tiger barbs silver

[Sarkis]

i got 6 tiger barbs when i bought them they were all orange with black stripes, now 4 are siler with black stripes why

 

[skimpy]

Hi sarkis,

can't be sure why with this type of fish, but I was given a beautiful Silver Koi once for my pond. It came from someone who had purchased the Koi for their tank and then it grew too big. Within days of being in our pond it went goldish colour and then darkened up more and more.

When I looked into this I was told that the tank environment was not right for the fish so he never got his true colours. He was a Ghost Koi all along and now he is in the right environment his has turned to his natural colour.

Don't know if the same sort of thing could apply in you case but suppose it's a possibility??? (perhaps the lfs tank conditions were not too good)

Good luck, hope you find the reason, its confusing when you think you have one think and then it changes to another.

 

[FishDan]

Tiger barbs are supposed to be silver with black stripes. The orange or red should only be at the nose/mouth area (males only) and at the tips of the fins and tail.

If your barbs were primarily orange with black stripes, I fear you may have purchased dyed fish, as that is the only way for them to get this color (so long as they are tiger barbs).

\Dan

 

[Sarkis]

Tiger barbs are supposed to be silver with black stripes. The orange or red should only be at the nose/mouth area (males only) and at the tips of the fins and tail.

If your barbs were primarily orange with black stripes, I fear you may have purchased dyed fish, as that is the only way for them to get this color (so long as they are tiger barbs).

\Dan

ok guys thanks for the information. I have to go investicate. The fish were bought from petsmart. I donno if they dye there fish, anybody know??

 

[FishDan]

My understanding was that PetSmart did not sell dyed fish. It's possible that maybe they were not aware that they were dyed or that someone brought them to the store because they couldn't keep them. Its also possible that your PetSmart got them from their supplyer and just decided to sell them anyhow.

\Dan

 

[handsomeboy]

maybe i could be the food that you feed them.
i read somewhere that food can change fish colors (color enhancing food and so on).

 

[David]

I have never seen silver tiger barbs... are you sure the orange ones are dyed, as they are the only kind I've ever seen. If they are supposed to be silver why are they called tiger barbs?

 

[digital_run]

I've got 6 healthy barbs with plenty of orange on them....and they aren't dyed.

Barbus tetrazona - Tiger Barb...

Native of Sumatra and grows to about 2.5" - 3".
The body color is a golden yellow, with four thick,
distinct black bars. The males have deep orange-
red fins and a bright red snout. The females are
easily spotted by their deep, convex type body
shape.

 

[FishDan]

I've got 6 healthy barbs with plenty of orange on them....and they aren't dyed.

My impression was that the original poster meant they were completely orange. Tiger barbs are not supposed to be completely orange with black stripes. Your description matches what I said for the most part. I called them silver whereas yours says "golden yellow". But we both said orange/red snouts and fins. This is far, far different than an orange fish. I also wouldn't call the fish you have photographed "orange", I would call them predominantly silver, with black stripes and orange fins and mouths.

The body color is a golden yellow, with four thick,
distinct black bars. The males have deep orange-
red fins and a bright red snout.

Tiger barbs are probably called tiger barbs because of the "tiger stripes" not because of their color. A clown loach would be better off called a "tiger loach" if it were based on color alone.