# Tropheus Black Kiriza fade color!!!



## doc35 (Oct 15, 2002)

Well I have a 100 gal tank mono specific, with this Tropheus species, I have 26 juvenile between 1'' and 3'', some rockwork, and few plants, feeding with NLS the filtering theme is in charge of an 2250 Eheim and a 404 Fluval 30% water changes every 10 days or so, and the values are pH 8,5 gH 14 kH 13 NO2 0 I had before the same species in other tank but with other Tropheus species, and the colors were brighter! I don't know what I'm doing wrong!!!

this is the tank


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## CThompson (Aug 13, 2003)

Colour is mood dependant - and my K1 definitely use their colours as a form of communication as well. I don't think you are doing anything wrong. These are living creatures and are not goldfish :wink:


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## myjohnson (Dec 28, 2007)

how is your water condition like?


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

I have found that trophs darken up when the nitrates increase. IMO, 30% every 10 days won't cut it. I bet they lighten up for a day or two after a water change.


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## jumpman (May 13, 2004)

They dont look too dark, at least a couple of them.

I find that the two dominant males in my colony are the only ones that show a bright yellow band for about 80% of the time. The rest are a mixed bunch, with the sub dom males being pretty dark.

I also find that when the lights are off the whole colony displays a lot more yellow, probably so they can display to each other better, have you tried dimmer lighting?


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## katytropheus (Jul 13, 2008)

I agree on the lighting. I have Cherry Spots and some of the best coloration is if the tank lights are off and there is a dim room light on. The sub-dominant comment probably comes into play as well.


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## doc35 (Oct 15, 2002)

I have seen that the dimm light goes better! I'll try it again but diff tubes, the one i have I don't like them alone, its an actinic, two triphosphoric and one superlight by azoo, 40 watts each, and make more often water changes, thats one thing is different than the former aquarium I had, the water changes were each 8 days about 30-40%

Thank you for your answers!!!!

Ill measure the nitrates, and dimm the light


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## NorthShore (Feb 3, 2006)

I had tried actinics with my bemba years ago and couldn't stand the look. It actually had them looking rather pale. But yes, try different lighting and you may be quite pleased. :thumb:


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## doc35 (Oct 15, 2002)

Do you think that I have to many rocks???
I've seen amazing colors in Kirizas in a lot of tanks! and all of them with other species tankmates and less Rocks! would that help?
Add some other Tropheus, and removing rocks?

the former Tank i had was with less rocks and more species!

thinking and thinking

some action taken!

these are my Tropheus taken yesterday, sorry for the pics, have to take better ones!!!


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## doc35 (Oct 15, 2002)

More


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## katytropheus (Jul 13, 2008)

Second picture on this set shows two pretty nice Kiriza's. Rockwork to me doesn't look excessive and has some nice splits for territories. If the two look ok with the current lighting, it is probably not a factor. If more colored up with a second variant before, why not try it again. Sort of goes against the grain of what I have been told on more than one variant but maybe the Kiriza's as a total colony will be dominant. When you had it before with more than one variant, did the Kiriza's outnumber the other variant?


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## doc35 (Oct 15, 2002)

They were not the more numerous colony, they were the duboisis, and had also moliros.
Now there are one dominant but he is not always in all color, and the some times there are more with colors but in the most of the time they are fades, how many Duboisis would you put in there or I should take out some of the kirizas in there?

they are 26 in a 100 gal tank!

Thank you!!!


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## doc35 (Oct 15, 2002)

Here are more pic o the fish!
Better camera better pictures!!!


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Just a thought/guess. Too much reflection from the back and side walls (with a light substrate) making em feel insecure, in the short term (thus show lighter colours)?
This would make ones like Sp Red and most moorii look more colourful (black/melanin suppresed) or drawn away from the skin surface) but make bemba Ikola Kiriza etc Sp Black look too pail. Dubs do not seem able to pail down this way anyway so no effect.
But I guess they would get used to that with time? (they get used to a lot of things)


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## Heyguy74 (Aug 11, 2005)

One thing to remember is juvie fish usuallydont show full adult colors. At 1 to 3 inches they have plenty of growing to do. I just added this to the rest of teh replies. it could be any one of the reasons.


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