[F8LBITEva]

*** had this fish for over 2 months now and he is doing great and eating well. He pretty much has the whole tank to swim around in and noone bothers him but he rarely shows his stripes when the lights are on. In the morning when I turn the lights on he looks great showing lots of black and his real dark stripe right behind his head but he immediately starts to go to just blue. Anyone have any ideas? Is it cuz I dont have a female for him?

When I turn on lights he's like this:

Usually like this, no stripes:

 

[MalawiLover]

Fish coclor is affected by mood and surroundings. AT night the tank is dark, so he darkens up to fit in. When the lights come on and the very light substrate reflects the light, he lightens up so that he doesn't stand out so much.

What else is in the tank? Maybe he doesn't feel like the most dominant fish, so colors down a bit.

 

[F8LBITEva]

Hey MalawiLover!
I see you are in Fairfax, Annandale here howdy neighbor!

I mostly have juvenile fish im growing out like Baenschi Peacock, Eureka Albino, Taiwan reef, Red empress,one Tropheus red moliro and I also have a few full grown Peacocks but by far the Electra is easily twice as big as any other fish in the tank.

 

[CDMOK]

My Placidochromis Pheno does this as well - they are similar to the electra. I can tell his mood by his stripes, even beneath the specks. When he's stressed, he can turn near white with no stripes, and is deep black and blue when he's fairly content.

Beautiful fish :thumb:

 

[F8LBITEva]

Thanks CDMOK
Yeah he flashes his stripes when he's eating or bumping heads. Oh well Im glad mine isnt the only one. Pheno is next on my list when I get my 6 FT tank.

 

[Malawi Hawk]

Mine do it also...They feel safer when lights are off,it's like they can fully relax and just let it all hang out. :thumb:

 

[Rift485]

My Tram Intermedius loses his spots when he's feeling dominant. When I come home from work and the tank has been lit by natural light all day his body is completely green. As soon as I turn the light on his spots come back and he starts begging for food. So it may also be that he isn't concerned with exerting his dominance when he knows there may be food coming

 

[Regulatorocks]

**** i wish my electra would get a dark blue like that, his body is usually white colored but the bars vary in darkness depending on his mood or light.

 

[SubMariner]

It's all relative to the species and his environment, but your assumption of the missing female might be the answer Mr. FatallyBitten in a Red Ford Escort somewhere in Centerville VA ...

 

[SubMariner]

By the way, the fish is gorgeous. :thumb: