Is there something wrong with his cheeks?

[SaltySloth]

Hi everyone! This is happy face (I don’t know if it’s a female or male) but he has a dot in his cheek and they look bruised. I’m wondering if it’s Gill disease or something else? My water parameters are perfect. Sand substrate, lives with angel fish, not aggressive, feed him cichlid sinking pellets, flakes, and blood worms and frozen shrimp. What is it if it is anything and how can I treat it? Also I am currently in PR for a couple weeks and I need to find a company or someone to do a water change for me in Orlando FL. Can anyone recommend one for me?

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Can you give us the numbers for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates please? And let us know what test kit you are using?

 

[SaltySloth]

JNW test strips. They are: nitrite 0 and nitrates are 0 and I actually don’t have ammonia I never realized that

 

[Sgooosh]

JNW test strips. They are: nitrite 0 and nitrates are 0 and I actually don’t have ammonia I never realized that

turn up the bubbler a little he might lack oxygen!

 

[SaltySloth]

It is on /: he has a whole row

 

[Guest14017]

He just has poor color. Those are his gills you see behind his gill plates. That is normal. But I do recommend a better testing kit as well.

 

[Sgooosh]

It is on /: he has a whole row

that's good to know
some fish when the lack oxygen the gills turn wonky colors

 

[SaltySloth]

He just has poor color. Those are his gills you see behind his gill plates. That is normal. But I do recommend a better testing kit as well.

How can I improve his color?

 

[Guest14017]

How can I improve his color?

For my orange fish, I find a black sand always really helps them deepen in color. I also feed the Blood Parrot a little Flowerhorn color food now and then. Also good lighting helps a ton too.

Here's my Blood Parrot named Mary. He's 4-5 years old or so and he's still a pretty decent orange. They tend to fade as they age and not much can often be done about that but younger ones can be vivid.

 

[Sgooosh]

For my orange fish, I find a black sand always really helps them deepen in color. I also feed the Blood Parrot a little Flowerhorn color food now and then. Also good lighting helps a ton too.

Here's my Blood Parrot named Mary. He's 4-5 years old or so and he's still a pretty decent orange. They tend to fade as they age and not much can often be done about that but younger ones can be vivid.View attachment 143541

do you know anything about feeding fruits with color in them to fish ? idk i just thought of that

yeah i have a black sand and it made my green cories turn brownish red