why does my fish change color

jquailus · 09/25/2007, 02:26 PM

so the tank is a 30 gal display 10 gal sump, all params are great tank is about 3 months old. the only fish i have is a blue/yellow blenny, great fish looks great eats well, but here is the funny thing, every morning when the atinics come on and he begins to wake up he is real pale almost white, within 20 mins or so his color is back and he acts fine, all day. but the next morning same thing. is this normal with this species , my water temp only changes from 99.8 at its highest to 98.6 at its lowest. any questions or advice is appreiciated

coast2coast7390 · 09/25/2007, 02:29 PM

STRESS...or scared which equals stress

OR

it is maturing...which is un likely since it changed back

papagimp · 09/25/2007, 02:34 PM

Theres a complete multitude of reasons why a fish would change colors. Stress is definatly one of the biggest thers also maturation as C2C7390 mentioned, as well as spawning behavoir can sometimes induce a color change with some species. As for coloring while the lights our out, that's normal. My bangaii's look like albino blind fish first thing in the morning. Goes away after lights have been on temporarily.

I will say this however, get that tank temperature alot lower than that. you got it almost 100 degrees in there!!! that'll kill em off quickly. Your about 20 degrees above the normal.

bertoni · 09/25/2007, 02:37 PM

I think the temperature must be a typo, or a bad measuring device.

papagimp · 09/25/2007, 02:38 PM

I'd hope so bertoni, but I felt it deserved a comment at the least ;D

scbauer · 09/25/2007, 02:45 PM

jquailus, please tell us again what your temp is. I'm pretty sure that if you keep your tank in the 99 degree range that everything will die shortly after you put it into the tank.

I'm guessing you meant 78.6 to 79.8, but please confirm this.

jquailus · 09/25/2007, 02:54 PM

the temp was just a typo i meant 79.8-78.6 sorry just a typo dont freak out

jquailus · 09/25/2007, 02:55 PM

and papagimp it is only happening when lights are out and twenty minutes or so after lights are on his color is fine so im guessing this is fine, thanks for all the help

papagimp · 09/25/2007, 02:58 PM

Sounds normal to me. I wouldn't worry one bit about it. if they stay off colored all day, then worry.

uscharalph · 09/25/2007, 03:55 PM

Several of my fish regain their color a couple of minutes after I turn the lights on. It's happened every day for almost 2 years now. The most notable is my Yellow Tang who is almost brown before the lights.

NirvanaFan · 09/25/2007, 04:07 PM

My mandarin looks very different when the lights are off and he is sleeping. If he's fine otherwise, it's probably not a big deal.

wooden_reefer · 09/25/2007, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jquailus
so the tank is a 30 gal display 10 gal sump, all params are great tank is about 3 months old. the only fish i have is a blue/yellow blenny, great fish looks great eats well, but here is the funny thing, every morning when the atinics come on and he begins to wake up he is real pale almost white, within 20 mins or so his color is back and he acts fine, all day. but the next morning same thing. is this normal with this species , my water temp only changes from 99.8 at its highest to 98.6 at its lowest. any questions or advice is appreiciated

99.8 F?

NeveSSL · 09/25/2007, 05:16 PM

Read the whole thread, wooden_reefer.

Several of my fish loose their colors over night, too. I would say its most likely normal.

Brandon

coast2coast7390 · 09/25/2007, 06:17 PM

there was prolly another tank mate that was bothering it

yakfishin · 09/25/2007, 10:02 PM

Some fish change colors at night almost willingly- foxfaces for one. A good number of fish will sort of bleach out overnight to regain their vibrancy once the lights kick on, this is normal. The first time I saw my flame angel in the morning while in QT I thought for sure it was sick. Turned around a minute later and he was as bright as ever.

yakfishin · 09/25/2007, 10:02 PM

Some fish change colors at night almost willingly- foxfaces for one. A good number of fish will sort of bleach out overnight to regain their vibrancy once the lights kick on, this is normal. The first time I saw my flame angel in the morning while in QT I thought for sure it was sick. Turned around a minute later and he was as bright as ever.

