Green terrors looking odd

[FishingOut]

You need to do something with your water or retest it because the parameters you've stated are very unhealthy for the fish.

There is something called brown blood. Too much nitrites their blood turns dark and is unable to carry oxygen and the fish dies. You really need to retest or research lowering nitrites. Probably why his stress bars are fully colored in.
My Dempsey turns pink when hes happy. So thats no issue.

 

[MonteSS]

Ya. If your test results are correct, that shows that the tank is not cycled yet.

Do a 50% water change and keep testing.

Amonia and nitrites should be zero and you should see some (<10) nitrates in a cycled tank. Weekly water changes should keep nitrates below 10. Dont clean the filter fo a month or so.

....Bill

 

[Sarah88]

Ya. If your test results are correct, that shows that the tank is not cycled yet.

Do a 50% water change and keep testing.

Amonia and nitrites should be zero and you should see some (<10) nitrates in a cycled tank. Weekly water changes should keep nitrates below 10. Dont clean the filter fo a month or so.

....Bill

yeah do this until your water parameters are where they should be, and yeah definitely JDs lol and JDs are very notorious for changing around their colors, the same fish can be anywhere from a very dark base color to a light pinkish base color depending on his mood, stress, and dominance in a tank

 

[john73738]

Correction... Retested water last night.

Nitrates 4 ppm
Nitrites 0 pmm
Ammonia 0 ppm
PH 8.3 now...

Could my quickrete sand be causing the PH spike? Lights are less bright than the last tank. Went with a warm light rather than a "sharp" light.

 

[Aquanero]

Went with a warm light rather than a "sharp" light.

There's the answer! That's why your seeing the red/pink pigment. Change the bulb you'll see the differance.

 

[dent20]

They don't look that abnormal to me. It's probably just stress. I'd leave them and the tank alone and let them calm down naturally.