Colorblind Reefing

animalkingdom · 05/23/2013, 07:17 AM

Do you ever point at a coral with amazement and ask 'what is that?' only to get the reply, 'oh that ugly thing, just some fast grower I picked up from the lfs $10 bin'?

Do you ever point to a monti and call it your blue with blue polyps only to be told its purple?

Do LFS and other reefers look at you crazy when you ask what color their corals are?

Do those subtle (I'm guessing not so subtle for you normal folks) variations between blue and purple acropora get totally lost on you?

Did you leave freshwater because everything was the same darn color and when people start talking about rainbow streaking patterns or burgundy dorsal fins and yellow pectorals you just about rip your hair out because it is just a silver fish...

I am just wondering how you colorblind/deficient reefers get along out there. Any interesting colorblind stories? I know in my area reefing seems to draw a disproportionate amount of colorblind individuals as about 8% of the male population is red green color blind, however almost 30% of the reefers I know locally are colorblind. Anyone else notice this.

How do you colorblind individual fair when it comes to picking out colorful corals, do you pick what you like or pick what others say are nice.

Biocubehqi · 05/23/2013, 07:22 AM

This suxs, I'm sorry for your misfortune! But forget what other people say is pretty, its all what matters to you. If something is appealing to you, who cares if its brown and ten dollars.

KafudaFish · 05/23/2013, 07:29 AM

This is very interesting and luckily I am not color blind.

Because the pretty colors draw most people in, how important is form, structure, and contrast to you?

Every once in a while someone while post an amazing tank that many would classify as drab. These tanks are usually from parts of the world that the owner cannot get all the hottest and newest colors but because of this "limitation" they have amazing lay outs and attention to detail.

In college I had a color blind friend who learned after being in the army that he was color blind. He learned that this gray shade was blue and this one was red and figured everyone saw colors this way.

He worked at JCPenny in the bath section and had to know which of the 100 shades of gray matched the little old lady's eggplant purple hand towels.

Adamw327 · 05/23/2013, 07:31 AM

Yellow/orange just looks like an ugly brown to me. I have had epic arguments over whether something as actually yellow or orange. Where is the line anyway?

animalkingdom · 05/23/2013, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KafudaFish

This is very interesting and luckily I am not color blind.

Because the pretty colors draw most people in, how important is form, structure, and contrast to you?

Every once in a while someone while post an amazing tank that many would classify as drab. These tanks are usually from parts of the world that the owner cannot get all the hottest and newest colors but because of this "limitation" they have amazing lay outs and attention to detail.

In college I had a color blind friend who learned after being in the army that he was color blind. He learned that this gray shade was blue and this one was red and figured everyone saw colors this way.

He worked at JCPenny in the bath section and had to know which of the 100 shades of gray matched the little old lady's eggplant purple hand towels.

A common misconception is that colorblind individuals don't see color, but see in shades of gray. While this is true for a very very few individuals most color blind or better yet color deficient individuals fall into the red green colorblind group. There is another handful in the blue green color blind group. On top of this there are varying levels in each category of colorblindness.

I am in the red green color deficient group and while I do see colors, they are all skewed from what most would see. Many colors run together. For example colors that I have a hard time distinguishing are blue/purple red/green yellow/green orange/green pink/blue red/purple brown/green brown/red. If you took me out onto a football field with orange lines instead of white it would be a field of grass without lines to me.

I do love the colors I see in the tank as coral get some of the most vibrant colors in nature which is very helpful for colorblind people like me who may struggle with noticing less striking color variations.

With that said one of the reasons I gravitate towards SPS is the growth forms are independent of color.

While I often pick corals that I think look good regardless of what others think, I also try to keep yall normal vision folk happy using my wife as my surrogate eyes to pick out corals. I do this because part of my enjoyment is seeing other people look at my tank in amazement.

BTW life isn't so bad being red/green colorblind until they start flipping traffic lights on their sides

KafudaFish · 05/23/2013, 09:52 AM

I bet you love going to Knoxville then for football games.

PatW · 05/23/2013, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adamw327

Yellow/orange just looks like an ugly brown to me. I have had epic arguments over whether something as actually yellow or orange. Where is the line anyway?

