Tetra Color Gone When Light First Turned on

[TetraFreak]

seeing something quite bizzare when I turn my tank lights on first thing in the morning.

My Tetras are colorless! :help:

It's not every day but it has me somewhat confused. The color does come back, but seeing black neons that are a pale white is freaky.

Anyone know what could be causing this??? in the 5+ years that my 25 Gal has been running, I NEVER had this happen before.


Thanks,

-TF

 

[Hound]

From what I understand it's fairly normal for tetras to do this.

 

[YuccaPatrol]

Yes, completely normal. My neons take a few minutes to put on their make-up in the morning!

 

[DaisyTattoo]

I have had the same thing happen with my blackskirts. They will lose their black coloring. It seems to affect them all at the same time. I still havent figured out what causes it though.

 

[TetraFreak]

From what I understand it's fairly normal for tetras to do this.

But what would actually cause it???

 

[hurricanejedi]

I notice my rummy-nose tetras are paler in the morning. Later in the day they are bright red. I keep coming home thinking I'll need to do a water change or something but then they are bright red and water is always fine.

 

[YuccaPatrol]

But what would actually cause it???

They have a physiological response to darkness that causes it. It is likely an adaptation that makes them less visible to predators at night when they are less active and "sleeping"

 

[TetraFreak]

They have a physiological response to darkness that causes it. It is likely an adaptation that makes them less visible to predators at night when they are less active and "sleeping"

OK, That would definately explain it!

Thanks for the info! :bowing:


PEACE!

-TF

 

[Ems]

I always like to compare it to how people react.
Like... if you've been sleeping (or not) in the dark for hours, and then all of a sudden the bright light in the room turns on.... you probably wouldn't look too perfect either

 

[patoloco]

Fish also change their color according to their mood.

This is quite evident in blue gouramies. Sometime you see them and they are whiter than blue. you drop some pellets or flakes and they turn dark blue. Also, when I'm servicing the tank they turn totally blue, like they ware mad at me.

The barbeled leaffish is an amazonin fish that impersonates a flotaing dead leave, and will change from yellow to dark brown in a matter of seconds. Also, at nightm they take a cloudy patter in their bodies.

Common plecos will turn white if they become stressed, specially from very low temperatures.

Pearl gouramies are always dull and almost pale in the morning. Once in a while, I forget to turn on the lamp in the morning and when I get home in the night they are almost totally white, just like ET in the bottom of the thub.