Colouration of BP

protoxeno

New Member
Is it normal for blood parrots to lose colour after a few months in your tank? I got these BP from the big box chain fish store a few months back, one BP colour didn't fade but the other one is turning pinkish. You could see the white on the scales.
 

frozen-fire

New Member
this ALWAYS happens to me, that's why i stopped getting them.
I know that some people have had great success in keeping the blood red colour. they usually just feed them hikari food sticks.
 

endi

New Member
colours on them come and go....when u think you lost all the colour.. it'll come back (depends what u feed of course)
 

jackson

Member
I thought some are real BP's and others are dyed. I think most of the ones for sale in most LFS are not the real thing. I have seen many threads on this subject. I really dont know what is right or wrong but it sounds like it could be true. I dont know:)
 

Aroboy II

New Member
Is it normal for blood parrots to lose colour after a few months in your tank? I got these BP from the big box chain fish store a few months back, one BP colour didn't fade but the other one is turning pinkish. You could see the white on the scales.

pH plays a part bro. Acidic water will make the colour fade a little and more vibrant in alkaline water.
 

GRANDDRAGON

New Member
pH plays a part bro. Acidic water will make the colour fade a little and more vibrant in alkaline water.

I keep 6 BP and 5 king kong parrots. All were affected by ph so I would go by this comment that Aroboy II has made. Also food also has a factor along with color of base of tank and background.
 

danfong88

New Member
feeding the HIKARI Food Stick helps the colour of the Pariot Fish, so the orange is staying..... so far... maybe you should check your water? water parameters OK?
water changes 25% each week will help.
 

Marius

New Member
Fading colors can also be a sign of hormoned fish. Do you have any updates on this, how's the fish doing and what are you feeding them?

Red color is enhanced in a fish by carotene. Find a food brand that is rich in that and give it a try.
 

JMorash

Moderator
True blood parrots should be eugenically bred to look like that. So genetics plays a huge roll. "Blood Parrots" (as in the fake ones they often sell at walmart) are hormonally enhanced orange fish, or occasionally dyed fish. Either one will fade with time. Even true blood parrots will fade once they are old, most fish do. Like Marius said, high carotene food helps a lot (blood worms, krill, prawns)

IMO, I think they are all deformed and ugly, and would go for the ture parrot Hoplarchus Psittacus any day over them haha. I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder though. It's like someone tried to make the cichlid equivalent of the fancy goldfish and it went all wrong hahah.

I would like to see updates as well.

JMorash
 
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