Platy fish is one of the most popular freshwater aquarium fish. They are small, colorful, and affordable, which makes them an attractive choice for many hobbyists. However, there are some things that you should know about Platyfish before adding them to your tank. These fish are often seen changing colors all of the sudden. And we, aquarists, have to struggle to find out the reason why. Why do Platy fish change color?
Platy fish change color when they are stressed or when they get older. You should not worry if your fish changes color, but you may want to take some actions to bring them back into their vibrant colors.
Platyfish can change the color given off by small numbers of genes within their cells in response to various factors. A good quality diet can also affect a Platy fish’s colors.
In this article, we will discuss why platies change color in their tanks and what causes it.
Should You Worry If Platy Fish Change Their Color?
Yes, you should.
Platy fish can be stress out if their color changes due to the sudden change in water condition, tank mates, or any other environmental factor they are exposed to. Remember that changing color is a sign of disease, and your platy deserves proper treatment for it. This will help bring them back into vibrant colors as well!
Put them into a medication bath and treat them with good food to ensure they are healthy as ever!
Genes, stress, diet, water quality, pregnancy, wrong lighting conditions can all change the color of your pet Platy fish. This is why you should always keep an eye on their health status and take care of them properly. Otherwise – this will lead to death!
Why Do My Platy Fish Change Color?
There are many different reasons why your fish is changing color. However, here are some of the most common causes.
Genes
Fish change color due to genetics. The only way you can control this is by breeding fish with more appealing genes.
Stressing Out Your Fish
Stress causes fish to lose their algae eating abilities, and they become unable to absorb nutrients through their skin. This causes the fish to become pale and will eventually lead them to death.
When a Platy is stressed, say because of an aggressive tank mate or poor water conditions, its body will produce more enzymes that are known as “tyrosinase.” Tyrosinase causes the fish’s color to change.
Diet
Fish that are not fed a proper diet will change color because they don’t get enough nutrients in their body. This is why it is important to give your fish only quality food that’s rich in vitamins.
Poor Water Quality
When water quality declines, it can cause many different problems such as poor color, lack of appetite, and fin rot.
Pregnancy
Female fish change colors when they are pregnant because their body is preparing for birth and will need to protect the fry once they’re born.
Wrong Lighting
If your tank has a light that emits ultraviolet rays, this can cause fish to lose their color, and it will never come back.
Diseases
Fish can change colors due to disease. Therefore, you should always quarantine new fish before adding them to your tank. If a fish becomes sick, then the best thing you can do is treat them according to how bad they are infected.
Old Age
Aging is an unavoidable process that affects all living things. As your fish gets older, it will start to lose its color. Fish lose their color as they get older. This is also true for humans.
Platy fish will change color throughout their lives. They start with bright solid colors, and as they age, the colors begin to fade. That’s why many hobbyists refer to them as “the poor man’s betta.” This process can take weeks or years, depending on how quickly they are aging.
Aggressive Tank Mates
When you have aggressive fish in your tank, it can cause stress to the other more passive ones and eventually lead them to death if they are not taken out of the aquarium right away. Also, it’s best that you only have one male in your aquarium because they will fight until death for mating rights.
Substrate
When you use a substrate that is not inert, it can cause color changes to the fish, especially reds and yellows, which are toxic. Therefore, you should always go with an inert substrate if you want your fish to stay healthy.
Hormone Induced Colors
If you have two females in your tank and one of them is getting ready to give birth, the other fish will begin to change colors because she has increased hormones that influence her body.
How To Bring Your Platy Fish Into Their Vibrant Color?
The best way to bring your Platy fish into their vibrant color is by treating any diseases, feeding them nutritious food, and eliminating stress. Other than that, you should also maintain water conditions by keeping the tank clean and adding plants and decorations so they can feel safe in your home aquarium environment. Another way to bring out their vibrancy of colors is changing lighting if necessary or moving them to a bigger tank.
Maintain Water Conditions
You need to maintain water conditions by keeping the tank clean. This means to change the water regularly, do weekly small 50% changes, and check ammonia levels every other day for the correct amount of 0 ppm. Also, you need to vacuum gravel with a siphon hose or remove visible debris from surfaces daily while cleaning the glass once in a while.
You can bring your Platy fish into their vibrant color is by maintaining water conditions through keeping the tank clean, doing weekly small 50% changes, checking ammonia levels every other day, and vacuum gravel with a siphon hose or remove visible debris from surfaces daily while cleaning the glass once in a while.
Feed Good Food
It would help if you also fed your Platy fish nutritious food. This means a good diet of live, frozen, and flake foods that are high in protein for all stages of development, including fry or baby fish to adults.
Change Lighting
Another way to bring out their vibrancy of colors is by changing lighting if necessary. Platies are naturally bright fish, so they need at least medium-intensity light in their environment, which you can achieve with the right lighting fixture on your tank. If that’s not enough for them to pop, you can try changing the color of your aquarium gravel or decorations as long as it’s safe for them.
Move To A Bigger Tank
If they feel stuck and confined in a small environment, then that could stress them out. Moving them to a bigger tank will increase the number of suitable hiding places, and they’ll feel more comfortable in their new home aquarium environment.
Eliminate Stress
Another way you can bring out their vibrancy is by eliminating stress as much as possible from the equation. This means feeding them only twice a day, avoid moving things around in the tank, or touching their water. Also, avoid overcrowding your fish by keeping at least one inch of space between each fish and keep up with regular maintenance every other day to prevent diseases from spreading.
Treat Diseases
The best way to bring out Platy’s vibrant colors is to treat any diseases causing the change. Diseases can make your fish look sickly, pale, and in other colors. Treating you Platy with medicines will bring back his natural color in no time!
Kind Tank Mates
Turning your Platy’s tank mates into kind ones can help bring out colors too. This is because stress will cause fish to look dull and sickly, which in the end, makes them change colors.
Add Plants And Decorations
Plants are always a great addition to any aquarium or fishbowl! They act as natural decorations that can bring out the colors of your Platy. They are perfect for fighting against stress too!
Are Platy Fish A Naturally Bright Fish?
Yes, Platy fish are naturally bright and colorful, but sometimes they can change color.
Platies are naturally bright fish, so it’s not surprising if you see them change their color now and then. However, their vibrant coloring is what makes them stand out from other fish!
Factors affecting a platy fish’s color include stress, diet, water conditions, lighting, and diseases.
How Long Does It Take For Platy Fry To Get Color?
It takes, however, weeks for platies to get their color back. Usually, they will be pale during the first month and start changing colors slowly after this time period! You might also notice them getting bigger too.
It can take around two weeks for fry to get their vibrant colors. This all depends on the health of your fish and how well you are taking care of them.
FAQ
What Do You Feed Your Platy To Make Them Change Color?
There are many types of good foods that can help change your fish color. These include bloodworms, brine shrimp, daphnia, and more. Just make sure not to overfeed them or give them too much food because this will cause an excess of waste that can affect your water quality.
When Do Male Fish Attract Females?
Platies are usually very gentle fish, but once they see the right female to mate with, it’s game on! Males will start swimming around females and showing off their best colors. They do this because males need to attract other male Platy fish too- otherwise, they will beat them up and take their females!
Male fish can attract females by using bright colors, fins that they flare up to get the female’s attention, and even dance moves! They use their vibrant colorings to catch the female fish’s eye so that she will be happy with him as a mate.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Platy fish are naturally colorful, and they can change colors depending on their environment. Many factors can affect a platy fish’s color, including hormones, diseases, and more. Make sure you take good care of your fish to keep them looking their best!
If you have any questions, feel free to ask us!
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