What are the factors that impact the fish colors?

[ayman.roshdy]

I have been thinking about this question for some time now, if you can share your thoughts and experience it would be great

So what are the factors that impact the fish colors?

• Is it related to the parents' genes only?
• Or, is it related to the food used while the fish are still small fries?
• Or, does quality food help with this even after the fries phase?

If the parents' genes have a great impact on the fish colors, then I believe we should avoid buying fish while they are still small and still not yet colored, but if feeding them quality food will bring up their colors even at a later stage of their life then we can neglect the genes' factor

What do you think? Or if you have experience with this point then please share?



Thanks

 

[BigWave]

A few years ago I used to bread tetras. The biggest factor in them coloring up is water parameters and food. Adding Peat Moss and Indian Almond Leaves was a game changer. The other is feeding high quality foods. Now days there are all sorts of varieties to choose from. Live foods such as Mosquito larva and Coppids are the big ones for colorful healthy fish. Lets not forget genetics.

 

[GreggZ]

I have been thinking about this question for some time now, if you can share your thoughts and experience it would be great

So what are the factors that impact the fish colors?

• Is it related to the parents' genes only?
• Or, is it related to the food used while the fish are still small fries?
• Or, does quality food help with this even after the fries phase?

If the parents' genes have a great impact on the fish colors, then I believe we should avoid buying fish while they are still small and still not yet colored, but if feeding them quality food will bring up their colors even at a later stage of their life then we can neglect the genes' factor

I've been keeping Rainbowfish for decades, so can speak about Rainbowfish where breeding is very important. You want to know the lineage before you buy. Some species common to the hobby have been overbred over the years and have lost much of the color. No matter what you feed them they won't get it back.

And I believe much has to do with the environment they are kept in. A Rainbow in a glass bottom tank at fish store will look pale with almost no color. Put them in my tank with black background, black substrate, and full of plants and in a day or two they transform and color up beautifully. This is well known in the Rainbowfish community but I am guessing is true of most species. When they feel safe and secure they show best colors.

Other than that providing uber clean conditions and a healthy diet goes a long way too. Heavy filtration, clean water, good surface agitation (oxygen), mix of good quality foods all help. But if the lineage is poor that is hard to overcome.

Pic of one of my favorites.....the Picta Rainbowfish.