My Frontosa regularly loses color. Anyone else have that issue? He's eating normally. Turns back to his normal color, then loses all color. Even his stripes disappear. Water parameters are nothing out of the ordinary. Ph is where it should be (just below 8). I'm brand new to fish keeping. I acquired him along with his 90 gal tank.
Frontosa loses color regularly
- Thread starter Sandi C
- Start date
Like most Cichlids, Frontosas can change colors depending on their mood. As long as the Frontosa is eating and otherwise acting normally probably no worries. Welcome to MFK. Check in often & provide updates. African Cichlids can be a challenge. Plenty of help available here.
Agree.
Color in Cyphotilapia is a behavior, not just a health and happiness indicator. The usual external factors affect their color, water quality, food, etc, but it's also normal for them to darken and lighten, even during the course of a day. The blue types may darken or lighten their bodies, darken and lighten their mask, shorten or lengthen their eye marking, darken or fade the mark under their chin in the case of Zaire blue, etc. Burundi types do something similar according to their more basic color pattern. Some do it more often or more extremely than others; in some moods some will go all dark or nearly all one color (fading their bars).
They tend to be affected by lighting, many show their best color in natural light, including sun coming through a window into the tank, and are less fond of bright overhead lights.
Curious-- Which type frontosa do you have? Tankmates? What do you feed?
He's the only Frontosa. He's about 10". There's a Dragon Blood Peacock full grown and a venustus that's now the same size as the Peacock and still gaining size. My plan is to get a bigger tank, buy a small group of females, move him in there. Hoping to find a 150ish gal. Depends on cost.
I really wish I knew which type he is. Tank mates are two other African Cichlids. I put the AC's in with him because they were just too big and aggressive with the juvies in my 60 gal. I feed Hikari Gold pellets, Bug Bites pellets and will add mysis shrimp as soon as they get here. He likes reg frozen shrimp too.
He's the only Frontosa. He's about 10". There's a Dragon Blood Peacock full grown and a venustus that's now the same size as the Peacock and still gaining size. My plan is to get a bigger tank, buy a small group of females, move him in there. Hoping to find a 150ish gal. Depends on cost.
I've been calling it "Dancing Naked" lol. Then I noticed he does it a lot more lately and started to worry. I'm brand new to Frontosa behavior. He loses all color then tucks himself in a dark corner and gently spins himself around. Couldn't tell if he was happy or stressed.
I'd get the 72" tank as soon as possible, overdue with a 10" fish. He will be happier with a group of his own species in the larger tank and will probably be glad to leave the peacock and the venustus behind. (The venustus will need a 72" tank as well...ideally a separate one.)
He spins around in a corner? Does he seem sick?
He spins around in a corner? Does he seem sick?
Went to a local fish store today to see if they had any big tanks. No dice. No he doesn't seem sick just changes color a lot. Eats normally. I want to sell the peacock he harasses the Venustus. And yes the Venustus is still quite young. He's got a lot of growing to do.