View Full Version : Red gills on angels?
justahannah
01-26-2009, 5:10 PM
Just wondering what the deal is with angelfish and red gills....we have quite a few at work that look normal, and quite a few that have bright red coloration on the gills. I was reminded of it looking at PopPop's thread here (http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=180526) because some of his angel's show the same redness. Is it a color morph or a water quality issue? If it's the water, why does is only affect some consistently and never the others? Thanks!
justahannah
01-27-2009, 6:40 PM
Bumpin' this up, somebody must know...
Thanks!
dirtydawg10
01-27-2009, 6:50 PM
In Pop's thread are blushing angelfish. Sometimes the reddish look goes away as the fish get a little older.
justahannah
01-27-2009, 6:52 PM
So I take it blushing is a color-type of angel, not an activity like actively blushing/displaying that all angels can do...right? I'm a little dense sometimes...
PopPopsfish
01-27-2009, 6:54 PM
This is genetic , without getting technical it is called Blushing where the Gil plates are clear and the gills are usually bright red.
We breed certain strain just for this coloration or lack there of . It seems to be attractive to some and not so much to others. (a matter of taste)
Not a water issue in our tanks.
PopPopsfish
01-27-2009, 6:56 PM
In Pop's thread are blushing angelfish. Sometimes the reddish look goes away as the fish get a little older.
Gil's do become pinkish in some strains as they mature but in most cases where we breed specifically for this trait it will remain especially in gold and albinos.
dirtydawg10
01-27-2009, 6:58 PM
Yes it is a type of angelfish. It is more common in juvies and fry because their gill covers are more translucent. When the fish age their gill covers thicken and become more opaque. The color fades and often disappears.
dirtydawg10
01-27-2009, 7:01 PM
Gil's do become pinkish in some strains as they mature but in most cases where we breed specifically for this trait it will remain especially in gold and albinos.
lol...you must have been posting while I was typing. Good to know^^.
PopPopsfish
01-27-2009, 7:18 PM
Notice the Koi have the blushing , Our Blue marble blushers 1/2 have the blushing effect the other half it is not present .
Blushing Phenotype has a Homozygous (double dose) of the stripeless trait that gives the blushing appearance in the gill area
justahannah
01-27-2009, 8:07 PM
awesome, thanks for the info! That completely answers my question :D
Star_Rider
01-28-2009, 9:14 AM
way yo go pops.
yes it is a trait that many breeders try to achieve.
it is more pronounced in young angels.. many will shed this trait as they mature and the color gets deeper on gill plates of the adult.
Pops, have you been able to produce any that keep the red (translucent) gill plate?
PopPopsfish
01-28-2009, 9:26 AM
way yo go pops.
yes it is a trait that many breeders try to achieve.
it is more pronounced in young angels.. many will shed this trait as they mature and the color gets deeper on gill plates of the adult.
Pops, have you been able to produce any that keep the red (translucent) gill plate?
Yes we have , Only two Strains . So far still translucent @ 2yrs old .
Star_Rider
01-28-2009, 2:22 PM
very nice.. i had some blushers awhile back.. when the female got older the gill plates colored up..she still had a bit of blushing but not much.. she finally fell to HITH and was the only angel to have issues in a tank with 3 others.
this is where i decided that HITH may not affect some fish(built in resistance?)