Amphilophus for Cookiemonster!

[orbit]

Man, I love that wild piebald male lab.

I'm always amazed at the colors these fish get. I fished for them a lot when I lived in Hawaii (probably a mutt, but still lots of fun on light tackle) and it was always fun to see the colors you could pull in.

I'm assuming the brilliant colored ones were kept outside? If I had the time (or the drive) I'd like to do a little study with some grow outs where the sunlight is the independent variable. Something in the sunlight (a tan maybe?) makes them so much more vibrant than fish raised indoors...

Is there a decent food you can feed these guys to bring out the red?

 

[cchhcc]

Man, I love that wild piebald male lab.

I'm always amazed at the colors these fish get. I fished for them a lot when I lived in Hawaii (probably a mutt, but still lots of fun on light tackle) and it was always fun to see the colors you could pull in.

I'm assuming the brilliant colored ones were kept outside? If I had the time (or the drive) I'd like to do a little study with some grow outs where the sunlight is the independent variable. Something in the sunlight (a tan maybe?) makes them so much more vibrant than fish raised indoors...

Yes, the light is the big thing. Even the seasons make a difference. The fish in my outdoor tank aren't as bright now in the winter as they are in the summer (temp and everything else is pretty much the same). Check out the Jeff Rapps thread. You'll see one white fish that turned bright orange once I kept him outside!

But keeping them in front of a window works too. This guy got a lot of sunlight when I put his tank in front of the window, and he was as bright as any of the outside fish:

 

[orbit]

Yes, the light is the big thing. Even the seasons make a difference. The fish in my outdoor tank aren't as bright now in the winter as they are in the summer (temp and everything else is pretty much the same). Check out the Jeff Rapps thread. You'll see one white fish that turned bright orange once I kept him outside!

But keeping them in front of a window works too. This guy got a lot of sunlight when I put his tank in front of the window, and he was as bright as any of the outside fish:

Great info! Thanks.

 

[cchhcc]

Is there a decent food you can feed these guys to bring out the red?

I feed NLS 90% of the time. Added to that is some Omega Veggie Rounds, mysis shrimp, and krill.

 

[Modest_Man]

I kept a very "red" red devil that I caught red (is that confusing?) by feeding a lot of what it was eating in the Hawaiian waters, namely the red swamp crayfish (native to the Southern US) which is high in carotene.

But it was never quite the shade of red as when I caught him...

 

[cichlidinsomniac]

they're all awesome i really love the sagittae and zal

 

[tankboy_taylor]

great collection

 

[polomax24]

You have a nice collection. I really like the barred labiatus.

 

[Dmaan.]

best amphilophus collection on mfk!

 

[balton777]

I love the lips on those F0 labiatus and the red on the red ones but the barred F0 lab is my fave of all.