Color is determined by the wavelength of light reflected off of an object. Since yellow and orange are adjacent on the spectrum, the actual dividing line between the two would be slightly subjective. But I would just bet that there is a defined range of wavelengths for both colors. Most people just call the intermediate hues yellowish orange.

reefshadow · 05/23/2013, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KafudaFish

Because the pretty colors draw most people in, how important is form, structure, and contrast to you?

This is what I was wondering. Heh, it may be cheaper in a way- I think a vast part of the appeal of softie tanks is the movement and extremely varied form and structure.

animalkingdom · 05/23/2013, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KafudaFish

I bet you love going to Knoxville then for football games.

LOL....i watch for the white pants....
I am not a Tennessee fan though...just dont tell my department chair...he played there

Go Hokies!

leveldrummer · 05/23/2013, 11:45 AM

Im colorblind also, its kinda embarassing going to frag swaps and pointing at stores asking "how much is that one 2nd row 3rd from the left" and then the seller says "you mean the green one or the yellow one?"

uh... idunno,

vitodog · 05/23/2013, 01:56 PM

I'm color blind too. Whether a coral is blue or purple, yellow or orange or red or if what I see as brown is really green is not that important to me. If I like the color I see, I'll purchase it. The biggest inconvenience being color blind in this hobby is when I have to test my parameters with most of the test kits available today, with Hanna Checkers being the exception.

Moort82 · 05/23/2013, 03:30 PM

I have a friend who isn't colour blind but his sight is severely hampered. He still loves his tanks even if he can only see them when his face is pressed to the glass.

Timfish · 05/23/2013, 03:52 PM

The only time I knowingly talked to a colorblind reefer the guy actually had no perception of color at all. He was pretty knowledgable but what caught my attention was his girlfriend was describing the colors for him in a LFS. He at one time had color perception but lost it from either an accident or infection, I don't remember exactly.

brad908 · 05/23/2013, 04:49 PM

How do you know my red is your red? We are just told what colors are. Maybe what I see as red, you see as my blue.

brutuscz · 05/23/2013, 07:23 PM

My brother is colorblind. It was so much fun growing up, when he had to dress for school, work..or a date. Give him two non-matching socks. or...pants and shirt that do not match!! depended on how much of a jerk he was that week. AHHH....good times, LOL!!!

One of my best friends is a color blind reef keeper. Actually loved big brown colt corals. Cool shape...but, that was about it. A different perspective on reefkeeping for sure.

Drae · 05/23/2013, 07:54 PM

There's a story in reef builders about a guy who does 90% water changes because he can't read test results. His tank is thriving! Looks like low tide when he water changes only problem I see with that is coraline algae gets dull and white when it hits oxygen.

zebrasoma17 · 05/23/2013, 07:57 PM

I too am red/green colorblind. Sometimes fish or corals that other people say are gorgeous look rather bland to me and ones that I find colorful seem drab to others. I have been keeping marine fish and corals for over 35 years and I still have to ask what color some things are. Once I'm told I can usually see it but sometimes I can't. I've always been attracted to what I see as bright vibrant colors and I've always assumed that this was a good part of my attraction to reef life. By the way, I also have trouble seeing orange against a green background. I can't see an orange golf ball in the grass when I'm practically right on top of it. As I understand it people with normal color vision have 3 cones in their eyes to discern color while those with red/green color blindness only have 2. And I have always loved colt corals too.

animalkingdom · 05/24/2013, 07:07 AM

lol...glad to see someone else who has the orange in a field dilemma like me...

I still get a look from my wife as I walk towards her swirling my titrators so she can watch for the color change for me. I've always try to get it close to the turning point sight unseen before bringing it to her so I don't waste too much of her time...lol. Sometimes I overshoot before I get to her and when I get there she is like 'its already blue! try again...'

thallone · 05/24/2013, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brad908

How do you know my red is your red? We are just told what colors are. Maybe what I see as red, you see as my blue.

get out of my brain!

cannot tell you how many times I've wondered that.

zebrasoma17 · 05/24/2013, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by animalkingdom

lol...glad to see someone else who has the orange in a field dilemma like me...

