Hello,
I have a juvenile Jack Dempsey, sized at a little under three inches. He is temporarily housed in a 20 gallon long by himself. The tank has two large pieces of driftwood (which creates dark shadows/cavernous areas, daily gravel vac'ed, and kept with a black substrate.
Prior to putting the black substrate in, my JD was often a pale greenish color while the light was on. However, whenever he would rest, he would turn darker. Now that I've got the dark substrate in, he is the color he would be when he is resting.
I've heard a few explanations:
1. JD change color to look like their background. Or in other words they display chameleon-like qualities.
2. Dark color = stress
3. Light color = stress
Thoughts?
I have a juvenile Jack Dempsey, sized at a little under three inches. He is temporarily housed in a 20 gallon long by himself. The tank has two large pieces of driftwood (which creates dark shadows/cavernous areas, daily gravel vac'ed, and kept with a black substrate.
Prior to putting the black substrate in, my JD was often a pale greenish color while the light was on. However, whenever he would rest, he would turn darker. Now that I've got the dark substrate in, he is the color he would be when he is resting.
I've heard a few explanations:
1. JD change color to look like their background. Or in other words they display chameleon-like qualities.
2. Dark color = stress
3. Light color = stress
Thoughts?
