Does your Motoro darken at times?

[waynes world]

Hi all, i have had my motoros ( male and female ) for about 2 months maybe more , they were around 6 inch then and a few inch bigger now, the male was a lot darker i colour than the female.

Every now and then the female colours get more prominant/darker like the males, it doesnt last for long, maybe a day if that.
does this happen often, or at all with yours?

Also is there a good food to feed them to get the colours to show more.

I have them in a tank with a 3/4 natural sand and 1/4 natural gravel substrate.

wayne

 

[motorohorn]

as for the color change im not too sure.. maybe she changes while stressed.. and for the color i use raw shrimp.. good luck

 

[jeffers]

when you see the colors fade or anything out of the ordinary always check the water and do a water change

 

[Totroc3]

Mine all got better color after I had them for a while. My female came to me light colored and is now much darker (all the time). She looks amazing and I agree with the comment about shrimp. I think the colors improve with more variety in the diet. I feed shrimp, earthworms, tilapia, and some bloodworms.

 

[bcfd144]

Ive noticed to that depending on the color sand I have also depends on how dark or light my rays are...

 

[DiscusManiac11]

Ive noticed to that depending on the color sand I have also depends on how dark or light my rays are...

I absolutely agree! When my little male motoro was at the LFS his colors were much darker because he was on black sand. Yet, I have him on white sand, and his colors are less prevalent now. Feeding them Market shrimp does help bring out the colors, or massivore. GL

 

[waynes world]

Well i check the water once a week, some say its not needed but its a peace of mind for me, the water pararms are great and never been a problem.

I vary there food, muscles, salmon, pellets, blood worm and also prawn which could be making her colour change like the shrimp, but its only the female and not the males colour that changes.

I have actualy been thinking of changing the natural sand for black fine gravel, i will using this in the new tank aswell, every time i do a water
change i remove a bit more sand as i siphon/clean the bottom.

Aslong as she is ok i am happy, she seems happy enough, hardly ever stops gliding aroung and feeds like a pig, she eaten that much the other day you would of thought she was carrying babies.....i wish, well in a year or so, only about 6 months old now.

Thanks for the replys folks, i will make a closer note of what i feed her and if it makes any difference to them.

wayne