Why do bumblebee cichlids change color

On the other hand, some changes may be longer term, ontogenetic changes that are typical of the species. Most factors affecting color changes are within your control but not all of them. Rather than be concerned about the fact that color changes are occurring with your fish, you should be more cognizant of why they are occurring.

Which factors influencing color change are under your control? Since you determine which fish inhabit a tank, you control who the occupants are. Sex ratios, species mix, aggression, and other such variables do affect cichlid colors. Yes, social status is a variable that influences coloration. For example, having multiple males in a single tank may cause all but the dominant male to have faded hues. You also control the water, the water temperature, the substrate, and the food.

All of that matters. You can directly affect coloration by the quality of both the water and the food that you provide. Good, clean water reduces stress compared to poor water conditions. Stressed fish often have faded colors or even display mottled coloration. High quality food is also important and should be suitable for the type of fish herbivore, carnivore, etc. In fact, some commercially available fish foods contain color enhancing or promoting ingredients such as carotenoids e.

All of the aforementioned variables are within your control and can affect rapid color changes, some more rapid than others. There are also developmental ontogentic changes that affect coloration. Not all species retain the same coloration from birth through adulthood. These changes can be either subtle or dramatic. For example, some species may be one color through sub-adulthood and transform to a different color when they reach the adult stage.

This is common in peacock species Aulonocara and other utaka genera. On the other hand, many species of mbuna males typically retain bright colors from youth, while many females never gain much color at all and usually retain a dull grey or tan-color from birth.

In contrast, Pseudotropheus lombardoi fry are typically blue in color, but adult males will be yellow. How do you know what you are seeing and why? Knowledge and experience. If you are noticing color changes in all your fish species, the probability is higher that the cause is something you control. Only by understanding the variables that affect color changes can you understand what you are witnessing and whether you should change something that you control.

Note : The photo at the top is from a nice article on the influence of genetics on social behavior in cichlids by Hans Hofmann, professor in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Texas at Austin. A couple of years ago, I reached out to Dr. Hofmann for an interview.

He agreed, and we exchanged a few e-mails, but his busy schedule prevented him from completing the interview. I plan to reach out to him again soon. Hofmann and I were able to reconnect. See my interview with him posted on August 7. Hi Ivan, thanks for visiting the blog and thanks for the note. There are lots of potential reasons your Frontosa is pale but without knowing the specifics of your tank e.

Nonetheless, there are lots of experienced Frontosa keepers out there and many on Cichlid Keepers. Hi Paula. Thanks for reading the blog and thanks for the comment.

Sorry, but I need more information before I can help you. Mine did the same thing. I have two species of cichlids a black striped one and a pale white one i put two of each in my tank the biggest one changes colors over night from pale white and back too striped.

Hi Joseph. Thanks for the comment and for reading. There are lots of variables that affect color changes in cichlids. I have 5 african cichlids in a 30 gallon tank. I noticed his gills are a little red too however he is acting normal. My other cichlids are totally fine and they have been.

My ammonia and nitrite are at zero. Nitrate is at 5ppm. At first I thought he might be sick but no other fish seem to be affected. Any ideas as to what it might be? Hi Kayleen. Thanks for the note. There are too many unknowns in your comment for me to even take a wild guess about the problem.

I have this small cm blue cichlid. I stare it down when i put my face up in the tank and it does the same. Hey Len. Thanks for reaching out. Color changes like you describe happen all the time with many species.

No need to be concerned. Hi , I have two blue kenyi cichlid with faint black stripes. I have noticed that their black stripes become more dark when they are resting in the sand or not moving but it becomes light when they are swimming around , all these changes happens within minutes.

Do you know the sex and age of your kenyi? The usual brood size for a larger female mouthbrooder is around Once the newborn Maylandia crabros are swimming free, they will eat newly-hatched brine shrimp, crushed flake food, and daphnia, all of which you can buy from a good fish store or search online for the necessary info and order what you need. Cichlids are susceptible to a number of diseases. Many of these problems are preventable through correct care and feeding, and most are curable.

A cichlid with swim bladder disease will find difficulty in remaining submerged and may become trapped on the surface of the water. The most common cause of swim bladder problems is overfeeding, resulting in constipation and bloating. Ensuring that your fish get plenty of high-fiber food in their diet, such as peas, can prevent the condition.

Malawi bloat is a common disease among many species of African cichlid that are kept in aquariums. The condition causes swelling of the abdomen, loss of appetite, rapid breathing, discolored feces, and staying at the bottom of the aquarium. Also, Malawi bloat can cause kidney and liver damage if it is left untreated. Unfortunately, if the condition reaches that stage, it is usually fatal within a few days. When the fish are stressed, for example, due to poor water quality, the protozoa reproduce, and problems begin.

You can treat the disease by performing a large water change and then dosing the tank with Metronidazole. The disease is caused by a naturally occurring fungus that is found in the aquarium, only becoming a problem when water quality is poor, or the fish are stressed.

Treat the condition with an antifungal medication, and make sure that you remove uneaten food and organic debris from the substrate. Monitor the water quality to ensure that levels of ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates are as low as possible. Once inside the fish, the parasite attacks the gill membranes, creating a thick film of slime and inflaming the gills.

Symptoms of the condition include labored breathing, rubbing the body against objects in the aquarium, and fading color. You can treat gill flukes by adding aquarium salt to the water at a rate of one tablespoon per day and increasing the water temperature slightly. Hole in the head disease is also known as Hexamita.

Hexamita is a common disease that can affect all species of freshwater fish but is especially prevalent in cichlids. Eventually, a systemic infection develops.

It is thought that hole in the head disease is caused by poor water quality, an imbalance in minerals in the water, and a parasite called Hexamita.

However, you should begin by improving the water quality in your tank, treating the water with antibiotics, and ensuring that your fish are given the correct diet. Ich is also commonly known as white spot disease and affects all species of tropical fish , including Mbuna. The condition is caused by the aggressive protozoan parasite, Ichthyophthirius multifiliis.

Ich is easily identifiable by the tiny white spots that form on the body, fins, and gills of the affected fish. Other symptoms of Ich include clamped fins, lethargy, poor appetite, rubbing against objects in the tank, and labored breathing.

Ich has a high infection rate and usually spreads rapidly throughout fishes that are kept in a community habitat. Fortunately, Ich is easily treatable with malachite green and acriflavine. I just want to know ballpark what size the bumble bee cichlid changes into its adult colors. I just want to figure out if i got a male or female.

Either way I think its gonna go. Don't like the males and my new tank is gonna be all male. Said fish is about 2 inches right now and still looks like a bee. Thanks got tired of looking on google and reading over and over that they change color based on mood etc Mar 1, 0 0 Arizona. At 2 inches you should definitely see some red on the belly male. Or if not you got a girl.

To be sure I would vent. Dec 23, 94 0 6 Massachusetts. Egg spots on the anal fin will kinda tell you as well. Females may have none-a few.

Edit: Bumblebee males also begin to turn black with age and when in their territory.