Why is my emperor loosing colors?

dviper150 · 02/06/2010, 09:59 PM

I bought a subadult emperor from Bluezooaquatics last week. It is about 4 inches and half way through its morph into adult coloration. It started to loose some of its color 2 days ago and it seems kind of blotchy with some areas that are light toned and other areas that are normal. My tank is 150 gallon and the tank mates are...

4 Inch Regal angel that has yet to start eating
5 inch blue hippo tang
4 inch sailfin
cleaner wrasse
tomato clown
flame angel
bicolor angel
cleaner shrimp, fire shrimp, and coral bandid shrimp

Water Parameters
Ammonia 0 ppm
Nitrates - I would need to check again because I can't remember what it read when I checked
pH 8.1
Salinity 1.025
Temp - 79 F
Nitrites - range from 0 ppm to .25 ppm Currently it is 0 ppm.

Every 2 3 days the nitrites go up to .25 and then back down to 0 ppm and repeats itself. I don't think this is the cause for why it has started to discolor because the rest of my fish are fine and all the fish including the emperor are eating like pigs except the regal angel. I have about 60 lbs of live rock in the tank and I am going to hopefully add another 30 in tomorrow to see if that helps stabilize the water.
Should I be worried about the discoloration? What can be causing it. It swims around actively and it looks like nothing else is wrong with it except for the discoloration. Thanks for the help!!

bertoni · 02/06/2010, 10:37 PM

It might just be some stress. Are there any other signs of disease at all? Since the fish is active and eating, I wouldn't worry much yet.

dviper150 · 02/06/2010, 10:42 PM

No signs of disease. Just the discoloration. I just wanted to make sure and see if I can catch and treat what is going with it in time before it gets worse. I haven't done a water change for 2 weeks and I will be doing one tomorrow so hopefully that will solve the problem.

Shane Hoffman · 02/07/2010, 12:20 AM

You say it is eating well, but exactly what do you feed it and how often, Fish discoloration in brightly colored fish is often due to somthing missing in the nutritional department.

Shane Hoffman · 02/07/2010, 12:22 AM

Also, I would watch it closely for flashing and rubbing against the rocks. I have seen an emperor get blotchy (with the spots mostly whitish) then 2 days later was covered in ich.

dviper150 · 02/07/2010, 10:48 AM

I feed it half a cube of mysis and half a cube of formula one along with a sheet of algae that I put in the tank. It is all soaked in garlic and vitachem.

syrinx · 02/07/2010, 10:48 AM

Prob abrasions from shipping. This does open the fish up for ich and other bactrial and fungal problems. The nitrites wont help- I am guessing this is a newer tank with too many fish being added too quickly. I am also going to go out on a limb and question QT of the fish prior to introduction.

dviper150 · 02/07/2010, 10:52 AM

Unfortunately, I don't have a QT system and I never had a problem before with discoloration. If something bad does come up with a fish, I usually take it to my friends house who does have a qt system setup.

syrinx · 02/07/2010, 11:02 AM

Thats not going to help in the long run with angels. I would at least get a oversized UV sterilizer. How long has tank been up for?

dviper150 · 02/07/2010, 11:04 AM

The tank has been up for 6 months. I do have a a 13 watt submariner uv sterilizer on there. here is a picture of it.

marinelife · 02/07/2010, 12:53 PM

The Angel will do that when changing, Just watch it closely.

one clownfish · 02/07/2010, 02:18 PM

Mine is going through the same stage and its never looked like that.Hope you didn't pick up any bugs form the fish or LR you added. I would set up a QT now just in case.

bertoni · 02/07/2010, 03:58 PM

Since the fish has only been in the tank for a few days or so, I doubt it's a nutritional issue. That would take longer to surface. It might be a growth phase or some stress, but I wouldn't worry much yet. If it's a disease, there's not much you can do at this point.

