Orange faded on tiger Oscar?

[Tsc123]

My tiger Oscar, in my 80 gallon tank, has had faded orange colors for a long time now. What could be the cause? I feed him brine shrimp, beefheary, bloodworms, and cichlid bio gold pellets. Whenever I see him, the orange is really faded, even hard to see. At my Lfs all the oscars I see have vivid bright orange colors. Is it possible that I got one with just bad genetics?

 

[Vapor315]

Possible, or he could be sick, or in bad water conditions, or just stressed out. Without more info it could be anything really, you should start with checking your water conditions, and then go from there.

 

[Tsc123]

Well my ammonia and nitrites are at zero, not sure about nitrate however. Would elevated nitrate cause this?

 

[NOLAGT]

They hormone inject them when young so they have those vibrant colors I believe. Then as they ow they get there adult colors. My f1 Peru oscars as 0 orange when I got hem...thats some under my name now a year later.

 

[k0330887]

1 of the reasons Oscars are so popular is that they are at their most colourful at juvenile stage, unlike most other cichlids which get better looking as they get older...imo.

 

[Natalie]

I would check your nitrates, hardness, and pH. Water quality would be my first guess for a fish that has faded coloration.

 

[NOLAGT]

1 of the reasons Oscars are so popular is that they are at their most colourful at juvenile stage, unlike most other cichlids which get better looking as they get older...imo.

I think thats from the hormones given to the ones you find in the lfs so they draw in a buyer.

How old is the fish and how long have you had it?

This is some before during and after pics of my Peru oscars whom parents were wild

Then to this

Then to this

Finally to this (same fish as above and same side in same tank under same lights)

And the 2 that paired up