I added 3 new fish and now my fish lose colour overnight?

[biteme]

I have a 78L Temperate Tank (25degrees) and have 5 minnows, 3 platy`s (babies), 1 butterfly plec and have just added 3 Cichlids that my sister has bred - I put some stress zyme in the tank when I added the fish but upon checking them the next morning I found them ALL to be at the bottom of the tank looking a lot paler than they were when I went to bed - I did a 10% water change and the colour came back and they became active again, 2nd morning found them the same, I put the light on in the tank and went to get my stuff to do the water change but after 5 mins with the light on they were OK.

I test my water monthly with the Nutrafin water test kit and it`s all spot on.

Any help would be greatly appreciated - I love these little fellers!

 

[skjl47]

Hello; My fish do the same thing and have since I started keeping them. At night, in the dark, they lose their color and it takes a while for the color to come back when the lights come back on. Diurnal Fish sort of sleep and settle some where in the tank in the dark. If they perk up in the morning and are healthy and normal, I do not think you have a problem. You might try turning on other lights in the room before turning on the tank lights. I have a timer on my main tank that comes on a while after sunrise.

The nocturnal species may not do much during the day but will be active at night.
I have a plecto that hangs on the glass all day. At night there is just enough light to see him up grazing on the floating plants in his tank.

 

[biteme]

I have been stuck in between bits of helpful advice lately and am not too sure which way to go..

I had an issue with angel hair algae for a while which has been clear for almost 4 months now but was advised to keep the lights off in the tank apart from 4 or 5 hours in the evening to help prevent it re-occuring but before I put the new fish in it was never a problem - they were all the same colour and would swim around happily all day.

The 3 newbies are only 7 months old and each mroning i've found 1 kind of stuck against the side of the filter (they move under their own steam when the lights have been on for a while...) My filter is only on Medium/Low blow so they should be fine.

Just struggling to see why the change in behaviour after the new additions.

I will try putting the table lamp (closeby) on a timer to come on earlier to see if this helps at all.

 

[skjl47]

Hello; Being stuck in a filter intake is not a good sign. Hiding there is not so bad. Do you have any sort of structure in the tank where the new fish can hide? I have seen new fish or fish that were being chased by other fish hiding behind heater tubes and filter tubes or up in the extreme corner of a tank. New fish may take a while to settle in. For cichlids you could put some clay pots or or other structure in opposite corners and maybe in the center. I have found that by giving timid fish a hiding place, they often swim about more.

 

[aakaakaak]

This morning I saw my bolivian ram (a cichlid) sitting on the floor, sound asleep, almost completely black (the color of my substrate). From what I've seen so far, cichlids tend to adjust their color more frequently than other fish. My danios, gourami, clown pleco, etc. don't change their color when they sleep, but my bolivian ram sure does.

 

[bassbonediva]

Curious as to what kind of cichlids you added. Generally speaking, a 20gal is too small for a trio of cichlids unless they're shelldwellers.

Your fish are likely stressed due to the new fish (which are at the least semi-aggressive) and being overstocked.

 

[OrangeCones]

From what I've seen so far, cichlids tend to adjust their color more frequently than other fish. My danios, gourami, clown pleco, etc. don't change their color when they sleep, but my bolivian ram sure does.

My Chili Rasbora, Celestial Pearl Danio, Badis badis, Florida Flagfish (when I had them) and all of my Otos change color when the lights are out unless they are actively feeding. I have 'moonlights' on the tanks and when they switch off and the normal daytime lights come on, I often see them either very pale, or dark, depending on what they are next to. I think its a safety thing, trying to blend in when not fully awake.

 

[Lynch_6913]

I have noticed the same thing I have a female, I believe yellow electric cichlid, that changes from alost a brown to bright yellow within a half hour of tank lighting.

 

[symon_say]

When lights go out, fish go to rest, most of this colorful fish goes into some kind of standby mode to rest, and keeping bright colors while you're in standby is an invitation to predators, the turn down their colors so they can be less noticeable.

About your algae problem why not put some algae eaters, and turn your lights 8 hours daily.

 

[temull2]

Cichlids are very territorial. If they don't have enough space to establish their territory, they'll try to seclude themselves. Generally speaking, I think under the filter is a common place for them to go because they don't want to venture out of their "territory" and they still get the feeling of water flow.... Just a shot in the dark, but that could be it. They may just need alot more space.