I still get a look from my wife as I walk towards her swirling my titrators so she can watch for the color change for me. I've always try to get it close to the turning point sight unseen before bringing it to her so I don't waste too much of her time...lol. Sometimes I overshoot before I get to her and when I get there she is like 'its already blue! try again...'

I don't bother with water tests any more unless I notice a problem or I'm setting up a new tank. They are just too frustrating. It is comforting to know I'm not alone dealing with this....lol.

greg1786 · 05/24/2013, 07:33 PM

Im colorblind or color 'deficient'. I usually pick out something that looks good to me and then ask my gf is it really the color i think it. Generally its not but i dont usually care.she comes to the fish store with me everytime i got because she enjoys the hobby as well but also to tell me what colors different fish and corals are. Ive had this problem for as long as i can remember so ive gotten used to it and it doesnt bother me at all. The only time ive ended up with something i didnt like was the one time she didnt come with me. I came home with a Humilis that i was certain was green anly to be told it was brown as they come. Oh well, it still grows at a healthy rate and has a cool shape to it so im fine with that. I always see arguements on here between people who think their tank is the way everyones should look and it always makes me chuckle. If "your" tank looks good to "you" why does it matter what others think? You didnt spend their money to make it look a certain way you spent yours so pick out what you enjoy. Thats what I do and im happy with my tank. Its funny because my mother comes over and looks in the tank and i say do you like my new "blue" coral? Her response is usually "what blue coral?" Lol. Then i point to it and she says "oh the green one, yes its nice" lol.

milesmiles902 · 05/25/2013, 02:43 AM

Being a colorblind deficient person. I thought I should post.

Quote:

Originally Posted by animalkingdom

Do you ever point to a monti and call it your blue with blue polyps only to be told its purple?

Not too often. I tend to not talk about the colors of my coral. xD

Quote:

Originally Posted by animalkingdom

Do LFS and other reefers look at you crazy when you ask what color their corals are?

Not at all. I told them I am a disabled person, so they understand why I ask so many color questions.

Quote:

Originally Posted by animalkingdom

Do those subtle (I'm guessing not so subtle for you normal folks) variations between blue and purple acropora get totally lost on you?

Blue and Purple aren't my issue. It is some reds and greens. Sometimes I can't tell the difference. So for certain acroporas of this shade....yes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by animalkingdom

Did you leave freshwater because everything was the same darn color and when people start talking about rainbow streaking patterns or burgundy dorsal fins and yellow pectorals you just about rip your hair out because it is just a silver fish...

Freshwater=Brown+yellow. The colors in freshwater have NEVER stood out to me whatsoever....it is sad. I like cichlids.

Quote:

Originally Posted by animalkingdom

I am just wondering how you colorblind/deficient reefers get along out there. Any interesting colorblind stories? I know in my area reefing seems to draw a disproportionate amount of colorblind individuals as about 8% of the male population is red green color blind, however almost 30% of the reefers I know locally are colorblind. Anyone else notice this.

Titrations kits are the worst. I have to ask my roommate sometimes. The phosphate titration kit I just bought I can't do at ALL! Even my pH titration kit. One of the most essential tests ever.

Quote:

Originally Posted by animalkingdom

How do you colorblind individual fair when it comes to picking out colorful corals, do you pick what you like or pick what others say are nice.

I pick out corals not for their color usually, but how cool they look. I do want some acroporas though, so I will probably have to ask my LFS colors so it is not all blue

ReeferKimberly · 05/25/2013, 02:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brad908

How do you know my red is your red? We are just told what colors are. Maybe what I see as red, you see as my blue.

I have thought this too.....but what about eye transplants? I really don't know enough about where we perceive color. I am assuming in the eye though rather than the brain, so an individual would know if red suddenly changed to something else after an eye transplant.

Timfish · 05/26/2013, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brad908

How do you know my red is your red? We are just told what colors are. Maybe what I see as red, you see as my blue.

