green chromis losing color and getting spots

[fergieturk]

Hi all,
Yesterday night I was walking past my boyfriend's tank and saw his green chromis. I just had the room light on (it was bedtime for the fish). The chromis were very pale and had greyish-white spots on them (about the size of a pencil eraser tip). When I turned on the aquarium lights the fish had their normal color back in less than 5 minutes - no more spots. Does anyone have experience with this? Am I going crazy - seeing things? My clownfish and yellowtailed damsel don't really change color.

 

[reefrunner69]

My clownfish and yellowtailed damsel don't really change color.

I think you'd be surprised at just how much they change color when the lights are out This is perfedtly natural for these fish and many other species as well. With the green chromis inparticular alot of their color comes from the way the light reflects off their scales, if you've ever really watched them with the lights on, you noticed that they change colors depending on their angle in the tank and your angle toward them. So it relly makes sense, to me anyway, that no light equals less color for these fish.

 

[Hara]

My Naso tang turns almost a light gray with white spots when lights go out. At first I thought it had some dread fish disease

 

[fishfreek]

This color change at night is as much a safty thing as anything else. Most fish have a night time color fade to make them less visable in the moonlight to preditors.

My powder blue tang look awful at night. WIth its dark almost black snout turning to a very light shade of grey and its deep blue color body going to a washed out blue/grey color

 

[fergieturk]

Wow, big load off my mind!
My clownfish and damsel get lighter but I was really worried when I saw his green chromis - they looked like 2 dalmations. What can I say I worry way too much - my rabbits are practically putting my vet's kids through college.
Thanks!