How Do Cichlid Fish Get Their Color

Cichlids are among the top aquarist choices due to their colors. Their genetics make the colorful cichlids outstanding. In the following, you’ll learn about the reason for coloration and how to avoid Cichlid fish discoloration with causes and prevention. Moreover, you will learn how to enhance cichlid color with lights and other techniques.

Why Are African Cichlids So Colorful?

Other than numerous regards, African cichlids are among the top aquarium pets due to their coloration. They are colorful due to natural selection and evolution. Their coloration plays various roles in communication, breeding companion selection, competition, etc. However, the colorful Cichlid is affected for reasons, including sex differences, geographic variations, etc.

How Can You Prevent Cichlid Fish From Losing His Color?

Cichlids can lose their colors for many reasons. If you control these reasons, you can prevent your cichlid’s discoloration. Here are the reasons and solutions.

Water Quality

Fish are directly affected by water. Therefore, any change in water quality leads to discoloration of your cichlids. It might be due to fish and plant waste and high levels of ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, and pH fluctuation.

Prevention

• Make a cleaning schedule and stick with it.
• Regularly check the water parameters and adjust them to the ideal range.

Parameter	Value
pH	8.0–9.0
Alkalinity	10 – 25° dKH
Temperature	74 – 80° F

Tank Mates

Stress is among the major reasons for discoloration of African cichlids. It might be due to many reasons, i.e., overcrowding and bullying tank mates. African cichlids can bully each other.

Prevention

• Put the number of fish according to tank size. Space requirements vary for different African cichlid species, so get more info of
• Separate the bullying fish from the tank.

Environment

Environmental factors also affect colorful cichlids. For example, you add Cichlid into a new tank without acclimation, intense or long hours of lighting, etc.

Prevention

• Adjust the lighting hours and lighting intensity according to your African cichlid species.
• Acclimate them before introducing them into the tank.

Feeding

Overfeeding or underfeeding can cause Cichlid discoloration. Other than feeding, food quality, and feeding frequency also affects them.

Prevention

• Feed them according to the species and their age.
• Set the feeding frequency, i.e., feeding once or twice a day.
• Feed African cichlids with high-quality food.

Illness

Parasitic diseases or other infections cause illness, i.e., fin rot and ich, in African Cichlids. These diseases weaken the fish’s immune system and affect their health, ultimately leading to discoloration.

Prevention

• Daily check the physical appearance and their moment. In case of any slight change, address the problem to avoid discoloration.

Aging

This is an uncurable and natural. With age, fish change their colors into less vibrant shades.

How to Get Cichlid Fish Color to Come Out

How to enhance cichlid color? You can enhance cichlid color in certain ways. Here are some tips and tricks.

Diet

Diet is helpful to spice up African cichlid coloration. Lower-quality food is missing numerous essential ingredients like vitamins and other minerals. Therefore, always use food that provides them with all essential nutrient elements.

If you are using packaged food, check the ingredient section. If the ingredient section has whole shrimp, whole salmon, etc., it’s ready to feed. Otherwise, feed them on fresh and healthy live meals. You can also feed them additional supplements that will help to improve their immune system.

Environmental Parameter

Environmental parameters greatly influence fish coloration. You can improve cichlid’s outlook by just adjusting them.

Lighting

• Use low light to highlight the dark and rich color of African cichlids that live in deep water.
• Use high-spectrum light for shallow-water fish.
• Fix the light closer to the front of the tank to avoid dark patches in the tank.
• Use adjustable LED lights.

Tank Interior Design

• Use a dark background and substrate to amplify the deep-water cichlid’s color.
• Use the bright color background to amplify the near-surface fish.

Natural Habitat Building

• Grow or install Cichlid fish’s native plants.
• Install rocks and caves to define the boundaries and for resting.

Cleanliness

Tank cleanliness plays a vital role in brightening up Cichlid colors. A clean tank leads to a domino effect, i.e.,

Cleanliness → Fewer illness → Less stress → Improved fish health → Easier maintenance → Spice up fish coloring

For that, make a schedule and stick to the schedule. Moreover, cleaning the glass will make the scene more visible and highlight African cichlid coloration.

Selective Breeding

You can experiment to produce more colors in your tank. Make a pair of different colored Cichlid fish and let them breed. Their offspring will be unique and have a colorful appearance.

What Color Light Is Best for Cichlids

Lights are effective in enhancing cichlid colors. Several lights can help you in this regard. However, there are some tips for optimal usage of these lights.

Tips For Effective Usage of Lights

• Set the optimal lumination to avoid stress and algae boom in the tank.
• Only luminate your tank for 8–10 hours. You can use lights with a timer. It’ll enhance the Cichlid color sustainably.
• Mix the different colors to amplify different features of your cichlids, i.e., full-spectrum and actinic blue.

Lighting Options

Here are some lighting options to enhance the Cichlid color.

Full Spectrum LED Lights

Full spectrum lights will help you highlight the natural colors as these lights mimic sunlight.

Actinic Blue Lights

If you want to highlight the iridescence of your cichlids, use actinic blue lights. These lights help to pop green and blue colors in your fish. Use it with other lights for a better and balanced output, i.e., combine with full spectrum lights.

RGB LED Lights

Red, blue, and green are the basic colors. If you want to highlight specific colors in Cichlid fish, enhance certain light. To enhance red and orange coloration, adjust the red color.

The Final Word

Natural selection and genetics make the cichlids so colorful. Illness, bad environment, unhealthy water conditions, stress, etc. are some reasons why they lose their colors. You can enhance cichlids’ color with optimal environment, breeding, and lighting. Lighting includes different options, e.g., full spectrum LED lights, actinic blue lights, and RGB LED lights.

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