Actually studies have shown that color perception is not influenced by culture. Colors may have different names in different languages but when asked to pick out the redest red or bluest blue everybody picks the same shade.

animalkingdom · 05/26/2013, 06:20 PM

yep yep
On that note though it should be mentioned that women are better at distinguishing between different shades of color.
While scientist used to believe this was a result of the necessity of females to distinguish between poisonous and good berries or to tell when fruit was ripe, current research suggest it was to distinguish mood and health as by seeing how flushed one appears.
So with that said, if you are a male, make sure to bring a lady friend, whether it be your wife, gf, or mother when trying to choose between the aquamarine and turquoise acros

05/23/2013, 07:17 AM	#1
animalkingdom Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: AL Posts: 632	Colorblind Reefing Do you ever point at a coral with amazement and ask 'what is that?' only to get the reply, 'oh that ugly thing, just some fast grower I picked up from the lfs $10 bin'? Do you ever point to a monti and call it your blue with blue polyps only to be told its purple? Do LFS and other reefers look at you crazy when you ask what color their corals are? Do those subtle (I'm guessing not so subtle for you normal folks) variations between blue and purple acropora get totally lost on you? Did you leave freshwater because everything was the same darn color and when people start talking about rainbow streaking patterns or burgundy dorsal fins and yellow pectorals you just about rip your hair out because it is just a silver fish... I am just wondering how you colorblind/deficient reefers get along out there. Any interesting colorblind stories? I know in my area reefing seems to draw a disproportionate amount of colorblind individuals as about 8% of the male population is red green color blind, however almost 30% of the reefers I know locally are colorblind. Anyone else notice this. How do you colorblind individual fair when it comes to picking out colorful corals, do you pick what you like or pick what others say are nice.

05/23/2013, 01:56 PM	#11
vitodog Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico Posts: 1,226	I'm color blind too. Whether a coral is blue or purple, yellow or orange or red or if what I see as brown is really green is not that important to me. If I like the color I see, I'll purchase it. The biggest inconvenience being color blind in this hobby is when I have to test my parameters with most of the test kits available today, with Hanna Checkers being the exception. __________________ Current Tank Info: 124.7 gal. Reef Savvy D/T, Trigger Systems 36" sump, Octo Elite 150-S, GHL Mitras LX7 x 3, Profilux3, Masterflex 7550-30 Peristaltic pump, Vector M1 return Pump, MP40w QD x 2

05/23/2013, 07:23 PM	#15
brutuscz Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Connecticut, transplanted New Yorker!! Posts: 926	My brother is colorblind. It was so much fun growing up, when he had to dress for school, work..or a date. Give him two non-matching socks. or...pants and shirt that do not match!! depended on how much of a jerk he was that week. AHHH....good times, LOL!!! One of my best friends is a color blind reef keeper. Actually loved big brown colt corals. Cool shape...but, that was about it. A different perspective on reefkeeping for sure. __________________ If your desire to succeed is greater than your desire to fail, then you will succeed!! Current Tank Info: 90gal reef.

05/23/2013, 07:22 AM	#2
Biocubehqi Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Illinois Posts: 777	This suxs, I'm sorry for your misfortune! But forget what other people say is pretty, its all what matters to you. If something is appealing to you, who cares if its brown and ten dollars.

05/23/2013, 07:29 AM	#3
KafudaFish Cyprinius carpio Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 4,496	This is very interesting and luckily I am not color blind. Because the pretty colors draw most people in, how important is form, structure, and contrast to you? Every once in a while someone while post an amazing tank that many would classify as drab. These tanks are usually from parts of the world that the owner cannot get all the hottest and newest colors but because of this "limitation" they have amazing lay outs and attention to detail. In college I had a color blind friend who learned after being in the army that he was color blind. He learned that this gray shade was blue and this one was red and figured everyone saw colors this way. He worked at JCPenny in the bath section and had to know which of the 100 shades of gray matched the little old lady's eggplant purple hand towels.

05/23/2013, 07:31 AM	#4
Adamw327 Registered Member. Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Owego, New York Posts: 387	Yellow/orange just looks like an ugly brown to me. I have had epic arguments over whether something as actually yellow or orange. Where is the line anyway?

05/23/2013, 09:52 AM	#6
KafudaFish Cyprinius carpio Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 4,496	I bet you love going to Knoxville then for football games.

