Thoughts on Piranha AQ environment

[_Sushi_]

o.k....

Here's a thought I've been entertaining for about an hour.

Piranha colors are their response to their current environment, correct?

Dark substrate=dark coloration, light substrate=light coloration. Are ya with me still? good. ^^

SO my thought is this. Since the colors of fish aren't only dependant on diet and water quality, but their immediate surroundings. I'm thinking this:

My obnoxiously pink gravel that you guys pick on me for, is actually contributing to the vibrant colors of my RBP!! ^_^

What leads me to this conclusion is this:

Look at Demjor's rhom, she's on black sand, she's a VERY richly-colored fish. Before they put her on the sand, she was a bit paler. There was another guy with a black rhom that had the same thing happen as soon as his was on black sand.

please do not confuse this as saying that you don't need to have a healthy diet to get rich colors. That's not what I'm saying....I'm saying IN ADDITION TO a healthy diet, substrate helps coloration.

BTW, a healthy diet is a color-enhancing diet....but it only goes that way. Just b/c it's color-enhancing doesn't mean it's healthy. I prefer to NATURALLY enhance the colors of my fish, with beta carotene, and healthy foods.

You want to match your sub to the color you want your fish to be. Black Rhom's black or dark gray. pygos, reds, pink, or oranges (maybe on the oranges...not sure yet) gold spilos, white, orange, or yellows.

It'd take quite a bit more research and expirementation to see what colors work there....

Let me know what y'all think....

{Also, Demjor, if you could lend me a hand here, and post before sand and after sand pics of your rhom, I'd be much appreciative!!}

 

[Druu]

It's an optical illusion. A given object will appear lighter against a dark background and darker against a light background.

 

[welsher7]

fish try to blend in with thier surroundings. so dark surroundings darker fish. light surroundings lighter fish. granted the fish is only able to make minor adjustments to its natural color.

 

[PEVINE11]

a varied diet will also help colors. not just " color-enhancing " but shrimp with shell on, and krill. these foods help enhance color.

 

[StIcKy~RiCe]

If you speaking of coloring and color changing, it has many many way...
Piranha change color very often and can change any time and day as they please to. Here are some possible thing can make piranha change color.

diet
subtrates
decoration
water quality
light
stress
breeing sign
sick
injuries
their mood
and enviroment.

 

[_Sushi_]

Y'all are just re-stating my point!!

I've read with most fish, you want them on black gravel, it brightens their colors. Well, with piranhas, whatever color you want to brighten, put them on it.

What I'm saying is, the color substrate I have for my fish, is helping his color. Not just his food, which is a healthy diet.

Like I said, good food=color enhancing, but just because a diet is color-enhancing (color foods) doesn't mean it's healthy. You catch what I'm saying?

Dark fish are darker on black sub, light fish are lighter on white sub.

What I'm saying is this:
If you're aiming for a particular color with certain species of fish, house them with a variant of the color you want.

RBP: desired color: Red. substrate color options: red, pink, orange
Black Rhom: Desired color: Black. Substrate color options: Black, dark gray, dark blue
Yellow piranhas (gold spilos, yellow piraya): Desired color: yellow/gold. Substrate color options: White, yellow, orange, tan.

This is what I'm thinking would be the most color-enhancing for each color group. IN ADDITION TO: Krill or gammarus, shrimp or crab with exo, white fish filets.

 

[KaraJo]

Our rhom was originaly on brown/tan/red stone gravel. Then we switched to the black sand and yes, he appeared darker. I do think this is due to contrasting colors from the black Rhom being on a lighter substrate vs. being on black substrate. Like welsher said, they try to blend in with their environments.

 

[PEVINE11]

^ haha looks about the same, just a little further away ^

 

[_Sushi_]

(Thanks Kara!! ^_^)

Look at the sides of her belly Pevine, there is a noticeable color difference here. Besides, the first and last pic look about the same distance away.

Because of them trying to blend in with their environments, putting them on a sub of a similar color to their bodies, therefore ENHANCES the colors in a way that proper feeding alone doesn't fully do.

It's like putting color wax on a car. Or black shoe polish on black shoes... It's not changing the color, it's bringing out the color of the object.

 

[demjor19]

wow! becka...i never realized how much of a difference there was until you mentioned that and i saw pictures side by side. i guess we are around them all the time...so we dont notice the changes as easily.

the first pic was after about a month of caring for her. the lower jaw was still very busted up. she is making a very speedy recovery at this point!