Beware of corals that are coming in too brightly colored, because there is a real possibility that they have been dyed. If that is the case, as Joe Yaiullo put it, they will "die from the dye."
I have noticed alot of them coming from Jakarta.They list them as dyed on the list.So my feeling is they come here becaused somone ordered them. I for one will not ever order them.
They have been around for awhile but over the past 6 months or so we've seen a major resurgence of these corals into the States, I hear they are quite popular in Japan at the moment.
I've had many customers come in requesting these pink colts and what not because they have seen them at my competitors, who unfortunately seem to be passing them off as natural color morphs. Usually that desire is quashed when they find out that if the coral doesn't die, it will at the very least revert back to it's original coloration in a few months.
My LFS refuses to carry the brightly colored colts and leather, even though they are some of the favorites among the competing stores. Pretty sad, many people still go for those even when warned they are dyed. I've seen pink purple yellow green colt and green/yellow unbrella leather.
Probably we will be seeing rainbow aragonite sand soon.
I have seen a number of Pagoda Cup and Gonipora's in some LFS coming in with an very attractive, although very unnatural bright yellow. Obviously these were dyed as well.
Well I have never seen a gonipora the same color as a yellow tang, so it was very obvious it was dyed. The guy sold it to a customer while I was there. He came up and asked if there was anything I was interested in. I mentioned that the yellow pogoda looked awfully yellow, with a smirk and knowing look it my eye and he admitted it was dyed. He stated that he didn't order it specifically and it just in a box lot pf corals. Still not a very good excuse for selling it though.
Not that I condone or even want a dyed coral but...
Is it possible to re-dye them once they start to fade.
I mean there must be some survival rate to them if they can live long enough to revert back to their old colors, so is it possible to maintain a particular color.
Please dont flame, Its just a question to feed my curiosity.