Geez, I gave myself a coronary

[frizzlefish]

Come downstairs this morning, turn on the tank lights and start to count everyone when I see......... hmmm that fish looks new? WAIT! That a tetra with NO black color along the bottom!!!! Fish losing color!


ACK!!!

Something is wrong with my water!! CRAP!

So I go to the kitchen to get the testing kits, thinking for SURE that all my fish are doomed, I come back in and the little buggers are black again??

Then I read here something about tetras doing that? Weird.

[hungryhound]

I wonder if you scared him when you turned the lights on. Make sure that you don't plunge them from complete darkness to noon day sunshine in a blink of an eye.

[Lady Hobbs]

Yes, this is common. They fade out when stressed. I tossed all mine in the 55 yesterday and boy are they happy now. Just as black as can be and loving the room.

[Willyleigh]

I have Neons and they are always colourless when the lights are off, when they come back on again they soon return to their normal colour.

[Nautilus29]

I read somewhere that they use the light somehow for there color.

[Drumachine09]

I read somewhere that they use the light somehow for there color.

I read that too. sounds plausible.


Hope your back into your skin after nearly jumping out of it.

[Chrona]

Yep, my cardinals are colorless until about 15 minutes of light.

[frizzlefish]

I thought I read that here somewhere, too bad it wasn't until after it happened to me!

[Chrona]

Deceased was found in front of fish tank. Cause of death: heart failure.

lol

[frizzlefish]

Deceased was found in front of fish tank. Cause of death: heart failure.

lol


All fish were reported in fine condition.

[Tails]

Is this only cardinal tetras or all tetras?

[frizzlefish]

Well, mine are called "zebra tetras" by my LFS guy but they are actually Belgian Flag Tetras, or at least very similiar to these I found online.

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I didn't notice my neons doing it, just the black stripe on these.

[Chrona]

Is this only cardinal tetras or all tetras?

Many fish with bright colors will do this. I guess it evolved out of a need for survival. You don't exactly want to be a glowing dot in the water come nighttime.