oranda color

Question

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The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
i recently moved and have a 55 gallon tank. i cleaned it with HOT water only and then set it up. i bought two comets, one black moor, one fantail, and the panda oranda. plus i have two fiddler crabs, and an albino pleco, that i brought from my original setup.

my question is this, the oranda when i bought him had coloration that looked like a panda, silver body and black fins. but within a week he began to have his body turning black and not just his fins. another thing i noticed is that  one of my comets which was also gold and black the black on him has faded. i havent been able to ind any material on this subject. and am puzzled as to how one fish will get darker in color and the other will get lighter?

-----Answer-----
Hello,

These differing changes in color could simply mean both your fish are losing color, and it shows up in different ways for the different fish. One of the most common causes of color loss in fish in new aquariums is ammonia or nitrites. I would recommend testing your water for both of those, as that could easily be the problem and the sooner you can remedy it, the better.

I hope this helps.

Regards,
Stephanie

yeah i have been using something called cycle. its supposed to speed the cycling process. and i do water changes regularly. anyway thank you for your advice.  

Answer
Hello,

I am glad to hear you are using Cycle as that is one of my favorite products and I always recommend it. Water changes are also good. Even with both of these protecting factors, ammonia and nitrite peaks can still happen so it is still important to check them. And, you are most welcome :)

Regards,
Stephanie