OMG whats happening!!!!!

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BlaxerGun93

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Jan 6, 2014
Messages
33
Alright i went to work today at 8 Am but woke up a little late so i forgot to turn the lights on my tank and feed my 8 Danios. It was supposed to be a normal 8 hour shift at work but turn out to be a 12 hour shift since it was really busy. So my tank was without lights from 9PM yesterday to 9:30PM today. That's more than 24 Hours!! And without Food! :banghead::facepalm:
And no one was at home all day.

Got home at 9:30PM went to my room changed clothes and when to turn the lights on on my aquarium.....well i quickly noticed something wrong with my Danios they were all discolored/pale! So i panicked since this was the first time something happened to me. No Ich no illness...nothing. and the first thing i did was fed them, Well they all ignored the food so i panicked even more. Then i immediately tested my water. They totally lost all there colors. Can't barely even see there black stripes anymore. they even had a greenish tint to them. I know this because i feed them top brand food. 2 days ago i fed them Hikari Brine Shrimp and within a few hours there colors really popped out. Brightest iv'e actually seen them. After the water test witch took about 15 minutes. Then i fed them again and this time all of them ate.

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5
Didn't test PH

Now i'm starting to think they went pale because of no light so they got stressed. i usually leave the lights on for 8-10 hours a day. Feed 2 times a day. WC once a week (20-25%).

If it is because i left them out with no lights what should i do???? leave the lights on all night and a few hours in the day? And then just continue with me normal light schedule I'm also buying a Timer for my lights so this doesn't happen again.
 
Give them half an hour to "wake up" and see if their color returns. I'm betting it will.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Aquarium Advice mobile app
 
I would suggest getting a timer. Something similar happened to me. They just got stress and your water is great!!??
 
Give them half an hour to "wake up" and see if their color returns. I'm betting it will.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Aquarium Advice mobile app


Your right they got their colors back!!!!! For a moment i thought my fish were sick or something.:popcorn:
What should i do now? its about to be 12Am should i leave the lights on a little bit more or leave them on all night? i'm :confused:
 
You can turn them off. I have left mine off an entire week during an algae outbreak and my fish were fine. They stayed pale for about 15 minutes and then they were normal like nothing happened.
 
You can turn them off. I have left mine off an entire week during an algae outbreak and my fish were fine. They stayed pale for about 15 minutes and then they were normal like nothing happened.

Okay thanks

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Aquarium Advice mobile app
 
The light is mainly necessary for plants. Fish can be without food for a very long time, healthy ones at least. Don't worry about them for just that. Your water params are good so just keep them that way. A timer would be good. You can always set it for time when you are there in the morning and off during the day, then on again all evening when you would normally be home.
 
It's perfectly common for fish to change colors when its dark. It's not really anything to worry about.
 
My tetras always "fade" over night. The yo-yo loaches look dead in the morning and in need of coffee until they get going.
 
When I first got my fish in my tank I woke up to almost solid white cardinal tetras....come to find out it was normal...but I know that feeling...
 
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