Painted Fish

[Arshis]

My mother just bought 2 "assorted african cichlids " though they look beautiful I cant help but to wonder if they are painted if so I dont want to support painting fish and I'd like to return them. Is there a way i can tell.
One is a brilliant yellow and his underbelly is white, top fin is edged with a black strip and seems to have a dark gold spot on his/her left and right gill plate.
The other one is a very nice turquoise color his entire body is this color but like the one above seem to have a darker tint spot on his left and right gill plate and the top fin has a black stripe.

I've been looking at all sorts of cichlid images over the last week and havent came across anything like them.

 

[BillD]

The first one sounds like a yellow lab. African cichlids are not normally subjected to dying, since they are already so colourful.

 

[Arshis]

Correction both fish on all fins have some sort of black boarder on the fin. Its just oddthey look exactly the same but different colors.

 

[Japola44]

they paint fish 8O ? that just sounds insane

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

Japola, they are talking about "dying" the fish, it get's injected with dye to make colours (Popsicle tetras, a lot of tetras are turning up this way).

they can also be fed specific food, which IMO is not cruel at all, for instance, if you mix paprika in with your fishes food, you'll find the fish will take on a red hue.. do this from birth and the effect can last quite some time.

 

[Zagz]

Chances are they aren't painted. Any chance you can post a pic? They maybe someone would be able to identify them. Several cichlids can have similiar markings but still be different colors and different species.

 

[Jchillin]

I would doubt that they are painted as well. Cichlids tend to have enough natural color as not to warrant this type of "enhancement".

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I agree. They are probably not painted. Africans are so full of color anyways that they dont need to be painted. Personally I've never seen a painted African before.

 

[Apocalypse_Gold]

www.deathbydyeing.org lists German Blue Rams as a sometimes painted fish. Whoever thought German Blues needed enhancement should be dyed and then shot. They are fragile fish as it is. Cichlids have fantastic colors without being dyed.

 

[BillD]

Jelly bean parrots are dyed. It is bad enough that someone saw fit to create them, but to dye them on top of that is just sick.

 

[RoK]

Sometimes parrots are put in "assorted african cichlid" tanks and many of them (the parrots) are painted, not all.
I agree with you BillD.

 

[Flutterby21782]

I can proudly say I own two non dyed Blood Red Parrot Cichlids. They are the pride of my tank. Once they age they have such a brillient colour I don't know why anyone would dye them.

 

[Toirtis]

Although most African cichlids are not usually dyed as such, some that are produced overseas in the SE Asian fish farms are fed on food heavily impregnated with hormones designed to give them eye-popping (and unnatural) colour at a very small size. I recently saw a bunch of OB peacocks that came in this way....blinding purples and oranges...and the fish were barely 2" long....within 14 days much of the colour had faded, but it remains to be seen if any lasting genetic/sexual damage was done.

 

[iamchris]

Jelly bean parrots are dyed. It is bad enough that someone saw fit to create them, but to dye them on top of that is just sick.

I don't see you complaining to god for creating humans. What's the big deal? It's not like they're suffering.

 

[severum mama]

The dyed ones suffer; the ones that survive the process, that is. They are either injected with dye, or dipped into something that removes their slime coat and then dyed. If they survive, they are likely to have stunted growth, poor health in general, and a significantly shortened lifespan. Fortunately, not all of them are dyed.

Arshis- I also doubt that your fish are dyed. It's possible that you can't find pics of your fish because they are hybrids. The fish in "assorted African cichlid" tanks are often hybrids. Watch for aggression, and be sure to provide them with enough hiding places, like caves, clay pots, etc.

 

[mrcrazypants05]

Humans arent hybrids...

 

[Toirtis]

The dyed ones suffer; ...

Never mind those deformed spines and mouths....that must be comfy.

 

[Flutterby21782]

It's not like there aren't "deformed" humans that do just fine with everyday life. There are other mixed breed animals. A mule isn't natural, wolf hybrids aren't natural. The list goes on and on. I don't understand the big deal with the hybrid arguement.

 

[malkore]

I don't see you complaining to god for creating humans. What's the big deal? It's not like they're suffering.

This kind of comment adds nothing to the discussion.

Painted fish DO suffer. Have you ever gotten a tattoo? I have...it hurts, or at the very least is 'moderately uncomforatable'.
Well the fish isn't expecting, or wanting, to be injected with dye. Plus they slide down little chutes and all this injecting is done outside the water. Fish can't breathe too well out of water.

And the dyed fish like jellybean tetra? They are dipped in an acid bath to open up their skin so the dye bath that comes after will sink in.

Lastly, jellybean blood parrots...created by men who thought they were gods and that a fish with no tail fin would be a good idea. Never mind that its the equivalent of a morbidly obese human who's had their legs cut off above the knee. That's a more accurate comparison.


Maybe I'm a little too passionate about getting 'fish painting/dying' abolished, but it's rude to toss out flippant remarks.

If this thread starts to degrade, it will be locked.

 

[Hara]

The list can go on and on as to why it is cruel and needless to subject a fish to this. If you insist on having them in your tank, that is your business, but please don't fool yourself into thinking that no harm is done. Take responsibility for your decisions.

My personal opinion is that nature has created such overwhelming beauty, who are we to think we can improve upon it. Human arrogance is amazing.

I do not think you are being too passionate malkore.....remember,

"If not you, then who?"