Color changes

[Cecil2010]

Recently I had to get rid of my alpha in the tank due to aggression. I'm pretty sure this is an auratus hybrid of some kind, but the day before I re-homed my alpha he lost a lot of his color and its been about three days now and he still hasn't got any color back. Also she is running the tank chasing my bumble bee and another auratus around the tank like she is claiming to be the alpha.

so my questions are:
Will she ever get her color back?
My bumble bee's vertical stripes have gotten very dark and he has another horizontal stripe down the middle of his body, is this his alpha colors?
If my auratus is trying to be the alpha why isnt she coloring up like one usually would?

Here is a before and after of my auratus:

 

[Cecil2010]

Any thoughts?

 

[Cichlid-dude]

In my experience if one of my fish loses his domminance he will lose some of his color. Ive had a beautiful red peacock turn almost all gray when he lost dominance. It evenualy came back but not as vibrant as when he was dominant.

 

[Cecil2010]

But what is throwing me off is that this fish was never the dominate one. But it's acting like its trying to?

 

[Malawi MaD]

So is the fish in the top two pic's (whitey yellow with black horizontal stripes) Is The fish in the last two pic's as it changes colour? If so it could be a sub-dom male or a male starting to go through the change to male colouration.

 

[Cecil2010]

Yes the first 2 are before and the second 2 are after. But a auratus is white and yellow only when female right? Can there be a sub-dominate female?

 

[Malawi MaD]

I dont think she/he is an auratus, looks more like a melanochromis simulans. You can get sub dom females but their colour wouldnt change that dramatically which is why im thinking it could be a male

 

[Cecil2010]

Yea it could be that or a hybrid of it. It's the yellow on the anal fin and the tail fin that made me think auratus

 

[bcurlacher54]

yes female auratus will change to male coloring if they are not dominated by a male. mine changes colors often even though there is a male which she spawns with inside the tank.

 

[Cecil2010]

yes female auratus will change to male coloring if they are not dominated by a male. mine changes colors often even though there is a male which she spawns with inside the tank.

Wow I've never heard of that!! That's cool though thanks for the input!