Golgfish changing color

Toad · 07-30-2010, 09:12 AM

I bought a few feeder goldfish for my son's first small tank. One started out as a very even brown color - but now the brown is fading from the bottom up. It might be turning to the typical goldfish orange. He appears healthy. Is this usual? Thanks.

B&Kbassist · 08-02-2010, 09:03 PM

Hey Toad, I'm new here but I own 4 goldfish (carp) that I raised from feeders, they're about 2 years old now. All 4 started out gold, but one about a year or so ago began getting patches of white scales, and eventually he turned completely white. He's still very healthy (except for a nagging lip injury due to him feeding off of things on the gravel in his spare time) and active, doesn't seem to have affected his health at all.

Hopefully this is the same for your fish! Just keep an eye on his behavior and take note of/research/ask about anything that seems strange!

Toad · 08-03-2010, 07:56 AM

Yep. still seems completely healthy, but less brown every day...

B&Kbassist · 08-10-2010, 08:38 PM

Hey Toad, just checking in, how's the fish doing?

j.farrand · 08-10-2010, 10:48 PM

My gold fish lost all of its orange on its body. Solid white body now. It is around 10 inches. I bought it as a 2 inch fish 2 years ago. They got their pond now(90 gallons).

Toad · 08-10-2010, 11:34 PM

Goldfish still seems to be fine, but as I suspected he seems to be picking up orange coloration. Faint, but it is there.

littlefish · 08-11-2010, 03:25 AM

Sometimes goldfish change color because of lighting, If the aquarium doesn't have enough light, the goldfish tend to lose their colors.

Toad · 08-13-2010, 10:38 AM

Hmm, that might be part of it. It is a very small tank and the light seems to warm the water a bunch, so I don't leave it on much. We'll see what happens in the fall when the house is cooler and I can leave the light on more.

Brenna · 08-20-2010, 02:18 PM

I think it was just a normal sign of your fish aging into maturity.

Toad · 08-21-2010, 11:06 PM

So changing color is a normal sign of maturity?

Cole · 08-22-2010, 12:43 AM

Every young, brown goldfish that I've ever seen has turned orange with age. So yes, this is normal.

J-Pond · 09-02-2010, 11:47 AM

It is absolutley normal for a goldfish to change/loose color. Most that are brown or bronze will change to white & orange. It is also true that if they are kept in sunlight, as in a pond there is a better chance of the color remaining as it started.

Ukonline · 09-05-2010, 04:51 AM

when i raised goldfish i asked the pet shop about this. they suggested i get some particular fish food for them which are specially formulated to enhance the colour pigmentation in the fish. go to your local pet store and ask them about it.
___________________
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J-Pond · 09-21-2010, 04:09 PM

There are some foods that are supposed to help enhance the color. I have used several different foods and have noticed no difference it there coloring. Most of the color change is genetic.

Toad · 09-30-2010, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by B&Kbassist

Hey Toad, just checking in, how's the fish doing?

Healthy as a horse.

oodles · 01-02-2011, 11:03 AM

My red ryukin had clear/white fins. they are all now turning red to match his tone. He looks even more beautiful now. I'm not sure if it's due to the food I've been feeding him, but I really like the change.

tangerineCow · 01-06-2011, 03:25 AM

Try not to worry too much about young fish changing colors. My ryukin is 4.5" and 2 months ago I freaked out thinking he had some kind of fungus. Slowly but surely a patch of his scales turned a nice black color. Now more are following, but its definitely just coloration.

Something important though, you said it's a small tank. How small is it and how many "feeders" do you have? Its a common misconception that these fish stay small and thrive in small setups. You and your son may be better off with tropical fish or a betta. While goldfish are hearty,they require a lot more space if you really want them to grow and lead a decent life.

nathan786 · 01-29-2011, 07:27 AM

Yeah its growing day by day thats why its behaving like this but you have to be careful if its getting healthy. Its not good but if its just growing its length then there is no need to be worry, finally it will come up in the orange color.

Utter Nutter · 02-26-2011, 08:21 PM

I was just going to ask the same question.

My fish has gone from

to

It seemed to happen over night, will the brown ever come back. She is in a well lit tank so dont think that is the issue. I got her because of the chocolate effect so a little sad that its gone.

07-30-2010, 09:12 AM	#1 (permalink)
Toad Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 46 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 0 Times Said "Thanks" 13 Times Was Thanked 4 Times in 2 Posts	Golgfish changing color I bought a few feeder goldfish for my son's first small tank. One started out as a very even brown color - but now the brown is fading from the bottom up. It might be turning to the typical goldfish orange. He appears healthy. Is this usual? Thanks. __________________ Convinced myself, I seek not to convince.

