My Blue Cichlid, loss of coloration

[DannyLeaike]

He was a nice vibrant sky blue for a long time but now he just turned into this grayish blue and the stripes are only a darker color. He aint what he used to be. Anything wrong with him? His diet is the same as it has always been, water quality is good. I hear talk of it may be because its either he is actually a SHE or because there is lack of a female in the tank? Any ideas?

This is him

 

[cichlidmania26]

Do you have any other ones in the tank?

 

[DannyLeaike]

Yes, I have a Manganese, an orange one of the same breed, a Jack Dempsy, and recently a baby Red Jewel Cichlid.

 

[cichlidmania26]

hey

I think its a domination thing between the same species . I have the same probelm/ but it comes and gose. I have the same fish well 100 of them check out my videos on you tube under cichlidmania26 here's the link
YouTube - cichlidmania26's Channel

 

[cichlidmania26]

I have the sam/e problem. I think its a domination thing. I have 100 of these fish and I see it all the time.ccheck out my channel on youtube under cichlidmania26 here's the link.
YouTube - cichlidmania26's Channel

 

[cichlidmania26]

It won't let me chat for some reason. I'm on my phone.

 

[DannyLeaike]

Oh yea I can't do that on my Ipod either. Anyways any ideas about why he is so pale? Practically white...mabey I should rename him to ghost lol

 

[cichlidmania26]

Its just how cichlids are. the more you have the less you'll see it. Its usually because the other one is more dominating so he will lose his color to look like a female. And not get picked on

 

[DannyLeaike]

Hm. Thats depressing. But I guess thats how it goes. Thanks for the input.

 

[Shmeflech]

Same thing happens to mine. But it comes back really dark blue at night.

 

[cichlidmania26]

You have to understand there's a chemistrey you have to be aware of when having cichlids. I've had cichlids for many years and have done a lot of research on them. So all I'm trying to say the m/ore fish you have in your tank the more the dominating fish gets distracted and doesn't make that cichlid loose its color. Hope this makes sense

 

[DannyLeaike]

Yea, it really is what I thought it was all along was the fact it just wasn't the "big hoss" of the tank anymore. Thank you for confirming my suspicions.