My guppy's bizarre black spot.

[kitty falol]

I've got a gorgeous male guppy that was born a couple of months ago. He's developed a beautiful yellow tail with black spots and a yellow and black spotted dorsal fin.

A week ago, I noticed that he'd developed a black spot on his side, a day or 2 later I noticed that it had gone which I thought was a bit strange. This morning I looked at him and the spot was back again, an hour later it was gone and now it's back again I'm thinking of calling him David Copperfield!

I swear there's only 1 like him in my tank so why can he seem to turn this black spot on and off? It's very strange, but very cool. B)

 

[WILDER]

If it is black spot it's easy to cure, but I don't no a med to treat if it is blackspot.

 

[kitty falol]

No, I don't think it's a medical problem. It appears to be part of his pigmentation. It's in exactly the same symetrical place on either side of his body, it's just sometimes it's there and sometimes it's not.

It's not there now, but it might be back tomorrow

 

[WILDER]

Rather strange.

 

[Funki]

I see this ALL the time in my tank of assorted guppies. They change colors like a squid does, just not to the same extent. Usually it has something to do with feeding, lighting or oxygen levels.

 

[kitty falol]

I took both of these pictures today.

This one this morning

and this one a couple of minutes ago

Nothings changed in the meantime, it's really freaky!

 

[guppler]

I've heard that changing colors can be a sign of stress or temperature change. My firts fish that did it was a female beta and that might have had something to do with breeding condition, but it did seem to change when it was cool in the morning or at night and later as it got warmer.
My first Endler had a great disapearing reapearing spaot, and I think all enlershave that at least to some extent with the big black spots on their sides. I don't have that first endler anymore, but the other day I was watching his 2 bigggest sons chasing each other around and one looked almost like tiger but bigger and the other was almost identical but with no big black slash on the side. usually mine seem to keep their spots more consistently as they get older.
I haven't noticed changing colors as much with my nonendler type guppies.

 

[enchanted]

That appears to be a Green Cobra Male. At only a few months old his colors could still be filling in and that could be part of what is taking place.

This isn't a great picture, but if you look you can see that my Green Cobra has the black spots running through his entire body.

I also agree that varoius water conditions along with feeding, etc... can cause Guppys to change colors.

I have a male that was a darker purple with a yellow spot. Over the last couple of weeks he has darkened to what appears to be glossy black from a distant but up close is still purple and the yello spot has turned purple.

For mine it is definitely a sign of a happy guppy as he settled in, his fins have grown a lot and his coloring overall has improved.

 

[Clangille14]

My guppy does the exact same thing i dont get it. Its a green dot rn but will be black later

 

[Demeter32]

All fish can change their color to different shade depending on mood. My African cichlids will be rather drab looking when the dominant male chases them about, then when he's not looking and they want to flirt with the girls their colors blossom. Loads of other fish species will become brighter when in breeding mode, guppies are likely the same. I've also noticed that when "sleeping" my fish will be a darker or lighter (depends on the fish) color than when they are awake.

Then there's the stress factor and poor health. Your boy looks fine so I wouldn't worry at all about this.

 

[NickAu]

All fish can change their color to different shade depending on mood

They sure can, One of my female Bettas develops stress stripes if you dont feed her first, she can turn the stress stripes on n off at will, as soon as you give her a pellet the stress stripes disappear as fast as they appear. Female PK's got to love them.

 

[King puff]

When I turn on the lights in the morning, my fish are pale. They color up a few minutes after the light turns on. I think it is a defense mechanism because if it was night in a blackwater river, I would not want my flashy colors attracting all of the other nocturnal predators.