Hi there. I want to start a thread on changing your fishes colour from darker to lighter colour for better presentation. Personally, I have no idea nor scientific knowledge about how these fishes change their colour. I'm just statin' it. Sorry for any retopic discussion on this subject.
Fish Species That Show These Traits
Note this, this is only example that apply for common fishes. Some of these fish are from personal
1. Nile Tilapia
2. Pangasius spp.
3. Hemibagrus/mystus spp.
4. Barbodes spp.
5. Suncat
Still Water vs Flowing Water
Fishes that lives in a still water or small enclosure (pond - less than 50m length (not documented)) have tendency of having darker colour. A nile tilapia (NT) in an enclosure without flowing water have much darker colour than their river counterparts. But NT in a still water but with large space eg. lake/large ponds have the same effects on their river siblings. Better yet, small enclosure eg. aquarium but with water flow have the same effects as the river. Flowing water will cause their colour to go lighter.
This is also apply on some part of the river. The deep and flat water have darker colour while flowing water inhabits lighter colour eg. wallago leerii. I used to fished these cats before there are certainly have difference between them. Most leerii I saw on MFK members collection are darker, then I see your filtration/water pump, most of these tanks use waterfall rather than water flow.
Even these changes apply to the barb fishes (focus on barbodes binotatus). In front of my house have a small creek where I mostly catch some barbs. At that point they had gold metallic colour to their body but after throw them in my pond, their colour change to silver metallic. Happens with hampala barb. Lost their metallic sheen after a while in a unflowing water enclosure.
Personal Experience
My pangasiuses arrived to me bearing dark colours since they are from a farm raise fishes. I started to release them in my 10x5x2 pond (with waterfalls, no flowing water). It's been a few months I let them thrive in there. Even one of them gone missing cause of my RTC
ate it. After the incident, I move them to my 3x2x1 tank (equipped with pump+high water flow). After 2 weeks, they change to more lighter colour. Same goes to my suncat, arrived - dark, released in pond - dark, transfer to water flow tank - becomes yellow. It's amazing to see that water conditions could effects a fish in so many ways.
I used to go fishing a lot before I settle down on fish keeping. I used to fish/catch some fish that are currently no more to be found. From a colouring stand point, I think I know how to distinguish em. Back to the related topics, if I could, I will post some pictures. Sorry for the bad english. I've tried.
Fish Species That Show These Traits
Note this, this is only example that apply for common fishes. Some of these fish are from personal
1. Nile Tilapia
2. Pangasius spp.
3. Hemibagrus/mystus spp.
4. Barbodes spp.
5. Suncat
Still Water vs Flowing Water
Fishes that lives in a still water or small enclosure (pond - less than 50m length (not documented)) have tendency of having darker colour. A nile tilapia (NT) in an enclosure without flowing water have much darker colour than their river counterparts. But NT in a still water but with large space eg. lake/large ponds have the same effects on their river siblings. Better yet, small enclosure eg. aquarium but with water flow have the same effects as the river. Flowing water will cause their colour to go lighter.
This is also apply on some part of the river. The deep and flat water have darker colour while flowing water inhabits lighter colour eg. wallago leerii. I used to fished these cats before there are certainly have difference between them. Most leerii I saw on MFK members collection are darker, then I see your filtration/water pump, most of these tanks use waterfall rather than water flow.
Even these changes apply to the barb fishes (focus on barbodes binotatus). In front of my house have a small creek where I mostly catch some barbs. At that point they had gold metallic colour to their body but after throw them in my pond, their colour change to silver metallic. Happens with hampala barb. Lost their metallic sheen after a while in a unflowing water enclosure.
Personal Experience
My pangasiuses arrived to me bearing dark colours since they are from a farm raise fishes. I started to release them in my 10x5x2 pond (with waterfalls, no flowing water). It's been a few months I let them thrive in there. Even one of them gone missing cause of my RTC
ate it. After the incident, I move them to my 3x2x1 tank (equipped with pump+high water flow). After 2 weeks, they change to more lighter colour. Same goes to my suncat, arrived - dark, released in pond - dark, transfer to water flow tank - becomes yellow. It's amazing to see that water conditions could effects a fish in so many ways.
I used to go fishing a lot before I settle down on fish keeping. I used to fish/catch some fish that are currently no more to be found. From a colouring stand point, I think I know how to distinguish em. Back to the related topics, if I could, I will post some pictures. Sorry for the bad english. I've tried.
