.

MixedFruitBasket · Sep 30, 2019

Also one more thing, the blue leather I received I bought at the same time. It was blue as represented in the photos on DD, so no issues there.

Silent · Sep 30, 2019

Your photo is very blue compared to their photo so its too hard to tell.

MnFish1 · Sep 30, 2019

To me it looks like a lighting difference rather than a problem with the coral or live aquaria - but - its really hard to tell. Did you take a picture under 'white light'? - the pictures you're showing do not look 'white'

MixedFruitBasket · Sep 30, 2019

MnFish1 said:
To me it looks like a lighting difference rather than a problem with the coral or live aquaria - but - its really hard to tell. Did you take a picture under 'white light'? - the pictures you're showing do not look 'white'

Yes, actually I did. In fact I am changing out my bulbs right now for 10K so that I can make sure it's a light issue and not a color problem. I should know more in a few days while I let everything adjust to 10K lighting.

MixedFruitBasket · Sep 30, 2019

Ok, right now I'll chock it up to me being difficult. But I've changed out my bulbs and removed the atinics, leaving coral plus and 10K and one purple plus bulb to bring out pinks. I should know more by tomorrow afternoon when everything has had time to inflate and extend. Hopefully I'm wrong. I WANT to be wrong because I really wanted yellow and pink. Okay, fingers crossed.

BlueDamselReef · Sep 30, 2019

Definitely looks like the same coral, just different lighting.

motortrendz · Sep 30, 2019

They definitly sent you a green sinulara. Not a yellow one.

motortrendz · Sep 30, 2019

I personally gave up on trying to find yellow soft corals. Maybe I'll find some nice yellow acros.

MixedFruitBasket · Sep 30, 2019

motortrendz said:
I personally gave up on trying to find yellow soft corals. Maybe I'll find some nice yellow acros.

I received a lovely yellow toadstool frag from P@blo so I know there are people who have them and honest about the color of a specimen.
I still hope I'm wrong and when the lights come on tomorrow and everything spreads the yellow will color up.

motortrendz · Sep 30, 2019

MixedFruitBasket said:
I received a lovely yellow toadstool frag from P@blo so I know there are people who have them and honest about the color of a specimen.
I still hope I'm wrong and when the lights come on tomorrow and everything spreads the yellow will color up.

Hope so too. What did you get from pablo?

User1 · Sep 30, 2019

May not be the case here but something worth noting never the less. I recently purchased a coral frag that was neon green. After acclimation and a couple days the item still looks to me as tan. Send a quick email and I get an immediate reply hmm, it does look different. However, look from the top down and let me know what it looks like. Similar to a clam.

Sure I say. Grab ladder (mind you tank is 30" tall), look down, and sure enough. GREEN. Reply back yup - you are correct. In any case sometimes corals look different based on their placement and viewing angle.

MixedFruitBasket · Sep 30, 2019

saf1 said:
May not be the case here but something worth noting never the less. I recently purchased a coral frag that was neon green. After acclimation and a couple days the item still looks to me as tan. Send a quick email and I get an immediate reply hmm, it does look different. However, look from the top down and let me know what it looks like. Similar to a clam.

Sure I say. Grab ladder (mind you tank is 30" tall), look down, and sure enough. GREEN. Reply back yup - you are correct. In any case sometimes corals look different based on their placement and viewing angle.

Yeah. That's why I took top and side photos. I'll move it around some tomorrow if it doesn't look more yellow under the 10K

User1 · Sep 30, 2019

MixedFruitBasket said:
Yeah. That's why I took top and side photos. I'll move it around some tomorrow if it doesn't look more yellow under the 10K

Also forgot to say that I don't think you are being difficult!

MixedFruitBasket · Oct 1, 2019

I'm still waiting for it to fluff. I took a photo of a yellow leather for comparison. It will probably take another hour for it to fully extend. I even turned off the purple plus light. This is on 10K FHO and all white Kessel

First photo my yellow leather. Second the sinulara in question.

pgammon · Oct 1, 2019

I've noticed lately at many trade shows and two LFS's I frequent, everything is presented under super blue color popping light that I never seem to be able to duplicate in my tank. So a lot of things purchased are not the same when I get them in my tank, kinda annoying to me.

pgammon · Oct 1, 2019

Meant to add, no I don't think you're being difficult.

MixedFruitBasket · Oct 1, 2019

I can see a bit of brown on the branches, but nothing that resembles yellow, yet.

MixedFruitBasket · Oct 1, 2019

pgammon said:
I've noticed lately at many trade shows and two LFS's I frequent, everything is presented under super blue color popping light that I never seem to be able to duplicate in my tank. So a lot of things purchased are not the same when I get them in my tank, kinda annoying to me.

I agree. But this was shown under white light in the ad. No blue. I won't even bother with buying anything unless I can see it under white. Annoys the one LFS I've gone to over the years.