Color Loss

[pho20]

This question probably has been raised a million times but I'm going to ask it anyway because I can't get a answer from my local pet shop ( surprise surprise ) I have a 46gl tank that is filled with convict cichlids and one blood-red parrot cichlid I've had this set up going for over three years now all my water levels are on point and all the fish seem to be very healthy except the parrot fish has lost almost all his color to the point he is almost white he is the largest fish in the tank so the other fish don't chase or bother him I feed them cichlid pellets and flakes, and for a treat I give them frozen brine shrimp and blood worms. Any thoughts as to why he has lost his color??? THANKS.

 

[Colin_T]

Any thoughts as to why he has lost his color??? THANKS.

poor water quality, dirty tank, dirty filter, disease.

Wipe the inside of the glass with a clean fish sponge.

Do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for 2 weeks.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

Clean the filter if it hasn't been done in the last 2 weeks. Wash filter media/ materials in a bucket of tank water and re-use the media. Tip the bucket of dirty water on the garden/ lawn.

Post pictures of the sick fish.

Is the fish still eating?

 

[JuiceBox52]

I agree with colin. Any change of a pic?

 

[Byron]

I would suggest the problem is more likely severe stress. The Parrot cichlid is often rather shy compared to other cichlids, and a tank of convicts is unquestionably not going to make it feel safe. This tank is also not sufficient space for more than a pair of convicts on their own--I've no idea of how many you mean by the "tank filled with convicts."

And before it is said...you may not see physical aggression, but it is still there to the fish. The convicts are releasing chemical signals known as pheromones and allomones, and aggression is readily and easily conveyed.

 

[Metalhead88]

How many Convicts are in this tank? What else is in it? Pictures of the tank and fish?

I've been keeping cichlids for many years. Blood Parrots are not shy fish. They are one of the most active and have huge personalities.....similar to Oscars. They can be docile or very aggressive.

Convicts are very aggressive for their size.....but much smaller than blood parrots when fully grown. My Blood Parrot and Convict are nearing max size, and the Blood Parrot is absolutely the boss. If it wasn't for his head and mouth shape, he would kill everything. Convicts do great with larger and slightly less aggressive cichlids. These two fish are generally great tankmates.... Unless the convicts are breeding. If you have multiple convcits in the tank, I'm sure there are breeding pairs and that just isn't a fair fight for any fish. Breeding pairs of any cichlid should not have tankmates.

A loss of color can certainly be stress due to aggression, and more likely water quality. How is he behaving?

You say your water is on point, but what exactly are ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels? A 46 gallon tank is likely not big enough for all these fish. I have no idea how many fish are in this tank, but I can only assume that with multiple medium and at least one larger cichlid in this tank, water quality is not ideal.

Blood Parrots will change color over time. They are white or brown when young, and eventually will be bright orange,pink, or red.

With pictures and answering all the questions we have asked, we can steer you in the right direction.