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Clown Loach Coloring

YSS

YSS

Members
I am posting this after seeing Jon Clark's loaches in his tank. Jon's loaches are very dark with almost orange body and deep deep black stripes. All the loaches I ever owned are a lot less orange and black stripes are not as dark as Jon's. Are there darker loaches like the ones Jon owns or is the darker coloring due to environment, health, and other factors? There was a loach in Jon's tank that I didn't even think it was a loach until I looked more closely. Just wondering ....
 
jonclark96

jonclark96

Past CCA President
I don't know the answer, but I can tell you that my clowns are straight from PetSmart when they were on sale a couple of years ago. Mine do get lighter from time to time. I always chalked it up to stress from the cichlids in the tank (or sparring with the other CL's).
 
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Plenipotentiary-at-large
Aquatic chameleons

YSS said:
Jon's loaches are very dark...
Click to expand...

Well it is after all a rather grim household.
:D

Just as likely a function of lighting or substrate background coloration as any actual pigment/physical difference. Or diet. Thus do I imagine.
 
jonclark96

jonclark96

Past CCA President
The tank has PFS for substrate and driftwood, rocks, and clay pots for decor. The staple diet is Xtreme Big Fella, with the occasional red wiggler worm thrown in. Lighting is standard T-12 bulbs from Home Depot (I think they are 4100K).
 
Sonny Disposition

Sonny Disposition

Active Member
Lighting an background will influence coloring, as will what you feed them.

Carotenoids are the principal molecules that influence the reds, yellows, and oranges of many fishes. In my experience, feeding clowns foods with the marine carotenoid astaxanthin brings out red coloring in the clown's fins, whereas foods high in beta carotene make the fins look more orange. Without many carotenoids in the diet, the fins tend to look pale orange.

If you'll forgive the shameless self promotion, awhile back I wrote a page on my blog explaining how carotenoids work to influence fish color:

http://www.sonnysfishroom.com/?page_id=252


YSS said:
I am posting this after seeing Jon Clark's loaches in his tank. Jon's loaches are very dark with almost orange body and deep deep black stripes. All the loaches I ever owned are a lot less orange and black stripes are not as dark as Jon's. Are there darker loaches like the ones Jon owns or is the darker coloring due to environment, health, and other factors? There was a loach in Jon's tank that I didn't even think it was a loach until I looked more closely. Just wondering ....
Click to expand...
 
YSS

YSS

Members
I see. If the loaches are just regular ones from Petsmart, then it must be diet related. My loaches get lighter from time to time and when they do get lighter, they are very pale. Nothing in comparison with Jon's loaches. :) But I was truely amazed by the appearance of Jon's loaches.

As a reference, below are how my loaches look most of the time. I posted these pics earlier, but here they are again.


photo1-2.jpg



photo32.jpg
 
jonclark96

jonclark96

Past CCA President
Here are some (not so good) pictures of a few of mine. I had to feed the tank to get them to slow down enough to take a picture.

100_0170.jpg

100_0174.jpg
 
YSS

YSS

Members
Nice pics, Jon. I think the other loach is even more orange and darker. Can't imagine the lighting would make that much difference. My lighting is in the higher range than Jon's, but it's pretty much standard T5HO day light bulbs.
 
S

samsmobb

Members
At Petsmart, our loaches are very pale when we first get them in like in YSS's picture but after 1-2 days their colors do tone up especially when given sufficient hiding places. Seems to me like a stress related factor
 
Sonny Disposition

Sonny Disposition

Active Member
If you want redder fins like Jon's loaches, then feed them a color formula. Just to make sure, read the label, and make sure the food contains astaxanthin.
 
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