color change

Question
QUESTION: I have a Malawi Golden Cichlid that about a year ago "lost it's color" the areas that were yellow tuned a blochy grey and the black stripes are now a very light grey almost white. The fish has seemed to be otherwise heathy. Do you know what this may be and how to treat it?

Thank you

Bill

ANSWER: Hi Bill,
 Is the fish alone?

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: No there is another cichlid of another type (escaping me at the moment). Originally I had two of the Golden Cichlids, but the same color change issue happened to that one and it died soon after.

Thanks

Bill

ANSWER: Hi Bill,
  It sounds to me like the other cichlid is bullying this one.
Is that a possibility?

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Ron, All along they got along very well, but I have noticed in the past 2 weeks some fighting. I have two others that started off in the same tank but I moved them months ago because they were constantly fighting. But these two never bothered one another (until the last two weeks). The color change happened long before I noticed any fighting.

I really apprciate your help.

Thanks

Bill

Answer
Hi Bill,
 The problem is that the bullying usually starts long before you see actual fighting.  Cichlids almost always set up a dominance hierarchy.

  That said, the fact that the one is less colorful doesn't necessarily mean anything is wrong, just that he is low man on the totem pole right now.  One of the two of them has to be.  It would be very unusual to have two fully colored males coexisting indefinitely in the same tank.  

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>