Blood Parrot Getting Really Pale (pics)

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breakspirit

Candiru
MFK Member
Jan 23, 2009
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I've got a full-grown blood parrot that I got about 2 weeks ago and he went from a deep orange color to a really pale, almost white color. He's been eating fine as far as I can tell and his water parameters are as follows:

ammonia = 0
nitrite = 0
nitrate = 20
hardness = 250
alkalinity = 300
pH = 8.4

He's in a 125 gallon tank with a baby jack dempsey and a peaceful synodontis. It's a lightly planted tank with driftwood, painted black background, and white sand. The temperature is 80 degrees. Here's some pictures of him:

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Does anyone have any idea why my fish has changed in appearance so much? He does not appear ill, although he does hide a fair amount of the time behind the driftwood. I've had him such a short time that I'm not very sure what his "normal" behavior is. I'm very worried for him. Thanks for any help.
 
I don't think there is anything wrong with him. Lots of fish do change color from time to time. What do you feed him?
 
All blood parrots do this when they get old, they begin to lose there color. Im sure its perfectly fine:)
If you asked this in the cichlid hybrid section you would probably get the same answer.
 
It could just be natural. Our BP has changed colors several time over his life. Food could also make a difference.

When our BP was young his stress color was black. When he would feel scared or uncomfortable he'd be black and it would slowly fade as he got readjusted. Now that he's older his orange coloring varies in intensity, but when we go on a stretch where the community fish eat more bloodworms than pellets, his colors seem to fade until I get him back on his pellets as his staple.
 
He eats hikari cichlid pellets and sometimes flakes. Maybe I'll try a different kind of food and see if that makes any difference. Thanks for the info, guys.
 
PH seems high, but it could just be the dye wearing off the fish. They are not naturally the colors they come in at the pet stores. That's why you see them in blue, green, yellow, etc
 
seanathon;3897726; said:
PH seems high, but it could just be the dye wearing off the fish. They are not naturally the colors they come in at the pet stores. That's why you see them in blue, green, yellow, etc
Click to expand...

He was not dyed, fortunately. He was the normal orange BP color.
 
pH isn't that high enough to kill the fish otherwise it should have exhibited alkalosis by now.
 
OK, I guess it was nothing. The fish had been pale for over a week and then today I went to look at him this morning and he's completely bright orange again. I did absolutely nothing differently, so apparently he just felt like changing colors for awhile. Fish are so weird.
 
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