# P's Lost Color



## thedude8 (Oct 6, 2008)

Do piranha's tend to lose color at night?? Seems kind of far fetched. Today was the first time I turned the lights on and stopped and looked at them real carefully in a while. Usually I turn the lights on and go prepare food, or do some thing else then look at them. But today when I turned the lights on it seemed like the P's have lost a lot of their red in their belly's. I have 5 1.5in-2in P's in a 55g (for now, trying to get something bigger soon). They have developed very nice color in their bellies but, like I said seemed like they lost a lot of it when lights went on today. 
I did a 20% water change yesterday and ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites are all in sync. Temp at 76-78 F

I am posting this in the food section because maybe change of diet? I usually give them a few hikari floating pellets in the evening. But in the morning I give them a variety of catfish, tilapia, shrimp, scallops (only a few times) and earthworms. The only recent change has been the earthworms. I usually go about four or five days straight of shrimp then two to three days or catfish or tilapia, then back to shrimp for the four to five days. This time I did shrimp, then earthworms (found a ton under two trashcans in my backyard so packed them up). So is it the earthworms that could have caused the color loss?

On a side note am I feeding them on a good staple? Should I switch up more often and only give shrimp for a few days, then catfish for a day or two, then something else for a day or two? Or shrimp, something, shrimp something ok?

Thanks


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## Tensa (Jul 28, 2008)

mix up the diet more but be sure to offer pellets at every meal. brings out the color and keeps them healthy. there color is almost completely gone at nite so yes its normal for them to lose color but it comes back as they wakeup lol. worms from the back yard are not so good just go to a bait shop or walmart and get farm raised worms who are not exposed to pesticides.


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## thedude8 (Oct 6, 2008)

AS fan said:


> mix up the diet more but be sure to offer pellets at every meal. brings out the color and keeps them healthy. there color is almost completely gone at nite so yes its normal for them to lose color but it comes back as they wakeup lol. worms from the back yard are not so good just go to a bait shop or walmart and get farm raised worms who are not exposed to pesticides.


Thanks,

Wasn't sure if the red comes back as the day goes on. I'm also up early this morning and usually do not turn the lights on until later in the day (probably should get a timer instead for consistency). Ill toss the rest of the worms back in the yard then and just stay away from them as their regular diet. They seem to foul up my water a lot more than anything else. Every bite the p's take a cloud of dirt pops out of them. Ill grab worms and give them to them when I can.

As far as the pellets go, I give them to them once a day, usually if I give them to them while feeding shrimp, or something else they ignore them and they sink and remain uneaten. When I put them without shrimp or fish, they attack them so hard that I'm afraid there going to jump out of tank with or without the hood on. I love watching them eat pellets.


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## Tensa (Jul 28, 2008)

try to feed them pellets before you add the shrimp or fish and then just remove any uneaten food a few mins after you toss it in. they are small so they need the nutrients.


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## cobrafox46 (Jun 2, 2008)

My Reds always lost all their red at night when the lights go out and it returns in the morning. No problem at all!


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## boiler149 (Oct 31, 2007)

^^^^ wat he said


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## thedude8 (Oct 6, 2008)

Thanks, went back after my class and their colors came back







. Fed them just pellets this morning


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