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Hi there!

I was wondering if light will affect a fish's coloration. My kribensis always looks a little pale when i forget to open the blinds in the day. I turn on the tank light, and in a matter of minutes-WHAM! His color turns on like a lightbulb. I am feeding him color enhancement flakes, along with some sinking pellets. I am hoping this is normal, because it is so weird how the transition between intensities very so greatly! One minute hes light olive, the next he is olive with purple and red. Is it just the kribs or can this happen with any other fish?

Just curious!

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Light is a HUGE factor in determining what colors a fish shows. Stress is another.

What you are experiencing is completely normal, and happens in most fish. My keyholes are normally a nice medium tan with a black spot near the tail, but if they get spooked or are facing off, they can turn almost completely black in less than 10 seconds. It's incredible.

I believe different types of lighting can either appear to change the colouration, or stress the fish out if the lighting is too bright.
Do you know the variety of the Kribensis as there are several colours also even in the same variety there is a possibility of different colouration.

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If it's dim enough, your krib might be sleeping before you turn on the lights. Sleeping fish tend to be quite pale, so that is another explanation.

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Mood is very important from what I can tell.

I have 7 P. Demaaoni's and one male was particularly dull when I first got him, BUT once he was able to establish a nice little territory in the tank, and establish his rank amongst the other fish - his stripping is super bold, and his blues are VERY deep.

The other less dominant Demasoni's can often appear completely pale and barely notice the stripping.

I haven't noticed any real effect based on lighting though, but that could be particular to certain species.

72G Bowfront. 1 Sunshine Peacock, 2 Yellow Labs, 1 Ps. Elongatus, 1 Blue Ahli, 1 Red Kadanga, 1 Mel. Exasperatus, 1 metriaclima emmiltos, 1 Ancistrus.

14.5G 4 Neon Tetras.

This happens in all species, I have had it happen with my Rainbows as well. It is surprising how fast the color change can occur, but it is normal for fish. As for lighting I haven't come across anything that says a fish at so and so lighting will show so and so coloration. Its all in the fish being happy. A happy fish is a brightly colored fish.

I have a bosemani that proves this. I bought him as he was the last one the store had, his colors were completely faded, and you had to look close to see any coloration at all. Once he got in the tank with the other rainbows, it was an instantaneous color change. I have never seen anything like it.

As for the lighting helping out with coloration. Certain lighting levels will make the fishes colors easier to be seen by us. because of the way the pigment in the fish, either reflect or absorb the light wavelengths. But I am not a scientist.

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yeah pretty much normal,my fish are lees coloured when my lights come on in the morning..