Color changing

[swill]

What are everyone's opinion on why Seahorses change color. I'm on my third pair of Reidi Seahorses which I believe are from a "Net Pen" (I wouldn't have bought them if I knew this but there is nothing I can do now I guess.)


...anyway, they were bright yellow in the fish store who told me they had had them for about 4 months. Within 3 weeks both have now turned black. Every set of Reidi I have ever bought have all turned black after weeks in my home. I have increased the size of my tank and am in the process of trying to lower the temp but I don 't think the temp is the issue as Im sure the fish store had them at around 78 degrees since they were in a tank that was connected to most all their saltwater tanks.

Why don't my seahorses stay the color they were in the fish store???

[aferland66]

I'm pretty sure your problem is the temp. I had my Reidi at 78F when i first got them, and they started to turn darker. I moved them to my basement and now keep them at 74.5F and they are back to bright yellow. They do go a bit dark when my water starts showing signs of nitrates.

[BlueWorldAquatic]

Background color makes a difference. Give them a medium blue background, and they should slowly revert back.

Also temp will affect their colors too

[swill]

If it were a temperature issue than they wouldn't have been yellow at the pet store is my thought. They had them for 4 months or so and they were yellow.

I have however lowered the temp to 76 and painted the back blue today so hopefully that will work

[BlueWorldAquatic]

It should.



note the blue? that's a well know Sri-Lanka Breeding Facility

Will take a few weeks for them to change back though

[swill]

Well I painted the back blue a month and a half ago and the temp is stable at 75 degrees, the pair are still black (until they mate then they're white)

...anything else I can try?