# Furcifer/Foai tank lighting/coloration



## CrazyCichlid (Sep 22, 2002)

Keeping a group of cya. furcifer cap "kabogo".
Trying to maximize the color display from the male. It appears the blue/green on the body shows only when tank light is out and only room light is on. Also the color is only noted occasionally depending on th movement of the fish (also picked up on pics). Is this typical with furcifer/foai? Do they ever keep a solid coloration that can be seen regardless of their movement?
Any input welcome. Thanks in advance.
cc


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

The colour will depend on the way the light reflects off the scales, when they turn their back to you they will look silver. I use a 72" compact flourescent fixture with 10,000k and blue actinic bulbs on my Kigoma Furcifers and it brings out the colours nicely. P.S, your fish look like mine, Kabogo should show a copper colour on the side and have no yellow on the head. It could just be the lighting in the photo though.


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

Double post.


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## Darkside (Feb 6, 2008)

I use 10,000K bulbs as well. They will also show their colours better if the aquarium is front lit. Try bringing your lights more towards the front of the aquarium.


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## CrazyCichlid (Sep 22, 2002)

thanks guys for the input. Will try it out.

I think there are to variations of these; one that has more cooper and the other that is more green/blue. The yellow u see on the head is just an effect of the picture. All he has around the head is shades of blue/green.

http://www.malawicichlidhomepage.com/ot ... bogo2.html

http://www.cichlidforums.com/showthread.php?t=3786

To be honest- it is really hard to ID them by looks. There are so many that look similar, have multiple names, or flat out mislabeled. I stick with the name that it is sold to me as- always from someone i trust/has a good reputation (importer, breeder)


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## herny (Nov 30, 2007)

what color is the back ground? and some times its all up to him to show off. what do you feed?


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

Agreed with sticking with the name you were given by the seller. It just seemed that your fish had a yellow patch on his head and only Furcifers have that, and as far as I know, there are no Furcifers found at cape Kabogo, only Foai. The second link that you posted is a pic of a Karilani Foai. I did a lot of digging around on Foai/Furcifers when I was trying to I.D mine. The one thing that I found is that there are tons of mislabled photos out there, and that doesn't help. Either way, great looking fish and I have found that nothing brings out the colours like natural sunlight.
:thumb:


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## scrubjay (Oct 25, 2009)

This is nerdy, but these particular species have no pigment, only what is called "structural color," like you see on hummingbird throats and some butterflies and beetles, and almost all bird species. If featherfins can turn it on and off at will, I wonder if they are somehow changing the angle of their scales. or is it that they are angling their bodies so the iridescence shows up, like in hummingbirds? I don't have one, but I'm curious.


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## Petrochromislover (Feb 23, 2009)

those are some nice featherfins you have =D>


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## Darkside (Feb 6, 2008)

scrubjay said:


> This is nerdy, but these particular species have no pigment, only what is called "structural color," like you see on hummingbird throats and some butterflies and beetles, and almost all bird species. If featherfins can turn it on and off at will, I wonder if they are somehow changing the angle of their scales. or is it that they are angling their bodies so the iridescence shows up, like in hummingbirds? I don't have one, but I'm curious.


These fish do have pigment, actually the way the colour up and down is quite complicated but they can exert a lot of control over it. A better example of "structural colour" is seen in the blue patches that show up in xenotilapia and on the sides of occies.


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## scrubjay (Oct 25, 2009)

well, I guess I read some bad information  
I am just reading some stuff on color changes in fish now--great stuff.


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## CrazyCichlid (Sep 22, 2002)

herny said:


> what color is the back ground? and some times its all up to him to show off. what do you feed?


Charcoal is the BG color. You are right about the male trying to show off, he is kicking it into another gear recently (see picks below). I have been feeding NLS with occasional spirulina flakes.



noddy said:


> Agreed with sticking with the name you were given by the seller. It just seemed that your fish had a yellow patch on his head and only Furcifers have that, and as far as I know, there are no Furcifers found at cape Kabogo, only Foai. The second link that you posted is a pic of a Karilani Foai. I did a lot of digging around on Foai/Furcifers when I was trying to I.D mine. The one thing that I found is that there are tons of mislabled photos out there, and that doesn't help. Either way, great looking fish and I have found that nothing brings out the colours like natural sunlight.


I agree- more and more pics are showing some yellowish shade on the gill plate. Also i found picks of your grp on another site and they do look similar to my grp. The Karlini Foi also appears to go by the name Cyathopharynx furcifer kabogo copper (http://www.malawifreaks.nl/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=5753) and Cyathopharynx foai Kabogo ( http://aqua-plaisir.realbb.net/cichlides-f7/cyathopharynx-foai-kabogo-t1880.htm , http://www.cichlidsforum.fr/-cyathopharynx-foai-foae-vt15863.html). Natural sunlight has worked the best. Bringing the lights to front of the tank also has helped.



scrubjay said:


> This is nerdy, but these particular species have no pigment, only what is called "structural color," like you see on hummingbird throats and some butterflies and beetles, and almost all bird species. If featherfins can turn it on and off at will, I wonder if they are somehow changing the angle of their scales. or is it that they are angling their bodies so the iridescence shows up, like in hummingbirds? I don't have one, but I'm curious.


Well didn't know the technical words for it, but i had been thinking along your lines on the coloration but I think Darkside is right because i have seen others keep featherfins that have solid colors on their body from every angle (when they are "fired up").

Here are a few more recent pics with some more intense coloration:


















































































thanks again all.
cc


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## scrubjay (Oct 25, 2009)

It sounds like the coloration in fish like this can be a combination, so there isn't one simple answer. "Most green colors in fish, reptiles, amphibians, and birds are created by a reflection of blue light coming through an over-layer of yellow pigment."


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