D24 How to improve Color?

[ericle275]

How to improve the color pattern on the face of D24 fish?
My fish has no more pattent.

 

[MacZ]

Nothing you can do. The fishes genes determine that. You can't change them.

 

[Mazan]

But if you keep the fish over bare glass the colours will look pale and washed out, it would look better over dark leaf litter for example.

 

[MacZ]

But if you keep the fish over bare glass the colours will look pale and washed out, it would look better over dark leaf litter for example.

True that, though the face markings are pretty much fixed.

 

[Frank Hättich]

My experience with wild caught Apistos is that over time particularly the red coloration fades more and more. I didn't found a way to stop or even reverse this.

 

[anewbie]

My experience with wild caught Apistos is that over time particularly the red coloration fades more and more. I didn't found a way to stop or even reverse this.

Interesting; i wonder if they are like lemon tetra and something in their native habitat is providing the red ?

 

[Ben Rhau]

People have said the same for wild caught borellii, of their colors being a lot less vivid the longer they're kept in captivity.

Mac is correct that some individual specimens just have more color than others, particularly when you're talking about specific patterns on the face. That said, a diet rich in carotenoids can be helpful for overall color. My sense is that it's permissive for coloration, but not sufficient. i.e., It allows for certain pigmentation, but does not mean that the fish will express those colors.

I've kept a number of fish that color more brightly over time, with obvious differences from the same fish fresh from the store. Diet may play a partial role in that.

 

[Mazan]

My experience with wild caught Apistos is that over time particularly the red coloration fades more and more. I didn't found a way to stop or even reverse this.

That is interesting, I have noticed recently that the ocelli on the dorsal fin of my dwarf pike cichlid female has faded almost completely, is this a similar thing or just age related I wonder?

 

[anewbie]

. Diet may play a partial role in that.

So if i go on a diet my fishes will get more colourful ?

 

[Frank Hättich]

That is interesting, I have noticed recently that the ocelli on the dorsal fin of my dwarf pike cichlid female has faded almost completely, is this a similar thing or just age related I wonder?

I don't know because I don't know the reason for the fading in Apistos.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

So if i go on a diet my fishes will get more colourful ?

A diet <"rich in carotenoids"> will enhance red coloration.

cheers Darrel

 

[Frank Hättich]

A diet <"rich in carotenoids"> will enhance red coloration.

Unfortunately not in my Apistos.

 

[Mazan]

I seem to remember watching a video in the Below Water series by Oliver Lucanus, I am sure he mentioned that blackwater species in particular tend to lose the red colouration in aquaria.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Unfortunately not in my Apistos.

Interesting. I'd guess that if they were getting a good diet, with crustaceans etc, that they were about as coloured up as they were going to be and that there wasn't any "extra" colour to develop.

My fish get a lot of live food and on the rare occasions I've bought fish from a shop they've always coloured up pretty quickly in the tank.

cheers Darrel

 

[Frank Hättich]

Hi all,

Interesting. I'd guess that if they were getting a good diet, with crustaceans etc, that they were about as coloured up as they were going to be and that there wasn't any "extra" colour to develop.

Yes, my wild Apistos did get a good diet but the red coloration nevertheless did fade.

My fish get a lot of live food and on the rare occasions I've bought fish from a shop they've always coloured up pretty quickly in the tank.

cheers Darrel

Of course, fish from a shop are usually kept in "less than perfect" conditions and therefore don't show all their colors unless the conditions improve.

 

[anewbie]

Probably not related but the amazon seems to contain a fair amount of iron; not sure how much of this is found in local fish diet.

 

[Mike Wise]

My guess is that apistos in the wild have a much wider variety in their diets than any of us can provide.

 

[anewbie]

My experience with wild caught Apistos is that over time particularly the red coloration fades more and more. I didn't found a way to stop or even reverse this.

Exactly which red fades? I mean obviously nijjensi species have reds on the tail; and i just noticed this morning that my male ladisalo has produced a ton of red on the face and a very broad red on the dorsal fin. I'm just confuse what we are talking about.

This is a poor picture of him because the lights on the tank have started to dim so very low light:

 

[Frank Hättich]

Exactly which red fades?

Most noticeably on the head.

I mean obviously nijjensi species have reds on the tail;

I never kept wild nijsseni-group fish,. so I don't know what happens to the red in their caudal fins.

and i just noticed this morning that my male ladisalo has produced a ton of red on the face and a very broad red on the dorsal fin. I'm just confuse what we are talking about.

If it was subadult when you got it, it's color will of course increase while maturing. The question is, will it become as colorful as it would have been in the wild?

 

[anewbie]

If it was subadult when you got it, it's color will of course increase while maturing. The question is, will it become as colorful as it would have been in the wild?

Well that is an interesting question; i've never seen a picture of these fishes before ... i'm not even sure if their catch location is known.