My Otos Changed Color?

[rothenb1]

I have 6 Otos in my tank. I love them, I think they are adorable. However, something peculiar happened, that I just noticed today... they changed color!?

They used to look like this:

But now the stripe down the side is completely gone and just the splotch of black is on their tail. I've also noticed they are way more outgoing than they used to be, which is why I noticed the color change today. What could have happened??

 

[loraxchick]

did their body darken up, or did the stripe fade?

 

[rothenb1]

did their body darken up, or did the stripe fade?

The stripe faded.

 

[Big_eyes]

Mine usually do this for the first hour of the lights being on but then return to normal after.

I suffered some bad water problems not so long back too and that also caused them to change colour. They stayed faded/almost pale grey until the problem was sorted.

 

[loraxchick]

well, just check your water stats and make sure they are ok..also watch for any other fish harassing them. really, the photo oto looks really good...has a nice little belly on him. otos are pretty skittish little guys and i imagine can be stressed out pretty quickly and go pale. they should darken back up when they feel secure.
cheers

 

[rothenb1]

Mine usually do this for the first hour of the lights being on but then return to normal after.

I suffered some bad water problems not so long back too and that also caused them to change colour. They stayed faded/almost pale grey until the problem was sorted.

Great, that makes a lot of sense. I had just turned the light on for the day only about 15 minutes before I noticed it!

well, just check your water stats and make sure they are ok..also watch for any other fish harassing them. really, the photo oto looks really good...has a nice little belly on him. otos are pretty skittish little guys and i imagine can be stressed out pretty quickly and go pale. they should darken back up when they feel secure.
cheers

This also makes sense. I introduced 4 new tetras into the tank today. The oto in the photo is actually not mine, but ganked from the internet. They did look exactly like the photo though, same little plump bellies

 

[loraxchick]

fat little pot bellies are the BEST indication of oto health. they are fairly skittish (at least mine are...they zoom away if i go up to the tank, but are very very fat and healthy otherwise)...could just be some stress. it is amazing how fast some fish can lose color, otos being in that group. just make sure their poop is green (should be rather evident) and they have nice round bellies. other than that, nothing to worry about.. they are just nervous fish.
cheers