red fin shark lost all its tail colour help!

[Denny1985]

Can anyone please give me advice I recently purchased a red fin shark on the 30/1/2012 from a local pet shop and in the shop he was completely black with a bright red tail but over the last few days his tail has turned colour to white and its body and goin a much lighter colour but he is still eating and swimming about fine can anyone shed light on this situation please?it Is still very small and young thanks a lot

 

[Super_Blueberry]

Tell us more about your tank: it's parameters, other stock, last pwc, etc.... The more info we get the better help we'll be able to give

 

[Denny1985]

i have 4xguppies,4xplatys and 3xblue cosby gouramis and a bristlenose plec in with it and my last pwc was 30% the day before i purchased him and then again tonite the same amount my tank is 4ftx2ftx2ft thanks

 

[siva]

Welcome to AA!

RTS can lose their color as they age and with stress. Do you have a test kit to test for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate? Is it a newer tank?

 

[Denny1985]

i have had the tank set up for nearly two years and all the rest of the fish are fine and have always been happy and had no problems or diseases and i have regular fry so this is a bit of a mystery to me?i dont have a test kit and have never used one or any chemicals in any tanks i just usually do a pwc of 30% at the start and near the end of the week with a gravel cleaner thanks

 

[Denny1985]

it could be stress with being in a new environment?he is still really young and small so i dont think it could be anything to do with his age and there are plenty places in the tank to hide

 

[siva]

It could be. It's a good idea to have a test kit for any aquarium though, so I would pick one up when you can. You could have a pH crash or something that could potentially harm the fish and never even know about it if you aren't keeping an eye on your parameters atleast somewhat regularly. It's a bit of an investment but if you're only running one tank it will last you a long time.

 

[Denny1985]

i have a few tanks mostly the other tanks are for the fry though i will buy a test kit tomorrow and no doubt be back with more questions lol i hope it is with stress rather than anything else with being in a new environment. would he be better with another couple of RTS in with him at so young and how do you sex them?

 

[siva]

No, you only want one per tank. Sexing them is difficult, and that's really all I know about it. It may just be stress, give some extra time with the lights off, and be sure to feed with the lights off. That should help him adjust.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Make sure you get a liquid test kit not the strips. The strips are known for being highly in accurate. I recommend the API freshwater master test kit.

 

[Denny1985]

ok thanks alot i will try that and hope that helps and if all else fails i will just be patient,why do they sell them in the pet shop as 3x for £9 if you can only keep one in a tank?

 

[KaylNeko]

Because pet stores are in the business of selling fish. A lot of them have no idea what they're talking about, especially the chain ones that get the info from where they get the fish and that's it, some actively fudge the truth to sell fish. Some are excellent fish stores, but they're not common. Most folks on here, I think, have learned not to trust the fish store until you've proven they know what they're talking about--and are willing to admit when they don't know something.

 

[Denny1985]

Yeah I don't doubt for a second ur correct I have been mis-sold so pretty misleading fish in the past and when I have complained they just say we don't accept returns even though it was there wrong information that caused the disaster I think some shops would sell you a piranha to put in with a goldfish if they got away with It sad days where good honest people sold you What you wanted with good information

 

[Super_Blueberry]

Yea, I went to petco the other day to see what they had for a algae eater in stock for a 10g and was safe with fry And she said to get a pleco. I questioned a 2' adult fish in a 10g and she was dead serious that it was fine and started to scoop one out. While she was trying to catch one I just walked out.

 

[Denny1985]

lol good for u walkin out! i think ur petco is the equivalent to our pets at home and everytime i go in there the tanks r in quarantine