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Washed out pale fish colours. Causes ?
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Hi,
John Howell who has managed the forum for years is getting on and wishes to retire from the role of managing it.
Over the years, he has managed the forum through good days and bad days and he has always been fair.
He has managed to bring his passion for fish keeping to the forum and keep it going for so long.
I wish to thank John for his hard work in keeping the forum going.
With John wishing to "retire" from the role of managing the forum and the forum receiving very little traffic, I think we must agree that forum has come to a natural conclusion and it's time to put it to rest.
I am proposing that the forum be made read-only from March 2022 onwards and that no new users or content be created. The website is still registered for several more years, so the content will still be accessible but no new topics or replies will be allowed.
If there is interest from the ITFS or other fish keeping clubs, we may redirect traffic to them or to a Facebook group but will not actively manage it.
I'd like to thank everyone over the years who helped with forum, posted a reply, started a new topic, ask a question and helped a newbie in fish keeping. And thank you to the sponsors who helped us along the away. Hopefully it made the hobby stronger.
I'd especially like to thank John Howell and Valerie Rousseau for all of their contributions, without them the forum would have never been has successful.
Thank you
Darragh Sherwin
Washed out pale fish colours. Causes ?
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26 Sep 2012 21:53 #1
by davet (Dave Treacy)
I recently picked up Fluval Edge tank of a seller on adverts, lovely little tanks and am very impressed with it and it's a great conversation starter compared to my main 180l planted tank.
I gave the Fluval a good clean and rinse. I filled the tank and treated the water with Organics Aqua as with my main tank, left the tank for 2 days to let the cloudy water clear and water temp to stabilise. While this was going on I'd left of the light off in my other 20 litre nano tank. I transferred the fish to the Fluval and not surprisingly the fish were pale and looking washed out colour wise because they had been in the 'dark' for over 48hrs.
The thing is the move was about 2 weeks ago and while the colours have brightened a little they are not back to the same level they were in the nano tank. All water quality checks out fine, diet hasn't been altered and fish appear happy and very active.
Any ideas on what cause might be ? Is it the lighting in the Edge which as the older generation pair of 15W halogens or stress possibly (there is less areas in the tank for fish to hide). Tank has 5 Golden Harlequins, 2 Pearl Danios, 1 Siamese Algae eater.
Cheers, Dave
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26 Sep 2012 22:25 #2
by JohnH (John)
Dave,
You might have answered your own question here.
It could be the stress of having less secure 'hidey-holes' and it might also be that the different lighting is making the fish appear 'washed out'. But, if they are all acting 'normally' and feeding well it could be that they are fine and will eventually settle to their new environment.
I realise that it would mar the 'effect' of the Edge but could you try putting a temporary background around at least the back of it to see if that makes a difference - it might.
Does anyone else have any advice for Dave?
John
Location:
N. Tipp
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.
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It's a long way to Tipperary.
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26 Sep 2012 22:56 #3
by davet (Dave Treacy)
Thanks John the tank already has a background on it and agreed it might just be stress. Tank looks like this currently ..
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26 Sep 2012 23:10 #4
by JohnH (John)
Dave, as you say the tank looks good.
I think I can see the problem, though, there is just too little cover for the fish.
Especially with the almost white sand.
My suggestion would be to try to provide some extra cover - perhaps some flat stones organised to for a couple of small arches, or caves, even.
You might try some plants as well, Java Fern is bullet-proof (must be - even I can keep it alive) but it needs to be anchored on either wood or rock, don't 'plant' in into the substrate as you might do with conventional plants - they don't like that.
Perhaps there are other suggestions from any other members?
Just a few suggestions to be getting on with for now.
John
Location:
N. Tipp
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.
ITFS member.
It's a long way to Tipperary.
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27 Sep 2012 02:02 #5
by joemc (joe mc)
I agree with all of the above comments, lack of places for the fish to hide, feel secure, the very bright substrate would highlight darker colored fish and make them easy prey items, so it is only natural that they bleach out to make themselves less visible, a few broad leaved plants, moss as suggested and bits of wood etc that would provide shade would all be a good idea, one big disadvantage with the edge tank i have always noticed that is seldom mentioned is that you are restricted wiht the use of floating plants, they just never look right in it
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27 Sep 2012 08:35 #6
by BillG (Bill Gray)
Hi Dave,
Exactly as John and Joe have said, you could try a darker substrate or provide cover in the form of plants, wood and / rock. As Joe stated, this is a reaction of the fish to their environment to make themselves less obvious to predators. You see with even indigenous fresh water fish, they will all develop colourations to blend into their environment and avoid predators.
In the aquarium, we can do our best to mimic the natural environment for our fish, we can do our best to maintain water quality and the health of the fish; however the one thing we cannot do is to alter or switch off the instincts of the fish. I am afraid in this case; it looks like an instinctive reaction to the environment. Even though there are no predators present, the fish are trying to blend in and be less obvious to them.
What kind of set-up did you have in the Nano tank the fish previously occupuied? if you had plants and other decor in there, you could try transferring them. Also, can you confirm the colour of substrate you had in the nano?
Cheers,
Bill.
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27 Sep 2012 09:07 #7
by davet (Dave Treacy)
Thanks guys I'll add more hiding areas for the fish and I can see your point on the fish trying to blend into the environment. First time I've used the sand as a substrate. On your question Bill the nano tank had the dark JBL Manado substrate with a small piece of twisted bogwood and a few small plants. The fish had a place to hide under the small internal filter that was in it.
So is the answer just give them more hiding areas or also maybe change back to the darker substrate ?
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27 Sep 2012 09:41 #8
by JohnH (John)
Yep, that just about sums it up really, if you can change the sand for darker one, or use gravel and add some shade for the fish.
As Joe suggests floating plants would normally be another helpful addition, but the way the Edge is with no real water surface, it isn't an option here.
Perhaps you'll keep us informed as to how it progresses.
John
Location:
N. Tipp
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.
ITFS member.
It's a long way to Tipperary.
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27 Sep 2012 09:42 #9
by igmillichip (ian millichip)
Just to add to answering the topic question in general (whether or not relevant to this particular case), increases in ammonia will also cause washed out colours.
Other causes include brain damage (by ammonia, drugs, kidney damage etc etc).
If the fish are otherwise behaving normally (ie not overly skittish and feeding) then the above are least likely to be causes.
ian
Irish Tropical Fish Society (ITFS) Member.
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Washed out pale fish colours. Causes ?
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