Gold Saum Orange Coloration

Aqualoon

Piranha
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Jul 8, 2009
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Wasn't sure what to title this, but is there anything that I can do to help the orange on a Gold Saum come in more? Was thinking something alone the lines of foods and what not?

Male in question below - has 3 females in a 125.





 
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Aqualoon

Piranha
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He has great genetics, bought him local and his dad is a stunner. I'm wondering if spawning from an early age and so often might cause any issues? From right around the 2" mark he has been kept busy between the 3 females he's with.
 

Spence

Polypterus
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Jan 21, 2015
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Wow...looks almost like a combined silver and gold. I believe this is what I've head called yellow saum (I've never seen one in person though). If that's the case I'm going to say there isn't much you can do to bring out the orange as that's all genetics. But as phillip said dark substrate, quality food, clean water, and stress free is your best bet to make colors pop.
 

MrsE88

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Awe! I’m excited to see him! I can see both his parents traits.
I am surprised his trim is this light. How big is he now?

Oliver was pretty yellow for a while when looking back at his grow out pics. And Greenie does have half white/half gold on her top fin. I kinda thought that was due to a female trait, but maybe I’m wrong and she has some silver in her lines.

As far as food goes, what are you currently feeding?
 

Aqualoon

Piranha
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He's in the solid 5+" range right now. Those are some bulky silver dollars in the background there.

His body coloration is gorgeous, solid green/blue throughout and as you can see, very relaxed (he knows he's the top dog of the tank). The tail coloration is really growing on me the longer I look at it. Very cool and unique how there might be both lines of Silver and Gold at play here.

Feeding right now Ken's cichlid pellets right now, I'll pick up some krill on my next order.

Here's another body shot to show his coloration, rocks in the background are actually rather large and please excuse the back glass.

 
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neutrino

Goliath Tigerfish
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NLS is good for color, Omega One Color pellets are good for color, in some fish Omega One Shrimp pellets are good for color, just to mention a few. Some foods will improve overall color and the orange edge may widen with age, but the width of the gold/orange edge on fins or tail is genetic. Some foods might brighten up colors or make the edges a little bit more orange or reddish, but they won't make the gold/orange edge wider than genetics dictate.
 

MrsE88

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Yeah the krill will be good, and you could try shrimp too.
Either way he is looking good and healthy:)
 

Aqualoon

Piranha
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Jul 8, 2009
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All the saums in the tank are siblings, one the "females" (I'm suspecting might be a sub male or is just a really colorful female) has the same coloration. The other females in the tank are much darker with thinner lines so couldn't really get a good picture.






I'm beginning to think that maybe this is due to having silver in their lines. Not sure about everyone else, but around these parts, finding a Silver Saum is rather rare and hard to find. Debating now actually trying to raise fry to see if some solid silvers come out.

I've never tried to raise fry and don't really have room for more tanks (unless I turn my guest room into a fish room). Is there some type separate tank that can go inside the tank (like a refuge?) that can keep the fry safe?
 
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