05/23/2013, 11:45 AM	#10
leveldrummer Reefer Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Atlanta Posts: 1,831	Im colorblind also, its kinda embarassing going to frag swaps and pointing at stores asking "how much is that one 2nd row 3rd from the left" and then the seller says "you mean the green one or the yellow one?" uh... idunno,

05/23/2013, 03:30 PM	#12
Moort82 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Norfolk, England Posts: 1,576	I have a friend who isn't colour blind but his sight is severely hampered. He still loves his tanks even if he can only see them when his face is pressed to the glass.

05/23/2013, 03:52 PM	#13
Timfish Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 1,985	The only time I knowingly talked to a colorblind reefer the guy actually had no perception of color at all. He was pretty knowledgable but what caught my attention was his girlfriend was describing the colors for him in a LFS. He at one time had color perception but lost it from either an accident or infection, I don't remember exactly.

05/23/2013, 04:49 PM	#14
brad908 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Bay Area Posts: 145	How do you know my red is your red? We are just told what colors are. Maybe what I see as red, you see as my blue.

05/23/2013, 07:54 PM	#16
Drae RAIDER NATION! Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: City of sin... Posts: 3,476	There's a story in reef builders about a guy who does 90% water changes because he can't read test results. His tank is thriving! Looks like low tide when he water changes only problem I see with that is coraline algae gets dull and white when it hits oxygen.

05/23/2013, 07:57 PM	#17
zebrasoma17 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: long island Posts: 299	I too am red/green colorblind. Sometimes fish or corals that other people say are gorgeous look rather bland to me and ones that I find colorful seem drab to others. I have been keeping marine fish and corals for over 35 years and I still have to ask what color some things are. Once I'm told I can usually see it but sometimes I can't. I've always been attracted to what I see as bright vibrant colors and I've always assumed that this was a good part of my attraction to reef life. By the way, I also have trouble seeing orange against a green background. I can't see an orange golf ball in the grass when I'm practically right on top of it. As I understand it people with normal color vision have 3 cones in their eyes to discern color while those with red/green color blindness only have 2. And I have always loved colt corals too.

05/24/2013, 07:07 AM	#18
animalkingdom Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: AL Posts: 632	lol...glad to see someone else who has the orange in a field dilemma like me... I still get a look from my wife as I walk towards her swirling my titrators so she can watch for the color change for me. I've always try to get it close to the turning point sight unseen before bringing it to her so I don't waste too much of her time...lol. Sometimes I overshoot before I get to her and when I get there she is like 'its already blue! try again...'

05/24/2013, 07:33 PM	#21
greg1786 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Baltimore md Posts: 1,241	Im colorblind or color 'deficient'. I usually pick out something that looks good to me and then ask my gf is it really the color i think it. Generally its not but i dont usually care.she comes to the fish store with me everytime i got because she enjoys the hobby as well but also to tell me what colors different fish and corals are. Ive had this problem for as long as i can remember so ive gotten used to it and it doesnt bother me at all. The only time ive ended up with something i didnt like was the one time she didnt come with me. I came home with a Humilis that i was certain was green anly to be told it was brown as they come. Oh well, it still grows at a healthy rate and has a cool shape to it so im fine with that. I always see arguements on here between people who think their tank is the way everyones should look and it always makes me chuckle. If "your" tank looks good to "you" why does it matter what others think? You didnt spend their money to make it look a certain way you spent yours so pick out what you enjoy. Thats what I do and im happy with my tank. Its funny because my mother comes over and looks in the tank and i say do you like my new "blue" coral? Her response is usually "what blue coral?" Lol. Then i point to it and she says "oh the green one, yes its nice" lol.

05/26/2013, 06:20 PM	#25
animalkingdom Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: AL Posts: 632	yep yep On that note though it should be mentioned that women are better at distinguishing between different shades of color. While scientist used to believe this was a result of the necessity of females to distinguish between poisonous and good berries or to tell when fruit was ripe, current research suggest it was to distinguish mood and health as by seeing how flushed one appears. So with that said, if you are a male, make sure to bring a lady friend, whether it be your wife, gf, or mother when trying to choose between the aquamarine and turquoise acros