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luconi
04/14/2012, 04:43 PM
I know that corals are some of the most colorful and interesting animals in the world, but in home aquariums their colors are brought out through the use of special lighting. Are corals just as colorful and amazing in the open ocean as they are in captivity? Thanks for a response.

Anthrax15
04/14/2012, 04:51 PM
There are some LPS that are naturally bright. Some Torches and Hammers are very flourescent green. Also some SPS as well. Just gotta take them out of the light and get them under some natural light to tell if they are or not. I can always tell a bright coral when I buy it and take it outside in a cup. If it is bright out there, its gonna pop under man made lighing.

luconi
04/14/2012, 04:56 PM
So are a majority naturally bright? I've seen some pics from ocean reefs and some of them seem dull, but I can't tell if it's just the location, picture quality, type of corals growing in that specific location, or if that natural dullness is the average for most reefs.

TimothyJ
04/14/2012, 05:00 PM
I don't believe so. It is my understanding that most corals in nature are a yellow or brown hue. You will find some outside this norm as with anything.

betamed
04/14/2012, 05:41 PM
Most corals collected from the wild are choice specimens with the most unusual color. However some areas of the world do have more colorful species than others. Also there are tons of non photosynthetic corals and sponges in the wild that we don't keep in aquaria that are very nice too. Some colors really pop under artificial lighting but there are some corals that look as nice under daylight