How To Bring Out Colour?

[Vectorous]

Hello,
 
Just wondering, how can I help enhance the colour of my fish? A couple of my fish are starting to look a little dull

 

[Ninjouzata]

There are color enhancing foods. I'd be wondering why they're dull all of a sudden though. Water parameters all good?

 

[Vectorous]

Bit silly, but I don't have any way of testing the water as of yet... I need to pick up a testing kit..

 

[Ninjouzata]

Ahh..did you cycle your tank? If so, how?

 

[Vectorous]

Argh! Help! Just had a water test done by the local pet shop... Ammonia is fine, Nitrite is fine BUT Nitrate... Nitrate showed up dangerously high... Between 80 and 120PPM!!! The guy at the shop said I should do a 20% water change, is there anything else I can do to get this level down??

 

[Ninjouzata]

What's your water change schedule like? You want to keep it under 80. Most would say under 40 but think it depends on what you're getting out of the tap.
 
Nitrates are removed through water changes. Stem plants & floating plants help with this as well since they suck up lots of nitrates
 
You can do more than 20% if you want, I do a minimum of 25% weekly.
 
Before doing anything though please do tell about your previous w/c schedule. If they have been living in high nitrates for a while, changing too much too quickly can shock them.

 

[Barb-barian]

agreed with Ninj on the Water changes.  I find that feeding a couple different things to my fish helps bring out their color.  Like my omnivores get to munch on flake most days but i like to through in some peas or other green veggies some days or some shrimp pellets on other days. its like us people we do best with a varied diet. 

 

[SouthernCross]

New life spectrum is a great colour enhancing food.

 

[HAMBONE]

Quality food


www.angelsplus.com

Youre welcome

 

[Vectorous]

Thanks guys, I  did a 50% water change, cleaned filters and ran ALL my filters, including my spare ones, just to try and get them levels down! Back down to 1 filter again, will go to get my water tested tomorrow afternoon I recon..

 

[Blobfish]

Just reading through this website will give you some ideas about foods for colour.
 
http/www.ta-aquaculture.com/

 

[Tongue_Flicker]

A good group (school), proper illumination, lots of plant cover, a well-balanced and nutritious fish diet usually brings out a good color in fishes