What substrate you got brother? They're pretty wily fish..and to an extent i believe, like most animals, they like to 'blend in' with their environment.

I switched from brownish gravel to white sand and noticed within a day or two (as I expected) that most of my fish, especially the darker coloured ones (ie.male johanni) started to look paler and 'washed out'.

So.. this is just a guess and I'm far from an expert, but what substrate?

 

What is the stock list exactly? Have you done a ammonia/nitrite/nitrate test? Is this a standard dimensions 125?

The fish seem stressed; easily caused by aggression, poor water quality or illness.

Posting the stock list, test results and even some pictures of your fish/tank setup could help.

My substrate is a light coloured sand and my fish colour up fine. The darker substrates might contrast slightly better but the difference is minimal imo. People choose black backgrounds to hide their equipment. However if you don't have a backing of some sort your fish can look a bit faded.

 

Good advice from Michael M. Also the stock may be incompatible, which is usually the reason in my tank if someone is not coloring up.

Note that my Lwanda does not have a yellow body. What collection point is it?

Your fish have been in the tank less than a week? Regardless of the size it can take several weeks for the fish to relax into the tank and regain color. My experience with adding a large fish (8" in my case) was that he would not even eat for days and took longer to acclimate than I had ever experienced before. So if all else is good, it might be a matter of patience.

 

Posting some pictures wouldn't hurt. Are all of the fish faded out, or just some?

 

Wow...thanks for the fast response everyone! Much appreciated! I am at work right now and do not have access to new pictures however I can answer the other questions as well as go through my phone for some images I've taken this week.

The tank is a typical 125G, 6ft long. The substrate is Leslie's Pool Filter Sand and I am also using a 3D slimline background. Lighting is AquaticLife 2x T5HO (Actinic & 10,000).

Not ALL of the fish are exhibiting this problem, however MOST of them are. For example, my Blue Regal and Ngara Flametail appear to be unaffected.

I am due for a chemical test tonight, therefore I can update the thread with that information. However, the last test I did, Nitrites and Ammonia were 0. Nitrates were between 60ppm-80ppm. I had done a 75% water change that night. I will update the post later with more recent findings.

Here was a video (

) I took 3 days ago. Note, most fish here are lighter then they normally would be. On top of that, as of yesterday, most were lighter than the video. Note the Lwanda...At the 15 second mark in the video, you can see how pale it's become (its even a bit worse now). On June 28th, prior to the video (the day I got him) it looked like this:

Here is a picture of the Red Empress and Insignus as of last night. Both got much lighter. The Insignus' body was as blue as the face when I got him:

I can post more relevant images of specific fish when I get home later. One thing I noticed is by turning off the filter, ALL of the fish started hanging out in the lower/mid region of the tank, swimming around. Even the smaller guys started 'playing tag'. Normally my smaller guys hang out at the top of the tank above the spray bar. Could flow be too much? I also noticed, in particular, after the filter being off for 20 minutes or so, the Venustus got his giraffe spots back and the Insignus darkend slightly. Then again, maybe it's a placebo effect...?

Again, I will post up more specific shots and chemical test later this evening. I am also compiling my stock list to post up in a few.

Again, I appreciate all of the help and support you member shave provided. I would have never made it this far with my tank without you and I appreciate the willingness to further help me figure out this potential problem!

 

The fish look fine in the video and I don't see a problem with either Red Empress or Insignus.

A generic reason why some of them could be losing color is because you have dominant and sub-dominant fish.
The Lwanda colored down because he was singly added to the tank. When you add fish, try do so in groups. By adding singles, there's a higher chance for the lone fish to become a target.

 

When you add in a fish to an existing hierarchy, either that fish becomes THE dominant fish, or becomes a target as it tries to find it's place. If it is THE dominant fish, it will maintain it's full colour. IF it isn't, it won't. Your fish are mostly like teenagers right now. The dominant ones will try and showoff more, and exert their dominance more. As these fish mature, they'll be less aggressive, and the lesser fish are more likely to colour up. What you are hoping to see in your fish, is the full breeding dress of males, who are dominant. Not everybody can be dominant at once. As time goes by, I would expect more and more of your fish to gain colour, but not everyone will, and it depends on how aggressive the dominant fish in the tank becomes. I think your tank situation looks pretty normal.

