Fish keep changing color

[blooper74]

I hope I am in the right area for this question. My tank has a real bad problem of changing the color of any fish I put into it. No matter what the fish's original color is, when I add it to my tank in a few weeks the color will change to a dull greyish blue. I have added many types of damsels, clowns and gobies and they all changed color. I had a orange peel angel and it changed too. Could someone please shed some light on this for me.

All tank digits are great and I have had the water professionally tested with nothing detected in the water. The fish are feed a wide variety of foods too so the food is not doing it I don't think. The foods I use are used by thousands and their fish don't change color like mine are. Ok enough of me ranting, please someone help with this delima.

Thanks in advance.

[leebca]

WELCOME TO REEFLAND ! Glad you posted. I think this is about as good a place to post that topic as anywhere.

I've come across only one such circumstance which resulted in what you are seeing. I can't imagine that it applies in your case, but I'll mention it up front. The case was where the light bulbs used in the reflectors were of a high UV energy output. In this case, the fish were actually getting 'sun burn' from the UV radiation. It was a rare thing. The aquarist put the wrong bulbs in the reflectors. Besides 'bleaching' the fish, some went blind.

However, most likely you are looking for something that is affecting all fish that you haven't tested for. We can only test for a handful of items in the aquarium water.

When you mention your water was professionally tested, does this mean that pesticides and organics were also tested for? Top of the list would be water quality; something leaching into the tank (e.g. something coming out of the rocks or decorations); or something being put into the tank (either intentionally or unintentionally).

Without more info for us, you have to be your own detective in this. Check out the following possible problem sources and issues:

1. source water quality (See WATER - Source and NSW)
2. how is the aquarium cleaned on the outside
3. any chemicals used around the aquarium
4. lighting
5. losses (deathes) of livestock
6. electrical leakage
7. source of rocks/type of rocks
8. type of decorations
9. additions made to the aquarium before this occurred
10. contamination (paint fumes, equipment corrosion, household odors, cooking smoke, etc.)
11. are you or others putting their hands into the aquarium
12. quality of things being put into the aquarium (food, supplements, additives, alk, magnesium, calcium, etc.)

With only what you wrote, it is pretty difficult to help out more than to list some things for you to review/look at. If you'd like help in finding the potential source(s) causing the fish's reaction we'd need to know more about your system. We don't know if you have a reef tank; live rock; invertebrates; sump; refugium; equipment; size of tank; when it first cycled; when it last cycled; how long the tank has been running; etc., etc.

If you're inclined to write out all of the above information, and tell us if you've checked out the things on that list, it would provide a starting point for other readers here to ferret out the cause. However, at least you need to review all those on the list and any other sources of things getting into the aquarium system.

[blooper74]

I apalogize for not giving more info. My water was tested by my local University. I am good friends with the head of the Biology department. The water tested fine. The system has been runnig for nearly 2 years now. I have a 30gal. sump and a refuge hanging on the back of the tank. I run 250 14k MH lighting with T5 actinics. The fish and inhabitants have always been healthy and eat very well, they just change color. All of my corals have always done great, I even had a mated pair of clowns spawn successfully in the system.

I guess if the inhabitants are healthy and happy then a color change is not that big of a deal I guess. I still like my live stock.

[bguile]

Are those MH's mogul type or double-ended? Double-ended bulbs must have a UV protective sheild installed in the reflector otherwise you'd be exposing everything (including yourself) to UV radiation. Also, how high are the lights off the water level? As mentioned, this sounds like some sort of bleaching issue vs anything else.

[blooper74]

I am not a noob to this hobby. I know about UV protection. The bulbs are double ended XM's. The issue has been solved anyway, thanks for everyones input, it was appreciated.

[bguile]

Sorry, didn't mean to offend. You just never know. Care to share what the solution was?