Colour Fading Bristlenose

[kowgirl_kate]

I have 2 Bristlenose which I've had for about 5mths now. 1 has grown alot faster then the other one and has started to turn a light brown colour & the cream coloured spots have kind of joined together now so that they're big cream coloured patches instead.
Should I be concerned?

 

[dylema]

Hi,

This sounds like stress colouration. In my experience it doesn't last long (maybe a few hours at most) so if it is stress colour and it is lasting you may have a problem like water quality, disease etc. Have you tested the water? Can you post the test results if you have.

I guess it could also just be the colour that it is and theres no problem. Can you post a picture?

Dylan

 

[kowgirl_kate]

Thanks for the fast reply. I'll try & get a photo in a couple of hours when I feed them.

Stats are all fine
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10
Ph 6.8
Temp 26

He's darkened back up now but the spots are still gone, replaced by light patches. It looks worse some days more than others & at first I thought that the spots were just joining together as he was growing but I've seen so many other photos of Bristlenoses that make mine look rather strange in comparison.

He seems to go lighter when he's lying on the white couloured gravel too so I don't know if they camouflage or not?

 

[dylema]

Its good to see your stats are fine. I believe they can camouflage to some degree so thats fine. By the sounds of it now it might just be a strange colour variation. You can get a few different ones, like albinos (not this one), marble/piebald (maybe this one) and orange spot (maybe a different species).

I would just keep an eye on him. If the stats are fine, and he is eating fine, and has no other symptoms then don't worry.

Dylan

 

[Ristof]

I have 2 myself and 1stly one of mine is 2cm bigger then the other. Both males from the same batch
Mine depening where they are change from a light brown to a dark brown.

When his changed colour did change was it the same when he moved spots.
As dylema said it most likely is stress - have you added any new fish in lately or done anything to the tank in terms of decorating or moving decorations around

 

[kowgirl_kate]

When his changed colour did change was it the same when he moved spots.

Yes he was a lighter colour on the white rocks and then an hour later I spotted him on the glass and he was darker then.
He seems to fade when he's eating also probably cause the guppies & corys are trying to steal his algae wafer and he is very posessive of his food. Doesn't like the other BN to come too close either.

As dylema said it most likely is stress - have you added any new fish in lately or done anything to the tank in terms of decorating or moving decorations around

Yes I did change my tank 3 days ago. I added a bubble wall & had to move a rock that was in the way of that.

Also I did a search for piebald bristlenoses and came across a photo of a brown BN crossed with an Albino & I must say he looks rather similar to them & also to the piebald with his light patches.
Hopefully I will get a photo on friday when I borrow my friends digital cam as I only have a crappy mobile phone one at the moment.

Thanks for the replies guys

 

[kowgirl_kate]

Ok this was the only pic I could get of him cause I scared him off with the camera flash. Now he doesn't like me and runs away when I go up to the tank

 

[Tolak]

Plecs will change color to try to match their surroundings, and also with mood changes, as when stressed or happily eating. It's nothing to worry about, many other fish do it as well.

 

[tophat665]

One of my Bristlenoses has a couple of patches that lighten when he sits on the white sand beach in my 55 gallon. I think it's just a camoflage thing too.

 

[dwarfgourami]

Some individuals seem more easily stressed than others. My female often shows stress colouration if anything gets in her way, my male more rarely. Though he did look very stressed in the shop- the shop assistant, who clearly did not know about stress colouration, thought his patchy appearance might be due to inbreeding. He is in fact a supremely handsome fish, with very dark skin and clearly marked white spots.

 

[littleme1969]

Thats bristles for you Just like us they have mood changes and can get easily stressed. I breed then and (some people wont agree) send them through the post on a next day delivery and some show signs of colour loss due to stress. But I also see it in my tanks also. Like as mentioned above, if you move stuff around or add new fish. They also sometimes change colour if they are unwell, so its worth keeping an eye on for things like bloating or damaged fins. Buts its more often than not just mood changes/trying to fit in with thier background/or a stress response.
As for size.. if you have 2 males even though they are the same age the dominant one will always grow bigger, while the other will stay repressed until the dominant male dies or is removed. its nature way of creating a balance through a pecking order. Its a good thing as it allows the 2 males to tolerate each other in the same tank.

 

[kowgirl_kate]

Ok great, that's a huge relief. I'm sure it's just camouflage or stress as he doesn't act sick. Eats like a pig, the biggest fish in the tank though one of the peppered corys is fast catching up.

Thanks for all the replies. I learned quite a bit so thanks.

 

[dylema]

if you have 2 males even though they are the same age the dominant one will always grow bigger, while the other will stay repressed until the dominant male dies or is removed. its nature way of creating a balance through a pecking order. Its a good thing as it allows the 2 males to tolerate each other in the same tank.

I have to query this. I had an obvious dominant male that formed bristle first and spawned with the female and would chase the other away from food etc. Later the other male grew larger and although only possessing one bristle he spawned with the female and now chases the more bristly male away from food etc. This maybe unusual but I just wanted to point it out.

Dylan

 

[kowgirl_kate]

Just wanted to give you an update on my pale Bristlenose.

I put some driftwood/bogwood in today and now the Bristlenose has gone back to a normal 'dark' colour. They both love the wood. Got on it 5 mins after it went into the tank and haven't left it.

 

[dwarfgourami]

Ah, that's good to hear