 

Also, you just removed an aggressive fish, is that correct? That could have been a contributing factor as well.

 

I'm just jealous you can buy fish like that at a LFS. Have you rearranged the rockwork recently? I find that a few days after adding fish and they've settled in it can help them out to give them a chance to establish themselves better. Agree with Danni on the removal too, I recently removed a Proto. Annectens and it caused one of my peacocks to become a bully for a for days trying to rise in the hierarchy.

 

Also, you just removed an aggressive fish, is that correct? That could have been a contributing factor as well.

That is what I thought as well....maybe it was a moori or I am thinking of somebody else.

 

Thanks for the information so far guys!

That's correct... My Moorri got into a fight with the Venuatus and was chasing the deep water and mloto. I never saw it chase a peacock though.

Here is my stick list with an estimate on their size:

- Blue Regal (4in)
- Mloto (5in)
- Ngara Flametail (4.5in)
- Ngara Flametail (2in)
- Ruby Red (2in)
- Benga Yellow (3in)
- German Red (3in)
- Jacobfriebergi otter pt (4in)
- Turkis (4in)
- Venustus (6in)
- Lwanda (4in)
- Taiwan Reef (3.5in)
- Red Empress (6in)
- Tanzania (insignis, 6.5in)
- Moorii (6in, on timeout right now)
- Dragonblood (3.5in)
- Deep Water Hap (5in)
- Lithobates (3in)
- Maylandi (3.5in)
- Red Shoulder (3in)
- Flavescent (4in)
- 2x BN pleco (2in and 3in)

Here are some more pictures (cell phone) of fish tonight:

Benga yellow:

Taiwan Reef:

Maylandi:

Red shoulder (bottom center)

Lwanda:

Thanks again for all of your help!

 

from the pics *** seen id agree with most of wat was already said with the exception that i believe u have too little rock with that many fish (even peacocks like to hide out every now and again) and theyre all juveniles still. got lots of growing to do and lots more issues down the road. i personally would consider rehoming anyone too passive and removing anyone overly aggressive. maybe consider some dither in the form of a mbuna school (yellow labs r a decent choice) just something to break up the peacocks from drilling on each other 24/7

 

Everything I've read stated Peacocks and Hap prefer the open water vs having a lot of caves. Also, aren't mbunana bit too aggressive? I understand yellow labs are a "peaceful" mbuna, but are they peaceful enough for peacocks?

 

I would leave the mbuna out. The maylandi is not going to colour up in this mix no matter what.

I too would add more rocks, these fish are not really open water and very few Malawian cichlids are.

 

Do I add more rock in the sense of making caves?

Also, with the maylandi, would it be better to get a 5 inch adult that's ready colored? Or do you feel it will still lose its color? My LFS had a HUGE adult Maylandi when I got the Red Empress.

Thanks!

 

It is still likely to lose it's color. It's not a maturity thing, but rather a dominance thing.

 

If your relationship with the LFS is good they may take him back for credit if he doesn't work out.

Saw a fully coloured lethrinops red cap in a all male malawi today, so sometimes taking a punt against the odds works out. But I agree with DJ, its not likely.

 

Thanks for the replies everyone. Here is an update as I realized I never posted the chemical test:

Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 80ppm
pH - 6.8
GH - 12 drops = 200-400

Interestingly enough, my pH seems to have dropped. It used to be around 7.4-7.6. Isn't 6.8 rather low for cichlids? Should I start buffering my water?

I was watching TV and noticed that my flavescent (usisya) was a rather bleak yellow. Normally this guy is one of my 'hardier' guys as I've never seen him lose color (similar to my flametail and blue regal). He was more of a tan than bright yellow.

I immediately did a chemical test and mis-tested my ammonia...it was showing over 1ppm! I freaked out and began doing a water change. I restested ammonia, twice and both times it was 0. Phew!!

