elephantnose
Aquarium Advice Addict
How long will it take for Bolivian cichlids to get their color back after being neglects in a store to being bought an put into a new aquarium?
How long will it take for Bolivian cichlids to get their color back after being negle
- Thread starter elephantnose
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How long will it take for Bolivian cichlids to get their color back after being neglects in a store to being bought an put into a new aquarium?
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elephantnose
Aquarium Advice Addict
That would suck if they never regained their color. Right now they kind of blend in with my gravel. I picked this type for their color.
Bichir Bro
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Nothing should ever be fed color enhancing foods IMO... If you use a natural &, excellent food like; New Life Spectrum pellets or Omega One freshwater flakes (non cooler enhancing form) they will color up just as well but naturally! Frozen Foods will also help them and make them really happy so there's no need for those added additives!
But if it's a good tank, you give them proper care and food, proper parameters and tank mates, etc.... You should start to see a difference in color within a week!
Khuligirl93
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How long will it take for Bolivian cichlids to get their color back after bei...
I agree... Don't feed those foods that use chemicals to "enhance" fish's colors. Feed them good quality food with lots of variety. I like to alternate every other day with omega one flakes and one of my frozen foods (bloodworms, brine shrimp, glass worms, and daphnia). Bloodworms especially get their colors bright and they love them, but don't feed it to them every day. It'd be like us eating steak every day! On days I feed frozen food I also feed cooked de-shelled peas too.
Clean water is probably even MORE important than food though when it comes to health and bright colors (healthy happy fish= colorful fish). Make sure your tank is cycled, and you do your weekly water changes and gravel vacuuming.
It's perfectly normal for fish to be stressed after you first bring them home because they're still adjusting to their new tank and tankmates. But if you do these things, they should be back to their normal colors within a couple days.
I'm not sure how colorful Bolivian rams actually get though. All the ones I've seen that hobbyist own are about the same as yours. The only super colorful ones I've seen were on google images, and you never know if the picture was photoshopped or if the fish was fed hormones to enhance color. German blue rams tend to be a more colorful ram species, but are more delicate.
I agree... Don't feed those foods that use chemicals to "enhance" fish's colors. Feed them good quality food with lots of variety. I like to alternate every other day with omega one flakes and one of my frozen foods (bloodworms, brine shrimp, glass worms, and daphnia). Bloodworms especially get their colors bright and they love them, but don't feed it to them every day. It'd be like us eating steak every day! On days I feed frozen food I also feed cooked de-shelled peas too.
Clean water is probably even MORE important than food though when it comes to health and bright colors (healthy happy fish= colorful fish). Make sure your tank is cycled, and you do your weekly water changes and gravel vacuuming.
It's perfectly normal for fish to be stressed after you first bring them home because they're still adjusting to their new tank and tankmates. But if you do these things, they should be back to their normal colors within a couple days.
I'm not sure how colorful Bolivian rams actually get though. All the ones I've seen that hobbyist own are about the same as yours. The only super colorful ones I've seen were on google images, and you never know if the picture was photoshopped or if the fish was fed hormones to enhance color. German blue rams tend to be a more colorful ram species, but are more delicate.
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elephantnose
Aquarium Advice Addict
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elephantnose
Aquarium Advice Addict
they ready seem to have a little more red on their tails.
Freakgecko91
Aquarium Advice Addict
You do realize that even NLS offers a color enhancing formula, right? It's to bring out the reds in fish......
Bichir Bro
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Yes....Omega One also puts out a color enhancing flake! I'm just saying use the non-color enhancing formula!
Freakgecko91
Aquarium Advice Addict
Not all brands use dyes to boost colors. Many animals gain their color from what the eat in the wild. A perfect example is salmon. Farm raised fish will have a completely different colored flesh than their wild counterparts, due to the diet differences. Farms are not able to properly simulate their natural diet and so they lose that nice red/orange color
Fishy Smell
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I wouldn't of bought Bolivian Rams for colour. You'd buy them for their hardyness and placid nature. Ideal for someone with a smallish tank who doesn't want to make risky purchases. They'd probably have normal community fish with lots of colour and they want a cichlid for a bit of personality. Similar with Keyholes, except BR's are even more placid and easy.
GBR are much more colourful but also virtually impossible to keep alive for very long.
I just bought one (a BR) for my peaceful tank and likewise its pretty grey at the moment. I thought i'd have room for 1 more small cichlid that wouldn't rock the boat with the ones i already have in there.
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elephantnose
Aquarium Advice Addict
I have a 44gallon not too small or big. I wanted to get GBR but they were all gone at my store. So I ended up with Bolivians.
apistogramma cichlids are very colorful. here's a pic of my double orange. i also have a bolivian ram and once yours settles in, the color will improve although they aren't as showy as some of the cichlids. however mine is about 4 inches long and very gentle so he makes a great addition to community tank.
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elephantnose
Aquarium Advice Addict
apistogramma cichlids are very colorful. here's a pic of my double orange. i also have a bolivian ram and once yours settles in, the color will improve although they aren't as showy as some of the cichlids. however mine is about 4 inches long and very gentle so he makes a great addition to community tank.
Jpchin is the double orange a South American or African?
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elephantnose
Aquarium Advice Addict
Yeah. I was thinking about adding one to my tank I just had to ask you where it originated because my tank has two different species of South American.
Fishy Smell
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How big is your Salvini? I haven't experienced them personally but i'd say based on reputation they'll annihilate the rest of the tank once they're over 3 inches or so.
The others are lovely fish but don't last in my experience. I've kept a hell of a lot of fish in recent years and the ones ive found hardest to keep alive are gbr's (normal/electric blue/golden), dwarf and honey gouramis and some of the apistos. The one ive had no probs with is the cockatoo cichlids. Had very little trouble with anything else ive kept either.
i know a lot of people on this site say that they have trouble with their gbr's and gouramis . i haven't had any problems with mine. i attribute that to getting good stock. i live close to a fish store called That Fish Place in Lancaster, Pa. they have really healthy stock. i keep them in a community tank with other peaceful fish. regular ph, temp around 80. i also feed live black worms. i believe that live food really helps keep fish heaalthy. my salvini is about 3 1/2-4 inches. is not aggressive. i have a 55 gal coffee table aquarium that's 56" long. lots of forward swimming room. cuts way down on aggression.
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