why is my fish loosing its color?

Question

i've had him (guppie) since september however he's gotten lighter and lighter and lighter..... he was orange-red- yellow before now he's orange-clear...... whats wrong?

i got told to buy him salt for freshwater or something like that... to help its color...but it hasn't worked?

Answer 1

Are there any other symptoms? I have been breeding guppies for a year now but never had any loose their colours, males are more vibrant than females, form experience guppies stress easy and require a bit more care than your basic goldfish or beta. make sure your tank is fairly clean, pH etc. don't over feed them. lots of good sites online will give you advice. and keep your salt content to a minimum they don't need it i onlt use it to clean with as it is safer than soaps.

Answer 2

Fish typically lose their color as the water conditions deteriorate. Do a 50% water change right away and then start doing regular (weekly) partial (25-30%) water changes and his color should improve.

If you already do weekly water changes, he may be just getting old. Guppies do not live very long. Two years is 'good', three years is great.

Most live bearers (guppies included) do much better with a little salt in their water. One teaspoon per five gallons of water is reccomended. Use aquarium salt purchased at the fish store, it has minerals beneficial to fish added to it.

Remember, salt does not evaporate, so don't add salt unless you physically remove water from the tank during your water changes. Then, keep the ratio the same, one teaspoon per five gallons in the fresh water you add.

Answer 3

Could be a skin infection, or just improper environment. Despite common thought, goldfish can be very difficult to keep healthy. They prefer slightly brackish water (so I always added Kosher salt when changing water), and cool temperatures--like in the mid-60's--which isn't where most people keep their ambient home temperature. Feed a high quality food designed specifically for goldfish. Their nutritional needs are different from tropicals. Lastly, and this is more important than it sounds, invest in a high quality full spectrum bulb for your tank. Like humans, fish respond to light wavelengths. Under "natural" light your goldfish will turn the most lovely orange you've ever seen. Plus, full spectrum lighting induces algae growth, and goldfish love algae. Algae is a sign of a healthy tank, so don't ever let anyone tell you there shouldn't be any. (Of course, you know to keep the growth in check.)

Answer 4

Do you have a heater for his tank? Fish can lose their colors for a number of reasons, they can lose it because they are stressed, they can lose it because of lack of a proper diet ( proper amount of greens and protein), the fish may be sick, and they can also lose their color because of large temperature gains or drops. If you don't have a heater, the water is probably pretty cold, seeing is how it is winter, the fish may just be uncomfortable with the temperature of the tank. Good luck.

Answer 5

maybe ur guppy's stressed out.
is ur tank in a location where there's a lot of ppl movement.
that might scare ur guppy, stressed him, causing him to lose his colors.
there's a type of fish food available, called color enhancers.
its supposed to make the color of ur fish look better, but reduces the lifespan of the fish.
try having an aquariam light, at least it works for my fishes.

Answer 6

There's special fish food you can buy to improve his color. Check at a local pet store or convenience store and look at the labels, they will tell you.

Answer 7

guppies aren't saltwater fish and salt won't do anything for his color besides probably fade it a little, they have special food and water treatment that will help him regain his color. good luck.

Answer 8

it depends on what kind of fish you have it usually comes from not feeding them the right kind or food

Answer 9

what kind of fish it ? , I think its sick :(