Rotkiel Severums

[BluePockets]

a while back maybe about 8months or so ago. i was in my local fish store and found a tank with juvinile severums labeled "red shoulder severums". they were very small and showed no color at all. they were about the size of a nickle. now there begining to reach 3+in. with the smallest being a little over 2in.

there anal fins are turning a fire orange but no actual red color yet. i can see a feint color appearing in the dorsal and tail fins. they have very tiny red spots on them, like freckles. but nothing like the red i have seen in pictures of them.

im not quite sure if there true or not. i have seen green severums exhibit there green color this early and even at the size ive purchased my sevs at. my question is how big do they have to be to show there color or could i have a mislabel?

 

[jonclark96]

Mine didn't get much red around the gill plate until 4-5 inches. Sometime it still comes and goes depending on their mood.

 

[BluePockets]

i was wondering that. they eat very well. there colors do change when i feed them frozen. they dont get darker, but there stripes become more apparent.
flake food is normal coloration, frozen is stripes.

 

[ryansmith83]

It took mine a long time to color up. They were sub-adults before the freckles all connected and formed the red collar. They were probably a year old or so when this happened. The one thing you have to remember is that not all rotkiels are created equal. Sometimes they show very intense red, sometimes it ends up being very faint. Hopefully they came from a good line.

 

[BluePockets]

Hopefully they came from a good line.

i hope they did. i originally bought them for there color. i have to say that has changed.
i love how they have there own personalities. they are very personable with me and there tank mates.
im glad i chose severums for my first big fish.

 

[TahoeFish]

My female did not color up until 4-5 inches and about 10/11 months old I'm guessing. Now she is stunning.

 

[mcsnapper1]

Are their heads turning a bluish/gray color yet?

 

[BluePockets]

Are their heads turning a bluish/gray color yet?

the only visible colors i can see are the orange anal fins and the tiny red/brown spots. if i strain my eyes real hard there is a very very light blue spangle on the nose.
the dorsal and tail fins look like there getting feint color as well. almost like the colors on the fins will be red and blue similar to some of the earth eaters.

 

[ryansmith83]

Can you get some pictures of them?

 

[BluePockets]

i've been trying. im not that great with the camera and it doesnt help that they wont sit still. i did manage a video of the entire tank, just need to upload it.