Colour changing Humphead

JIMI_JAMES

JIMI_JAMES

NOW THATS A FISH
Sep 22, 2005
14
0
0
45
Queensland, Australia
G'day all, I have a pair of 4" Humphead cichlids in a 24 gallon tank, that they share with an Albino, a Peppermint and Orange spot Bristlenose. Then 2 weeks ago the male Humphead lost all pigment, turning the almost exact colur as the Albino Bristlenose, he stayed that colour for the next day or 2, then returned back to a dark greyish colour, except for a patch that circles his mouth, it has remained like that since, yet he seems healthy, no laboured breathing or anything, he still eats, water conditions are good and the female with him has shown no case of the discolouration. Any feed back on why this has happened and what he is suffering would be great, thanks
 
Are you talking about Cyphotilapia frontosa(humphead cichlid) ?
 
Did you do a water change before this happened? What is the water parameters,PH, ammonia ect? How long have you had the tank running for?
 
Jimi_james

pH-7.2, Amonia-0.1ppm, I had done a 50% water change the previous weekend to his colour change. Yet its only tankmate besides the BN's, another humphead has no dis-colouration what so ever
 
It is hard to say b/c a few things could have caused what your fish is going through. If you did a water change and did not put in dechlorinater in it could affect the colour of the fish. Also I will say your ammonia is too high, is the tank cycled? The other cause combined with a weak or stressed fish is bad water quality, eg high ammonia, sudden changes in ph, water hardness ect, these will all have an effect on your fishes health. Some fish react differently to different situations. There is also another explanation, the fish could be geneticaly inclined to change colour, like I said before without studing the fish it would be hard to tell.

Just some advise, get that ammonia down and get a nitrite test kit b/c I have a feeling that is high too, from what you have said either your filter is not doing its job or your tank has not cycled. Cheers
 
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