View Full Version : Gold pigmentation on bristlenose, Velvet disease?
Lane87
10-10-2003, 6:40 PM
I recently added a bristlenose to my 55gal tank. All seemed well except for the occasional scuffle with my convict Recently I read about "velvet disease" and remembered the gold tinge on my pleco. The fish seems healthy to me, it eats, darts around, and even scares off the convict. My question is, Do all bristlenose plecos have some gold pigmentation on them or should I be worried ? Its most prevalent around the fishes face and under the gills.
any comments will be greatly appreciated
Shellee
10-10-2003, 9:27 PM
I also have a bristtle nose pleco. He does have a bit of a gold tinge to him. It goes away when i give him fresh bog wood though so i dont know why. But it's not fatal.
Hi
I have a mum and dad bristlenose and about 160 babies. They all have gold tinges to they, so I wouldn't worry. It's just their markings.
You will also find that they completely change colour depending on their mood, from really dark to a sandy colour. Daddy plec changes all the time
Kim x
OrionGirl
10-27-2003, 1:10 PM
Velvet disease will look different than the gold-ish tinge seen on many ancistrus species. It looks like the fish is covered in gold dust, sticking to the scales of the fish.
Ancistrus will change color quite a bit. I have several of them, and they all have individual markings. 2 of mine are reds--a mix of albino and regular parents that have brown and orange splotches marked with gold spots. They orange on them is most noticable when they are 'happy' with a particular treat--usually some shrimp they've stolen from the puffers.