However, during the process of shutting off the filter and heater, and sucking water out of the tank, the favescent colored right back up...? Where as others, like the benga and German reds both turned nearly white during the process.

I also noticed through this, my German reds waste was white and stringy...?

I'm uploading a video to YouTube on my filter flow. That's the only real change that got my flatvescents color back. Other than that I'm not sure if my ph is part of the problem or if it's all chalked up to maturity and dominance.

Thanks again!

 

What is your KH? That will drive your pH and so it is more important. Don't change your pH until you see what the KH is. What is your tap water pH and KH as well.

Nitrate=80 is double the safe level (40ppm) and I like to keep nitrate even lower at 20ppm maximum. So I'd do a 50% water change today and 50% tomorrow to start getting into a reasonable range.

Or maybe since you already changed some water, the nitrates are lower now? What are your test results after the water change?

Organics will lower pH, so removing some nitrates with the water change may have already increased your pH.

 

I'd keep a eye on the fish with the white feces. It can be a indicator of bloat, but often fish seem to do it for no apparent reason. Just make sure hes eating normally, he hasn't sustained any recent damage and he isn't being harassed.

I find some of my peacocks are unphased by water changes/rock removal ect, while some turn very pale, they are all fine after things return to normal though. As for your peacock gaining/losing colour; they are probably just working out whos the boss.

 

I did another full blown water chemistry test tonight. I found something interesting with the KH. According to the API instructions it says to add one drop at a time until such a time where the water turns from a blue to a yellow. After the first three drops, it's a pale yellow. We NEVER saw any blue! Here is a picture of the KH test. The KH tube is on the LEFT, ammonia on the right (you can see PH and nitrate in the back). Should I be adding drops until it's a "bright yellow" or the minute it's pale yellow is the test over? According to the directions it says you can look down the tube. When I do this it's a BRIGHT yellow.

Providing the test is correct, and the KH is at 3 drops...that's a problem, is it not? My PH registered at a 6.8 again today. However, in our mbuna tank (same tap water) the PH was a 7.2. I'm starting to think that the low PH and KH could be playing a factor.

Also, as I said I posted up a video of my flow from the spray bar. Do you think this is too much agitation for the peacocks/haps? I noticed my german red (2.5") always stays above the bar until it's feeding time. My benga stays below the bar but against the back wall. To me, it appears they are attempting to avoid the current.

Thank you guys!

 

If I dont buffer my water then they will both change colours after one drop meaning almost no hardness. Also if that is your ammonia in the front right it is very yellow and according to my tests that means a high amount of ammonia which is bad.

 

Right now your ammonia, nitrites and nitrates are the main concern. Once you get your tank cycled, then yes, I'd buffer using baking soda. Read the article in the CF Library about water chemistry to get amounts.

To see if the current is too much, I'd want to see video of the fish, not the surface. If they are not getting blown around at the bottom, it should be fine. Fish that lurk under the surface are likely being harassed, even if you don't witness the harrassment.

 

The higher nitrates also tend to lower Ph. Once they are under control your Ph may not be as bad.

 

Right now your ammonia, nitrites and nitrates are the main concern. Once you get your tank cycled, then yes, I'd buffer using baking soda. Read the article in the CF Library about water chemistry to get amounts.

Thanks, DJ. I definitely know Nitrates are a problem as they were 80 two days ago and are around 40 now after a 60PWC. However, the Ammonia is at 0 as is the Nitrites. I plan to do another 50-60PWC again today or tomorrow to hope to cut it in half yet again. Nitrates out of the tap are near 0 so I know the source is fine.

I will also take another video of just the fish for you.

In regards to the buffer...Is it ok to add this mixture directly to the tank? I use the Aqueon Water Changer, so the tap goes directly in the tank with no middleman (bucket). I empty some water, add prime then re-fill. Is it ok to add the buffer to the tank once it's been re-filled? I also assume I shouldn't jump from 6.8 to 8.0, but rather a gradual change?