Fish Colors Change Before Our Eyes

[Benign Vanilla]

A week or so ago, I noticed a pretty big goldie swimming around in the VF.
It was in the upper pond which tells me, it took a ride through the pump, so
it must have been very small when it arrived. It's now about 4 inches long.
Anyway, we rescued him/her yesterday as that part of the VF freezes solid
every year. When we brought him in he was distinctly black colored, as he
swam around in my SO's salad spinner. After letting the water warm a bit, I
dumped him into the aquarium. I noticed however over a few hours he changed
from distinctly black to a golden color.

I don't know if he is a goldie, koi or koidlie as he seems to have features
of all three. Either way, do goldies, koi or donkey koi/goldies change color
over hours?

BV.

[Derek Broughton]

Benign Vanilla wrote:

> A week or so ago, I noticed a pretty big goldie swimming around in the VF.
> It was in the upper pond which tells me, it took a ride through the pump,

That or it did the salmon thing, swimming up the waterfall.

> When we brought him in he was distinctly black colored,
> as he swam around in my SO's salad spinner.

eewww! I've gone right off salad.

> After letting the water warm a
> bit, I dumped him into the aquarium. I noticed however over a few hours he
> changed from distinctly black to a golden color.
>
> I don't know if he is a goldie, koi or koidlie as he seems to have
> features of all three. Either way, do goldies, koi or donkey koi/goldies
> change color over hours?

I can't say for sure about goldfish, but I've watched markings on many fish,
including koi, appear out of nowhere. Black pigments seem to be
particularly easy to turn on or off - though I'd normally expect the more
pigmented form to be the less stressed (sick fish often look very washed
out) but that seems to be the opposite of your case.
--
derek

[george]

"Derek Broughton" > wrote in message
...
> Benign Vanilla wrote:
>
>> A week or so ago, I noticed a pretty big goldie swimming around in the VF.
>> It was in the upper pond which tells me, it took a ride through the pump,
>
> That or it did the salmon thing, swimming up the waterfall.
>
>> When we brought him in he was distinctly black colored,
>> as he swam around in my SO's salad spinner.
>
> eewww! I've gone right off salad.
>
>> After letting the water warm a
>> bit, I dumped him into the aquarium. I noticed however over a few hours he
>> changed from distinctly black to a golden color.
>>
>> I don't know if he is a goldie, koi or koidlie as he seems to have
>> features of all three. Either way, do goldies, koi or donkey koi/goldies
>> change color over hours?
>
> I can't say for sure about goldfish, but I've watched markings on many fish,
> including koi, appear out of nowhere. Black pigments seem to be
> particularly easy to turn on or off - though I'd normally expect the more
> pigmented form to be the less stressed (sick fish often look very washed
> out) but that seems to be the opposite of your case.
> --
> derek

I've not seen it happen in hours in my goldfish or Koi, but my yellow tang in my
sal****er tank will become almost completely white after the lights go off.
Next day, when the lights come back on, he turns yellow again. Most likely a
defensive adaptation. I've always believed that goldfish being black at birth
and for a time afterward is a defensive adaptation. Many animals have this kind
of adaptation.

[Benign Vanilla]

"george" > wrote in message
news:enumd.94943$HA.39480@attbi_s01...
<snip>
> I've not seen it happen in hours in my goldfish or Koi, but my yellow tang
in my
> sal****er tank will become almost completely white after the lights go
off.
> Next day, when the lights come back on, he turns yellow again. Most
likely a
> defensive adaptation. I've always believed that goldfish being black at
birth
> and for a time afterward is a defensive adaptation. Many animals have
this kind
> of adaptation.

I have black goldie babes go gold, but I have never seen a fish change color
in hours. I swear I am not imagining this. Anyway he/she/it is swimming
around in the 55 gallon tank and the other fish seem to like he/she/it.

BV.

[Hank]

BV, Have you been practicing your patented method of planting again
?
( Without the plants this time of year ..... I guess)

--
My little puddle

http://www.geocities.com/hankpagel/hankspond1.html

"Benign Vanilla" > wrote in
message ...
>
> "george" > wrote in message
> news:enumd.94943$HA.39480@attbi_s01...
> <snip>
>> I've not seen it happen in hours in my goldfish or Koi, but my
>> yellow tang
> in my
>> sal****er tank will become almost completely white after the lights
>> go
> off.
>> Next day, when the lights come back on, he turns yellow again.
>> Most
> likely a
>> defensive adaptation. I've always believed that goldfish being
>> black at
> birth
>> and for a time afterward is a defensive adaptation. Many animals
>> have
> this kind
>> of adaptation.
>
> I have black goldie babes go gold, but I have never seen a fish
> change color
> in hours. I swear I am not imagining this. Anyway he/she/it is
> swimming
> around in the 55 gallon tank and the other fish seem to like
> he/she/it.
>
> BV.
>
>

[Benign Vanilla]

"Hank" > wrote in message
news:dAQmd.7454$063.5823@trndny03...
> BV, Have you been practicing your patented method of planting again
> ?
> ( Without the plants this time of year ..... I guess)
<snip>

*hiccup*

BV.

[Barbara2245]

"Benign Vanilla" > wrote in message >...
> "Hank" > wrote in message
> news:dAQmd.7454$063.5823@trndny03...
> > BV, Have you been practicing your patented method of planting again
> > ?
> > ( Without the plants this time of year ..... I guess)
> <snip>
>
> *hiccup*
>
> BV.

The baby fish must be the Indigo Bunting of the water garden. They
have no blue ccolor but we seen the light reflected off the feathers
as blue. Just a thought and winter is yet to begin.

[Benign Vanilla]

"Benign Vanilla" > wrote in message
...
>
> "george" > wrote in message
> news:enumd.94943$HA.39480@attbi_s01...
> <snip>
> > I've not seen it happen in hours in my goldfish or Koi, but my yellow
tang
> in my
> > sal****er tank will become almost completely white after the lights go
> off.
> > Next day, when the lights come back on, he turns yellow again. Most
> likely a
> > defensive adaptation. I've always believed that goldfish being black at
> birth
> > and for a time afterward is a defensive adaptation. Many animals have
> this kind
> > of adaptation.
>
> I have black goldie babes go gold, but I have never seen a fish change
color
> in hours. I swear I am not imagining this. Anyway he/she/it is swimming
> around in the 55 gallon tank and the other fish seem to like he/she/it.

The dern thing was black again last night. I swear I have not been planting
any plants either.

BV.