One of the greatest satisfactions involved in cultivating an aquarium is being able to enjoy the beauty of your fish. Tropical aquarium fish come in a rainbow of colors and patterns – some have colorful spots or stripes while others have long, flowing fins and bright scales. Unfortunately, there may come a time when your fish simply don’t look their best. There are many things that may lead to a loss of coloration in your fish but, in order to fix the problem, you first need to discover its cause. Once you know what is wrong with your fish, you can take the necessary steps to help them recover.
Aquarium Fish Diseases
Throughout their lives, most aquarium fish are exposed to disease in some form or another. Different aquarium fish diseases manifest in different ways, but loss of coloration is a symptom common to many different diseases. When fish become ill, they are likely to also lose their appetite which can lead to a general dulling of color. Certain diseases, particularly fungal and parasite infections, can also lead to discoloration in fish. Some diseases cause fish to develop bloody red streaks on their fins and body and may also result in discolored patches on the skin. In order to deal with problems with loss of coloration due to disease, you first need to identify the disease from which your fish are suffering. Take the time to observe your fish for additional symptoms then perform a little basic research in order to make a diagnosis. The treatment regimen will vary according to the specific disease, but many fungal and parasite infections can be treated with a salt bath or with medication.
Nutritional Deficiency
If you do not feed your fish a healthy, balanced diet not only will they fail to thrive but they may also fail to look their best. This problem is especially common in juvenile fish – when they are not given enough food or the right kind of food, they may grow very slowly and might not develop their full coloration. The key to treating and preventing this problem is to offer your fish a balanced diet composed of a variety of different foods. Offer your fish a staple diet of commercial flake or pellet food formulated to meet their basic nutritional needs. To fill in the gaps and to provide your fish with extra nutrition, offer a supplemental diet of various live, frozen and freeze-dried foods. Try to vary the type of food you offer your fish and only offer small amounts of live and frozen foods at a time because they can be very rich and may cause digestive issues.
Tips and Tricks
Even if you feed your fish a healthy diet and protect them from exposure to disease, they could still suffer a loss of coloration at some point. Stress can also have a significant impact on the health and appearance of your fish. Not only do fish become more susceptible to disease when they become stressed, they may also suffer a loss of coloration. Poor water quality is the most common cause of stress in aquarium fish and it is also a very easy problem to solve. Simply performing weekly water changes and replacing your filter media once a month can work wonders in improving your water quality. Another thing you might try is installing an EcoBio-Stone in your tank. EcoBio-Stones are made from porous volcanic cement and they are infused with beneficial bacteria. These bacteria rapidly multiply in your tank, working to maintain the nitrogen cycle which will help to keep the water in your tank clean and clear.