Festae keepers can you help me out?

[Rockbass6]

I have 4 festae all around 4 to 5 inches. What do you use as far as substrate and decor goes to help keep their bars? Mine I can litterally watch fade from dark black to nothing right before my eyes any reason why they do this? I just don't get it. I thought it could possibly be stress but theyll do it when I am even no where near the tank. I have some driftwood and fake plants with whiteish gravel. Is the gravel the problem? should I try black? I guess I just don't get why they constantly switch from having stripes to not having them.
So,Can you help me out? thanks in advance.

 

[twhittle]

At that size they come and go. Mine didn't keep her colors regularly until she was 8 inches.

 

[Rockbass6]

At that size they come and go. Mine didn't keep her colors regularly until she was 8 inches.

thanks alot twhittle
I cant wait till these guys grow up there going to be awesome!!!

 

[Arthur]

yea, they're moody fish, like said wait till they get larger and gain more confidence

 

[fishluvr12]

If You change your substrate to black or dark natural it will help their color.I just recently moved my 8" male to a tank by himself with white sand and his color has gotten much lighter.His color was brighter and more constant with the darker substrate

 

[Rockbass6]

If You change your substrate to black or dark natural it will help their color.I just recently moved my 8" male to a tank by himself with white sand and his color has gotten much lighter.His color was brighter and more constant with the darker substrate

Thanks I am going to play around with it different substrates, I am looking at a new look anyways.

 

[fish boy in toronto]

well i have crushed coral and have had may sizes of festae and mine never loose their bars unless i am cleaning the tank and are stressed

 

[DarthV]

My previously owned female didn't really show off her bars, or colors, unless she was flirting with her breeding partner. My male never showed his bars unless he was under competitive stress or protecting fry.

 

[balton777]

I have 3 females in a tank together and the dominant one stays vibrantly colored up 24/7. The other two stay drab all the time. I thought it was a respect/submission thing among them. My substrate is light colored pool filter sand btw.

 

[ralph3545g]

they stress fast or maybe they can see there reflection in your tank,want to see them color up put a mirror were they can see it.wow color ha.