Do you know that some fish could change or alter their colors? if you are very familiar with fish you must have known this and there are many reasons why they could do that. I have heard many people complain that their Damsels turned black, blue, etc. If you have seen your Damsels turn black or change to any other colors, you might want to know why it happened. This article will help you.
Why is my Damsel fish turning black? Damselfish could alter their colors as a result of stress or diseases.
There are many reasons why fish could change their colors and we will discuss them in a while.
Damsels are aggressive and territorial saltwater fish that loves to live in pairs or alone.
These fish are very colorful and they are admired by so many fish keepers despite their temperament.
If you are wondering why yours turned black or changed to another color, here are the possible reasons:
Can Damselfish Change Color?
Yes, Damselfish, just like many other fish could alter or change their colors.
Some of the reasons why they could do that are:
1. Unsuitable Temperature and Water Parameters: Every living thing, including every fish, has its unique ideal water parameters and temperature and when such is not provided could lead to stress and sickness which could lead to loss or fading of colors.
Damsels are tropical saltwater fish and their ideal water temperature is a steady temperature between 68-80°F.
This is why you must buy and keep a heater in your Damsel tank.
Again their ideal pH is 8.0 – 8.4.
Without the ideal temperature and water pH, they could be stressed which could lead to change or loss of colors.
2. The presence of Toxins in the water: Another factor that could lead to stress and sickness which could make them lose their colors or maybe change from their regular color to black or any other color is a result of toxins in their water.
Toxins such as Ammonia, Nitrite Chlorine, Copper, Nitrate, etc are very dangerous and fatal to aquatic animals which fish is inclusive.
When any of these harmful chemicals or toxins breed in the water, the fish’s health will deteriorate leading to fading of their once colorful colors.
3. Stress: Stress is the most common reason why your Damsel is turning black or to another color.
There are many agents of stress in fish such as small tank size, aggressive tank mates, toxins, uncycled tanks, and many more.
Apart from making your Damsel or any of your fish change colors, it could also kill them.
4. Sickness: There are many diseases and Parasites which could infect and make them lose their colors.
So, your Damsel fish could be turning black as a result of sickness.
5. This could be a result of the color of your aquarium light, tank, and also the time you usually on and off the light.
What I mean to say is, sometimes the light you keep for your fish could play a big role in the colors of your fish, for instance, turning on your aquarium light at an unusual time or turning on a bright light could stress your Damsels.
6. At night they usually alter their colors.
Many fish could naturally do this, it doesn’t mean that sometimes is necessarily wrong, just that they use it as a defensive technique in the wild to camouflage and stay invisible to predators at night when they sleep.
This is Why a Blue Damsel could be Turning or turn to White or black or any other color you could think of and it is just normal.
Conclusion
I hope this article helps you to unravel the mystery behind your Damsel changing colors or turning black or white.
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