09/25/2007, 02:26 PM	#1
jquailus Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 159	why does my fish change color so the tank is a 30 gal display 10 gal sump, all params are great tank is about 3 months old. the only fish i have is a blue/yellow blenny, great fish looks great eats well, but here is the funny thing, every morning when the atinics come on and he begins to wake up he is real pale almost white, within 20 mins or so his color is back and he acts fine, all day. but the next morning same thing. is this normal with this species , my water temp only changes from 99.8 at its highest to 98.6 at its lowest. any questions or advice is appreiciated

09/25/2007, 02:34 PM	#3
papagimp COMAS Rocks! Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Oklahoma City, OK Posts: 8,185 Blog Entries: 2	Theres a complete multitude of reasons why a fish would change colors. Stress is definatly one of the biggest thers also maturation as C2C7390 mentioned, as well as spawning behavoir can sometimes induce a color change with some species. As for coloring while the lights our out, that's normal. My bangaii's look like albino blind fish first thing in the morning. Goes away after lights have been on temporarily. I will say this however, get that tank temperature alot lower than that. you got it almost 100 degrees in there!!! that'll kill em off quickly. Your about 20 degrees above the normal. __________________ 58g Softie & 75g Stoney Member, Central Oklahoma Marine Aquarium Society Current Tank Info: 58g Mixed Reef Project - Started June 2011

09/25/2007, 02:37 PM	#4
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	I think the temperature must be a typo, or a bad measuring device. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

09/25/2007, 02:38 PM	#5
papagimp COMAS Rocks! Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Oklahoma City, OK Posts: 8,185 Blog Entries: 2	I'd hope so bertoni, but I felt it deserved a comment at the least ;D __________________ 58g Softie & 75g Stoney Member, Central Oklahoma Marine Aquarium Society Current Tank Info: 58g Mixed Reef Project - Started June 2011

09/25/2007, 02:45 PM	#6
scbauer The Buff Reefer Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Northern California Posts: 1,699	jquailus, please tell us again what your temp is. I'm pretty sure that if you keep your tank in the 99 degree range that everything will die shortly after you put it into the tank. I'm guessing you meant 78.6 to 79.8, but please confirm this. __________________ offical member of the "WIAGAS" club "Wondering If Anybody Gives A ...." ...for when your thread has 50 posts, and 48 of them are yours Current Tank Info: No tank. Got out of the hobby in 2011 but I’ll be back one day!

09/25/2007, 02:29 PM	#2
coast2coast7390 Moved On Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Garden Grove Posts: 3,627	STRESS...or scared which equals stress OR it is maturing...which is un likely since it changed back

09/25/2007, 02:54 PM	#7
jquailus Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 159	the temp was just a typo i meant 79.8-78.6 sorry just a typo dont freak out

09/25/2007, 02:55 PM	#8
jquailus Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 159	and papagimp it is only happening when lights are out and twenty minutes or so after lights are on his color is fine so im guessing this is fine, thanks for all the help

09/25/2007, 02:58 PM	#9
papagimp COMAS Rocks! Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Oklahoma City, OK Posts: 8,185 Blog Entries: 2	Sounds normal to me. I wouldn't worry one bit about it. if they stay off colored all day, then worry. __________________ 58g Softie & 75g Stoney Member, Central Oklahoma Marine Aquarium Society Current Tank Info: 58g Mixed Reef Project - Started June 2011

09/25/2007, 03:55 PM	#10
uscharalph Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Long Beach, CA Posts: 1,248	Several of my fish regain their color a couple of minutes after I turn the lights on. It's happened every day for almost 2 years now. The most notable is my Yellow Tang who is almost brown before the lights. __________________ Ralph Mendoza Jr. Long Beach, CA Current Tank Info: 80 Gallon Reef Tank

09/25/2007, 04:07 PM	#11
NirvanaFan Reef Ninja Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 4,280	My mandarin looks very different when the lights are off and he is sleeping. If he's fine otherwise, it's probably not a big deal.

09/25/2007, 05:16 PM	#13
NeveSSL Got tubes? Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 6,759	Read the whole thread, wooden_reefer. Several of my fish loose their colors over night, too. I would say its most likely normal. Brandon __________________ I am proof that post count is not directly proportional to "reef IQ". Zip Ties = Reef Duck Tape Geek it till it MHz!!! Current Tank Info: 180g Build in Process

09/25/2007, 06:17 PM	#14
coast2coast7390 Moved On Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Garden Grove Posts: 3,627	there was prolly another tank mate that was bothering it

09/25/2007, 10:02 PM	#15
yakfishin Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 696	Some fish change colors at night almost willingly- foxfaces for one. A good number of fish will sort of bleach out overnight to regain their vibrancy once the lights kick on, this is normal. The first time I saw my flame angel in the morning while in QT I thought for sure it was sick. Turned around a minute later and he was as bright as ever.