02/06/2010, 09:59 PM	#1
dviper150 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: College Station, TX Posts: 2,799	Why is my emperor loosing colors? I bought a subadult emperor from Bluezooaquatics last week. It is about 4 inches and half way through its morph into adult coloration. It started to loose some of its color 2 days ago and it seems kind of blotchy with some areas that are light toned and other areas that are normal. My tank is 150 gallon and the tank mates are... 4 Inch Regal angel that has yet to start eating 5 inch blue hippo tang 4 inch sailfin cleaner wrasse tomato clown flame angel bicolor angel cleaner shrimp, fire shrimp, and coral bandid shrimp Water Parameters Ammonia 0 ppm Nitrates - I would need to check again because I can't remember what it read when I checked pH 8.1 Salinity 1.025 Temp - 79 F Nitrites - range from 0 ppm to .25 ppm Currently it is 0 ppm. Every 2 3 days the nitrites go up to .25 and then back down to 0 ppm and repeats itself. I don't think this is the cause for why it has started to discolor because the rest of my fish are fine and all the fish including the emperor are eating like pigs except the regal angel. I have about 60 lbs of live rock in the tank and I am going to hopefully add another 30 in tomorrow to see if that helps stabilize the water. Should I be worried about the discoloration? What can be causing it. It swims around actively and it looks like nothing else is wrong with it except for the discoloration. Thanks for the help!! __________________ When in doubt, always have a way out.

02/06/2010, 10:37 PM	#2
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	It might just be some stress. Are there any other signs of disease at all? Since the fish is active and eating, I wouldn't worry much yet. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

02/06/2010, 10:42 PM	#3
dviper150 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: College Station, TX Posts: 2,799	No signs of disease. Just the discoloration. I just wanted to make sure and see if I can catch and treat what is going with it in time before it gets worse. I haven't done a water change for 2 weeks and I will be doing one tomorrow so hopefully that will solve the problem. __________________ When in doubt, always have a way out.

02/07/2010, 12:20 AM	#4
Shane Hoffman Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: 45 mins from Chicago Posts: 2,009	You say it is eating well, but exactly what do you feed it and how often, Fish discoloration in brightly colored fish is often due to somthing missing in the nutritional department. __________________ A wise man once said "Never play leap frog with a unicorn" Current Tank Info: 150 gallon glass with 20 gallon sump, 175lbs of coraline covered live rock, EuroReef skimmer rated for 250gal, 25watt Aqua UV sterilizer, Fluval FX5, Hamilton 3x250watt MH, 160 watt Blue actinic....Mixed reef

02/07/2010, 12:22 AM	#5
Shane Hoffman Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: 45 mins from Chicago Posts: 2,009	Also, I would watch it closely for flashing and rubbing against the rocks. I have seen an emperor get blotchy (with the spots mostly whitish) then 2 days later was covered in ich. __________________ A wise man once said "Never play leap frog with a unicorn" Current Tank Info: 150 gallon glass with 20 gallon sump, 175lbs of coraline covered live rock, EuroReef skimmer rated for 250gal, 25watt Aqua UV sterilizer, Fluval FX5, Hamilton 3x250watt MH, 160 watt Blue actinic....Mixed reef

02/07/2010, 10:48 AM	#6
dviper150 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: College Station, TX Posts: 2,799	I feed it half a cube of mysis and half a cube of formula one along with a sheet of algae that I put in the tank. It is all soaked in garlic and vitachem. __________________ When in doubt, always have a way out.

02/07/2010, 10:48 AM	#7
syrinx Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: champaign Posts: 3,160	Prob abrasions from shipping. This does open the fish up for ich and other bactrial and fungal problems. The nitrites wont help- I am guessing this is a newer tank with too many fish being added too quickly. I am also going to go out on a limb and question QT of the fish prior to introduction.

02/07/2010, 10:52 AM	#8
dviper150 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: College Station, TX Posts: 2,799	Unfortunately, I don't have a QT system and I never had a problem before with discoloration. If something bad does come up with a fish, I usually take it to my friends house who does have a qt system setup. __________________ When in doubt, always have a way out.

02/07/2010, 11:02 AM	#9
syrinx Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: champaign Posts: 3,160	Thats not going to help in the long run with angels. I would at least get a oversized UV sterilizer. How long has tank been up for?

02/07/2010, 12:53 PM	#11
marinelife Registered Member Join Date: May 2000 Location: Union, Ohio, USA Posts: 6,590	The Angel will do that when changing, Just watch it closely. __________________ I'm a SaltGeek are You? All LED since 2010. Current Tank Info: 375 Gallon Reef with siporax, all LED lighting, and Red Dragon 3 and Abyzz A200 on 2 closed loops.

02/07/2010, 02:18 PM	#12
one clownfish Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Michigan Posts: 279	Mine is going through the same stage and its never looked like that.Hope you didn't pick up any bugs form the fish or LR you added. I would set up a QT now just in case.

02/07/2010, 03:58 PM	#13
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Since the fish has only been in the tank for a few days or so, I doubt it's a nutritional issue. That would take longer to surface. It might be a growth phase or some stress, but I wouldn't worry much yet. If it's a disease, there's not much you can do at this point. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni