Auratus Question

[ajw8071]

A couple weeks ago i posted about a juvenile auratus that was remaining discolored when the lights were on, well i'm starting to wonder if i possibly have a hybrid due to the severely drab coloration. The water parameters are ph=8.2, Ammonia/Nitrite= 0ppm, Nitrate 10 ppm, Temp = 78F.

Here is a picture of the little guy, he's eating well and is active, the color just is bleh.

 

[bucsnut79]

I think he's pretty sweet actually. What kind of sand do you have in the tank?

 

[ajw8071]

Oh he's a nice fish and has tons of personality I'm just trying to see if it's a hybrid or the coloration is just weaker than average. The substrate is a fine grade aragonite

 

[mfdrookie516]

I'm trying to think back to when my male was young, it seemed to always be 'pale' compared to most of the others I had seen, but I cannot remember if it was quite that pale or not. I've also seen albinos (only online, never in person... Melanochromis auratus albino - Cichlid Lovers Picture Page) which IMO looks alot like yours.

 

[ajw8071]

I'm not too sure about the albino idea seeing that (I'm not sure if this rule applies to fish) it does have pigmentation in the eyes rather than the lack of which would result in that pinkish hue. A question I would now have for you MDF is this particular fish is almost 2 inches in length, hasn't attained much girth yet or "filled out" because it's still young, how long would you estimate it would take to see a distinct change if it is indeed male?

 

[sliderfish]

Its not an albino IMO...the pigments are wrong in the eyes as you mention...He lacks the dark blue that is seen in the stripes and his whiter belly make me lean toward hybrid of some type.

The change will depend on the tank and his surroundings. If he is alone or with only females he will most likely color quickly. If he is with other males, esp bigger ones, he will color up much slower. He will want to pass himself off as as little of a challenge to the big guys for as long as possible to avoid a butt kicking.

 

[Wy Renegade]

Could still be an issue with albinoism. Albinoism does not always result in complete lack of color and red eyes. I had a electric yellow that was an albino, and simply looked like a washed out white-yellow with normal eyes. This form of albinoism occurs in all animals (including humans), it just shows up even more rarely than the normal form.

Not saying that that is what this is for sure, just saying it is possible. Will be curious to see what happens with coloration on this guy.