Colour Enhanced Fish Using Hormones. Myth Or A Reality

[crunch7]

Hi All, I have brought few fish under the impression that they are Blue mooriis, but a friend suggests that the ones I have brought are a mix breed and may have been fed colour enhancers. I am attaching a picture ( sorry for the pixelation I tired to get better shots), can anyone advice basis their experience with Blue Mooriis , whether this colouration is natural or not. I have read that few LFS feed colour enhancing food to females and sell them as males sometimes, don`t know whether its possible or not. Furthermore I had brought one sulphur-head and few kadangos earlier whose colour completely changed to a dull brown after a week in the tank, they are perfectly healthy just the color has completely changed.These fishes looked fantastic when i had brought them at the LFS ( I never bought anything from there after that incident ). I dont know, I just hope i have not been robbed again.

 

[Munroco]

Got to say they don't look natural

 

[StevenF]

I have not heard of any hormones used to enhanse color.   Some foods may make the fish a little more colorful and some Danios have been genetically modified to glow under black light.  Also some aquarium lights can make a fish look more blue than it actually its.  Also some fish breeders may bread fish for different colors such as blue, yellow, and red cherry shrimp.  I don't have the fish you have so just looking at your photo, I cannot tell.

 

[LyraGuppi]

I've heard of people injecting hormones or feeding color enhancing food, but I don't know the specifics.

 

[techen]

I donno, Being young they tend to hold there blue and as they get older they loose it slightly.
 

 

[StevenF]

 
 
I donno, Being young they tend to hold there blue and as they get older they loose it slightly.

 
The fish in the forground is slightly overexposed and as a result looks a little bit whiter., The fish in the background is not lite as well and is darker which makes the color a bit stronder. I once was very active in the photography hobby and frequently ran into color shifts due to exposure differences.  In short your picture doesn't support your argument.  However you might be right.  I have never seen these fish.

 

[crunch7]

Their colour is fading, starting from the dorsal fin. The fair side atleast the fish are happy and they are developing new black roundish spots.