goldfish color fading

Question
Hi Amber. I have 5 goldfish in a 50 gallon tank. One of the goldfish is a black moore. He used to be very black but now he is almost white. He is swimming fine and eats properly. I used to have another black moore who recently passed away :( and the two fish were good friends. Is he depressed? Do you know what is wrong with my fish?

Answer
Hello Isabel-

Black moors change colors as they get older; your little guy is probably pretty old! Most go through the sequence of black to gold to white. It can come in patches or splotches of color, and it's getting more common as fish nowadays are inbred. It's harmless, though, as long as your guy is still acting normal.

He probably is kind of lonely, since black moores bond early on. You can pick up a young ryukin if you'd like - the black moore will act as a parent and the new little guy will follow him around everywhere.

-Amber Worman