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agentho
Members
Joined: 24 Jan 2006
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 Posted: 2006.12.26(Tue)23:56 Post subject: Color of my Panda Corie |
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Hi Follks,
I've been noticing that the coloring of my panda cories is not as nice as it used to be. Used to be a nice white with black (of course) spots. BUt now the white is more of a gray or beige color. Is this a health/diet thing or does the color just change as they mature. Generally, not as nice looking as before.
They currently get flakes plus sinking shrimp pellets. |
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Bob
Moderators
Joined: 16 Jun 2006
Location: UK
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| Posted: 2006.12.27(Wed)5:02 Post subject: |
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They do lose a bit of colour has they get older, but like most fish they can also change colour if they are stressed.
Is there any reason to consider stress?
Bob |
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NancyD
Regulars
Joined: 11 Jun 2006
Location: Massachusetts, US
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| Posted: 2006.12.27(Wed)17:06 Post subject: |
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| What color is your substrate? Fish can look different on black or very dark sand or gravel. I have some very small pinky-beige pandas on white sand but 1 seems to have some darker shading along his sides so maybe just individual variations. |
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agentho
Members
Joined: 24 Jan 2006
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| Posted: 2006.12.27(Wed)21:20 Post subject: |
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| Bob on Stronsay wrote: | They do lose a bit of colour has they get older, but like most fish they can also change colour if they are stressed.
Is there any reason to consider stress?
Bob |
Well I suppose if I look for a reason for stress, I'm bound to find some. Let's see:
- I'm not as regular about wather changes as I should be. Every 2 weeks turns into every 3.
- I don't have a shoal of panda cories. Just started with one. I didn't know about that when I bought my first cory. I've since added 2 more but I'm already overstocked. I need to wait until I can get rid of my danios. Hopefully at the LFS.
- I just changed threw out some tank plants/decor and changed the substrate. So maybe a mini-cycle...but my water parameters are still looking good.
I suppose I was just looking for a nice straightforward answer, sigh...
They're not really "losing" color as much as the white is looking gray/brown. |
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agentho
Members
Joined: 24 Jan 2006
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| Posted: 2006.12.27(Wed)21:21 Post subject: |
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| NancyD wrote: | | What color is your substrate? Fish can look different on black or very dark sand or gravel. I have some very small pinky-beige pandas on white sand but 1 seems to have some darker shading along his sides so maybe just individual variations. |
I started with clown blue, but now I've got a dark brown. I could have sworn that the 2 new babies I bought were white-pink, but now they look gray-brown. |
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J.B.
Exemplars
Joined: 14 Dec 2004
Location: Middle Georgia
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| Posted: 2006.12.27(Wed)22:12 Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | - I just changed threw out some tank plants/decor and changed the substrate |
My guess is this might be the problem. When you change a substrate, you stir up a lot of decomposing matter that settles in the substrate. This can cause a lot of stress to the tank occupants. |
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agentho
Members
Joined: 24 Jan 2006
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| Posted: 2006.12.27(Wed)22:46 Post subject: |
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| J.B. wrote: | | Quote: | | - I just changed threw out some tank plants/decor and changed the substrate |
My guess is this might be the problem. When you change a substrate, you stir up a lot of decomposing matter that settles in the substrate. This can cause a lot of stress to the tank occupants. |
Sure, but I took the fish out and completely emptied the tank before putting the new substrate and fish back in.
Oh...reading that again...did you think I just mixed up the substrate a bit? Oh no, I took out the old stuff and put in new. |
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J.B.
Exemplars
Joined: 14 Dec 2004
Location: Middle Georgia
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| Posted: 2006.12.27(Wed)23:11 Post subject: |
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Well, that would still be the issue in my eyes.
By changing out the substrate, you removed the largest collection/colony of beneficial bacteria (Nitrobacter) in your tank. Not to mention you put all "new" water in, which possibly changed the pH if you are buffering up or down. You are experiencing a cycle again, which undoubetedly causes stress to your fish. The bio-load outweighs the ability of the small colony of bacteria in your filter, and thus is creating toxic conditions in your tank, along with the possibility of pH shock.
Assuming you don't have another established tank to put these fish in, make sure you do frequent (every other day) water changes, in the neighborhood of 40 - 50% until your tank is cycled again. This will help keep the NH3/NO2 levels down. |
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agentho
Members
Joined: 24 Jan 2006
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| Posted: 2006.12.27(Wed)23:29 Post subject: |
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| J.B. wrote: | Well, that would still be the issue in my eyes.
By changing out the substrate, you removed the largest collection/colony of beneficial bacteria (Nitrobacter) in your tank. Not to mention you put all "new" water in, which possibly changed the pH if you are buffering up or down. You are experiencing a cycle again, which undoubetedly causes stress to your fish. The bio-load outweighs the ability of the small colony of bacteria in your filter, and thus is creating toxic conditions in your tank, along with the possibility of pH shock.
Assuming you don't have another established tank to put these fish in, make sure you do frequent (every other day) water changes, in the neighborhood of 40 - 50% until your tank is cycled again. This will help keep the NH3/NO2 levels down. |
Thanks for the recommendations. I'm still using 2 of the fake plants from the original tank setup as well as the old filter in order to get the beneficial bacteria going. I don't buffer up/down my water but I'll be sure to be vigilant about the water changes. So far my Nitrate and Nitrite look OK, so I'll be careful.
Thanks again. |
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J.B.
Exemplars
Joined: 14 Dec 2004
Location: Middle Georgia
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| Posted: 2006.12.27(Wed)23:42 Post subject: |
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| No problem, keep us posted... |
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