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ok i have heard if a fish losses colors it means its got something bothering it... but this is weird...

the other day i bought a cichlid.. im not sure what kind but i put it in my 20 gallon that has 3 other cichlids in it...
the cichlid was a brownish purple with a small yellow stripe on its fin.
last night it became a pale dirty white color and the small yellow stripe isnt there but instead all his fins are yellow..
today i woke up to check on it and it is now a brighter purple with black stripes on its body and the yellow fins...
very very pretty now..

is that just maturation?

Last edited by Weslet at 19-Oct-2004 12:11

I'm really not that familiar with cichlids, but I'm pretty sure some change colors and get brighter when they mature.

Cichlids can also change colours as the result of dominance struggles -- either on the victorious or losing side. It would be worth figuring out what kind of cichlids you have. Mixing unknown cichlids (particularly in the relatively cramped confines of a 20 gallon aquarium) could be disastrous. It would help you to interpret the colour changes you are seeing and would also help you to provide for the needs of your fish.

ok well after watching him i noticed he gets that pale white color when he sees my honey dwarf gourami..
but the lemon yellow cichlids dont bother him...

here is a pic of him
http://www.t-mobilepictures.com/photos/photo07/9f/af/f7fc98a240e1.jpg?_rh=1jz9e3yogdab7ohe0le51yurs

if that works

It's a pretty tiny picture and I'm not very good at identifying cichlids, so I don't know. What would probably work best would be if the mods moved this whole thread over to the cichlid forum -- someone there more knowledgeable than I can probably identify it.

i don't have any info about the cichlid... but on a similar note: i've noticed that at night my black ghost knife fish turns a pale yellowish colour over most of his body... during the day he's back to all black again... i just assumed it was normal... anyone heard of this? maybe it's the same thing as the cichlid

Yes, Bayara, it is quite normal for fish to be different colors during different times of the day. My white clouds are washed-out in the morning, but once the lights are on for a few minutes, the bright red stripe darkens considerably.

Of course, color change could also be an indicator of stress.

A fish that is bleached for an extended period of time is probably under some type of stress, be it from poor tank conditions, bullying by other fish, or abduction by aliens. On the other hand, a fish that is more colorful than normal can mean a number of things: the fish is preparing to breed, the fish is responding to an aggressive act with a visual display, or just that the water conditions are much improved from the norm.

Joe Potato

It's definitely a Malawi cichlid. What kind I'm not sure although Cynotilapia Afra comes to mind. The colour changing is probably down to the fish's mood than anything else as fish don't mature that quickly.

If the stripes are coming out, then it's more likely that it's more comfortable. Washed out colours on Malawis tend to indicate stress.

Hope that helps and I'm sure others will give more info or correct me if I'm wrong.