My Zebra Danio Is Taking On Colour Characteristics Of My Golden Danio&

[Angel_Queen]

Hi all,

Slightly stumped at the moment. We've had our zebra danios since tank set-up and have recently added golden danios to the tank (within last month). We noticed this evening that one of the zebra danios is taking on colour characteristics of the golden ones - in that it is taking on a golden tinge in some parts that is stronger that it's stripes.

What is stranger still, is that one of the golden danios has started developing zebra stripes.

We've read that disease can be a cause for paling of the colour, but there doesn't appear to be any "paling" as such or disease - but rather a change in scale colour and pattern. We've also read that colour change can also be attributed to water levels, and although our ph is relatively high (at 8) and our hardness is just out of the recommended (at 13), we don't seem to have any problems with our fish.

I suppose my question is, is it normal for fish of the same family to adapt to each others colours? Or should I be worried about their health.

 

[SJ2K]

Never heard of it myself, what about your other water stats? Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate?

 

[Angel_Queen]

We have completed the cycle - so Ammonia: 0 ; Nitrite: 0; Nitrate: 40ppm (before weekly water change on Sunday)

 

[SJ2K]

Hmmmm, certainly sounds odd, guessing you didnt quaranteen?

 

[Angel_Queen]

No we didn't, does it sound like it could be disease?

 

[SJ2K]

Well really it doesnt sound obviously bad atall, if it is disease then its somthing ive not read about before. If you can get ahold of Wilder (usually lurking in the emergencies section) he might be able to shed some light.

 

[Angel_Queen]

Thanks. Will do.

 

[The-Wolf]

zebra danios, when sexualy mature, will have a yellow tinge to them.
it sounds like yours are showing of their colours to encourage a mate.

 

[Luketendo]

zebra danios, when sexualy mature, will have a yellow tinge to them.
it sounds like yours are showing of their colours to encourage a mate.

That obviously why all my danios went yellow underneath, and I thought they were unhealthy!

 

[Polenth]

Slightly stumped at the moment. We've had our zebra danios since tank set-up and have recently added golden danios to the tank (within last month). We noticed this evening that one of the zebra danios is taking on colour characteristics of the golden ones - in that it is taking on a golden tinge in some parts that is stronger that it's stripes.

What is stranger still, is that one of the golden danios has started developing zebra stripes.

By gold danio, do you mean the golden colour version of zebra danios? That would explain the situation easily. Gold zebra danios are a bit stripey and normal zebra danios are a bit gold. The fish are going to get more colourful/vividly patterned as they show off to these new strangers, so you'd suddenly see your fish looking different. Zebra danios are good at recognising each other, regardless of colour or pattern.

 

[Angel_Queen]

By gold danio, do you mean the golden colour version of zebra danios? That would explain the situation easily. Gold zebra danios are a bit stripey and normal zebra danios are a bit gold. The fish are going to get more colourful/vividly patterned as they show off to these new strangers, so you'd suddenly see your fish looking different. Zebra danios are good at recognising each other, regardless of colour or pattern.

When we bought them, they were labelled as golden danios, so this is all I know them as. I guess they may just be a crossbreed of the zebra with another. After doing some more research on the family, I've seen that this is quite common in getting new fish types.

zebra danios, when sexualy mature, will have a yellow tinge to them.
it sounds like yours are showing of their colours to encourage a mate.

Thanks Wolf for that bit. Very interesting!

As i said, they don't seem to be distressed, and from the water tests cannot find there to be anything wrong with them. Will keep an eye on them and see what happens!
Thanks all for your help x

 

[luke v]

the golden danios are also known as golden zebra danios, this may explain the zebra stripes

 

[lucypuke]

Yes, I realize I'm late for this thread but I had a strange thing happen with my danios and googled it and this was the first good link.. so.. I had 5 Zebra danios and 3 gold danios in a community tank with other fish including 6 neon tetras. Last year I noticed one of the male zebras wasn't schooling with the danios but was instead floating with the tetras. I noticed over the months his stripes faded out and he started getting a darker solid pattern on his top similar to the tetra pattern. My tank sprung a leak last month and I had to move all my fish to a spare tank while I resealed it, and all but one of the tetras died during the transition (they were pretty old anyway) and I noticed today the danio's stripes were back almost completely. It's really bizarre. Just wondering if anyone has discovered an explanation for this.