Posted by Michele on November 18, 2002 at 09:02:15:
In Reply to: Re: Are the Koi in a pond...or indoors??? Color loss can be posted by spiritshiva on November 16, 2002 at 06:47:59:
sunlight, all day everyday....but your fish do need a certain amount of natural sunlight which helps to metabolize vitamins and keeps them from fading. That is why I asked if they might be being kept indoors, away from natural sunlight. The shade itself is not "good" for the colors but a certain amount of shade in the form of pond plants, a piece of styrofoam floated on the pond surface or, or placing the pond in a partially shaded area will keep the fish from sunburning. Sunburning is not good for fish...or humans :-D
There are other things that can cause color loss, one (which you mention) is water quality...another is that perhaps this koi had been fed color enhancers prior to your buying it and the it's diet no longer contains those.
There is also the factor of genetics and growth...some koi who are experiencing a rapid growth phase may lose color...it may be temporary or may be permanant. A lot depends on the genetic quality of your koi as to his color. This is where it is best to know the exact pedigree of a koi....but you are getting into the higher $$ koi at that point.
Some other places to look for info on color loss are:
http://www.koicarp.net/medications/koi_vet/color_changes.htm
http://www.koivet.com/html/glossary/glossary_details.php?glossary_id=8&category=Symptoms (a website for koi & GF)
Often as a fish ages, their colors will change. This is especially true with Koi. The reason is due to the fact that each fish is born with a fixed number of chromatophores which remains relatively constant throughout its life. As the fish grows, these chromatophores have to cover a larger area of skin. If the chromatophores are thin, for instance, just covering the surface of the skin, a young fish will look like they have strong color in a particular area. However, as the fish grows, the color in that area spreads and appears to breakup revealing the underlying color. Sometimes, when the pigments are just on the surface of the skin, they will disappear altogether. A fine example of this is a young Goldfish with a light colored underside and a black back like a Panda Goldfish. All the black will disappear by the time the fish is three years old. Conversely, if the chromatophores are present in all the layers of the skin, on the surface of the skin (above the scales), immediately under the scales and deep in the skin as the fish grows, the color will continue to appear dense and will be stable. AT this point, you may be asking yourself, "How do I know whether a young fish has thick or thin color?" The answer is, "You don’t." Knowing the parents helps and this is why Koi from good bloodlines bring premium prices over Koi of questionable background.
There are conditions that will temporarily affect the color of your fish. To understand how this temporary change happens, you need to understand the chromatophore. A chromatophore is a branched cell, within which the color pigment can be moved. The two extremes are that the pigment spreads throughout the entire cell which results in the fish having great color or it is concentrated in one small spot in the center resulting in the loss of color in the fish. Some of the conditions that affect this concentration are:
Raised levels of pollutants (e.g., ammonia, nitrite or nitrate) will cause the pigment to contract.
pH and hardness affect coloration differently, red pigment tends to spread in softer, more acidic water, whereas black pigment spreads in harder more alkaline water and vice versa.
Background colors — although it is difficult to merge into the background when you are a red and white Koi, they do try to do so. Against a pale background, the fish contract the pigment to make themselves as pale as possible. The opposite occurs when the fish is next to a dark background, which is why blue vats are used as Koi shows to ensure each Koi looks its best.
Salt added to the water causes the pigment to contract. Medications, like antibiotics, whether added to the water or injected, and malachite green-based remedies negatively affect color.
Temperature — At high temperature, pigments contract; at cool autumn and winter values they expand, resulting in the fish looking at their best in the cooler months of the year.
http://www.nortexkoi.org/cwtimes/2000/aug/colors.htm
In addition, if you are not already feeding foods such as Hikari Gold and Hikari Spirulina, for color enhancement, as well as a variety of worms, shrimp, and romaine lettuce or spinach as treats, you might wish to start, as soon as water temps are 50 degrees or above.
Great food combined with excellant water quality will combine to do all they can with what the fish is genetically predisposed to become.
Best of luck to you.
:yeah, my koi are in a shaded area, but i also heard, that the shade is good for the colors actually, the water quality is fine. and all the other fish are still cool. thanks.
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