Why do red parrot fish turn white? Hangtai Aquarium answers

Parrot fish are loved by many families for their bright and festive body color. Normally, the body color of parrot fish is red all over. However, some fish keepers have found that after keeping their parrot fish at home for a while, the color fades, gradually fading to white or turning black. What exactly is the reason for this? Does a change in body color prove that the fish is unhealthy? Today, let us learn about this common yet annoying problem together.

1. Dye injection

In fact, not all parrot fish have brilliant body colors; a considerable number of them are naturally pale in color. However, many parrot fish were injected with dye by the sellers at the time, and after coming home the dye gradually fades, so the parrot fish gradually turn white.

2. Feed

Some parrot fish have turned red since they were young only by eating feed with added red-enhancing agents, but when fish keepers buy them and take them home, they rarely continue feeding the original feed, so the body color fades. If you want to maintain it, the owner should buy feed with a red-enhancing effect and feed it to them, but choose one without chemical ingredients to avoid harming the fish's health.

3. Environment

When parrot fish first arrive in a new environment, their body color will turn white for a period of time. The owner need not worry; once they have all adapted, it will gradually return.

4. Water quality

During the first 2-4 hours after a water change, the color of parrot fish will become lighter, but it will soon return to red. If no new water is added for more than 4 days, parrot fish will also turn white in an environment where water quality is deteriorating. Blackening of the parrot fish's mouth or gills is a sensitive sign of poor water quality or of not adapting to the water quality. Therefore, generally change the water once every 2-3 days, changing one third or one quarter at a time. Keeping the water fresh can ensure that parrot fish do not fade.

5. Fish disease

Parrot fish are prone to two diseases. One is white spot disease, which may cause fading, with the color fading in certain areas and even turning white; the other is black spot disease, in which "black spots" grow on the fish's body, appearing grayish-white. These two situations are more troublesome. If it is in the early stage, you can add 1%-3% table salt and soak them once a day for no more than 10 minutes each time; if it has reached the middle or late stage, you can put red mercury into the tank until the water turns light red, which has a very good effect of eliminating pathogens, but it cannot be used repeatedly, because mercury is toxic and not easily excreted by the fish. In addition, mercurous nitrate is also a specific remedy, but using this medicine is very risky, because the fish are very sensitive to it and it easily causes death.

6. Temperature

Although parrot fish have strong adaptability to temperature, they are actually quite sensitive to temperature as well. Under low water temperature and drastic changes in water temperature, parrot fish are prone to stress reactions, and their body color will also turn white, losing its brilliant luster, and black stripes or markings may even appear on the fins and tail. Therefore, the fish tank should be placed in a place indoors with small temperature differences, and it is best to keep the water temperature within the range of 25~28°C, and the water temperature difference before and after each water change should not exceed 0.5°C. In addition, in winter, attention should also be paid to heating and oxygenating the fish tank.

7. Being startled

After red parrot fish are startled, they will fade or develop black spots, and they will recover after a period of time. It is recommended that owners had best not keep them mixed with large aggressive fish; you should know that parrot fish are famously cowardly.

The market price of parrot fish is not high; usually an ordinary variety costs 15-40 yuan each, and they can be kept mixed with fish such as oscars, blue sharks, plecos, flower tigers, and seven-star knives. These fish are all inexpensive and very affordable. They can also be kept together with some noble varieties, such as arowanas, fancy cats, dinosaur fish, and flowerhorns, but the number of parrot fish should be larger.

Generally, the rectangular small or medium tanks sold in fish stores are all fine, but they cannot be too small. Parrot fish are not small in size, and they are greedy, like to chase, and like groups, so a tank as large as possible is more conducive to growth. Taking 4 fish as an example, generally an 80×50×45 tank is more common.

That is all for today's content. I hope it can help everyone. If there are any shortcomings, I hope the seniors will give guidance. Here I wish everyone success in keeping fish and great wealth!