08-02-2010, 09:03 PM	#2 (permalink)
B&Kbassist Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 4 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 0 Times Said "Thanks" 0 Times Was Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Golgfish changing color Hey Toad, I'm new here but I own 4 goldfish (carp) that I raised from feeders, they're about 2 years old now. All 4 started out gold, but one about a year or so ago began getting patches of white scales, and eventually he turned completely white. He's still very healthy (except for a nagging lip injury due to him feeding off of things on the gravel in his spare time) and active, doesn't seem to have affected his health at all. Hopefully this is the same for your fish! Just keep an eye on his behavior and take note of/research/ask about anything that seems strange!

08-03-2010, 07:56 AM	#3 (permalink)
Toad Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 46 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 0 Times Said "Thanks" 13 Times Was Thanked 4 Times in 2 Posts	Re: Golgfish changing color Yep. still seems completely healthy, but less brown every day... __________________ Convinced myself, I seek not to convince.

08-10-2010, 08:38 PM	#4 (permalink)
B&Kbassist Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 4 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 0 Times Said "Thanks" 0 Times Was Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Golgfish changing color Hey Toad, just checking in, how's the fish doing?

08-10-2010, 10:48 PM	#5 (permalink)
j.farrand Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 1 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 0 Times Said "Thanks" 0 Times Was Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Golgfish changing color My gold fish lost all of its orange on its body. Solid white body now. It is around 10 inches. I bought it as a 2 inch fish 2 years ago. They got their pond now(90 gallons).

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08-10-2010, 11:34 PM	#6 (permalink)
Toad Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 46 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 0 Times Said "Thanks" 13 Times Was Thanked 4 Times in 2 Posts	Re: Golgfish changing color Goldfish still seems to be fine, but as I suspected he seems to be picking up orange coloration. Faint, but it is there. __________________ Convinced myself, I seek not to convince.

08-11-2010, 03:25 AM	#7 (permalink)
littlefish littlefish's Photo Gallery Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 138 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 0 Times Said "Thanks" 2 Times Was Thanked 28 Times in 25 Posts	Re: Golgfish changing color Sometimes goldfish change color because of lighting, If the aquarium doesn't have enough light, the goldfish tend to lose their colors. __________________ "http://freshwater-aquarium-passion.blogspot.com" - for people with passion for aquariums

08-13-2010, 10:38 AM	#8 (permalink)
Toad Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 46 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 0 Times Said "Thanks" 13 Times Was Thanked 4 Times in 2 Posts	Re: Golgfish changing color Hmm, that might be part of it. It is a very small tank and the light seems to warm the water a bunch, so I don't leave it on much. We'll see what happens in the fall when the house is cooler and I can leave the light on more. __________________ Convinced myself, I seek not to convince.

08-20-2010, 02:18 PM	#9 (permalink)
Brenna Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 2 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 0 Times Said "Thanks" 0 Times Was Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Golgfish changing color I think it was just a normal sign of your fish aging into maturity.

08-21-2010, 11:06 PM	#10 (permalink)
Toad Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 46 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 0 Times Said "Thanks" 13 Times Was Thanked 4 Times in 2 Posts	Re: Golgfish changing color So changing color is a normal sign of maturity? __________________ Convinced myself, I seek not to convince.

08-22-2010, 12:43 AM	#11 (permalink)
Cole Cole's Photo Gallery Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 45 Name: Cole Location: Colorado Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 3 Times Said "Thanks" 3 Times Was Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts	Re: Golgfish changing color Every young, brown goldfish that I've ever seen has turned orange with age. So yes, this is normal.

09-02-2010, 11:47 AM	#12 (permalink)
J-Pond Mr. Goldfish Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 383 Name: Johann Location: Gardner MA My location Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 165 Times Said "Thanks" 10 Times Was Thanked 84 Times in 76 Posts	Re: Golgfish changing color It is absolutley normal for a goldfish to change/loose color. Most that are brown or bronze will change to white & orange. It is also true that if they are kept in sunlight, as in a pond there is a better chance of the color remaining as it started. __________________ *J-Pond* http://j-pond.myminicity.com/ please click on the egg/baby to help it grow:

09-05-2010, 04:51 AM	#13 (permalink)
Ukonline Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 6 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 0 Times Said "Thanks" 0 Times Was Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Golgfish changing color when i raised goldfish i asked the pet shop about this. they suggested i get some particular fish food for them which are specially formulated to enhance the colour pigmentation in the fish. go to your local pet store and ask them about it. ___________________ msds authoring

09-21-2010, 04:09 PM	#14 (permalink)
J-Pond Mr. Goldfish Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 383 Name: Johann Location: Gardner MA My location Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 165 Times Said "Thanks" 10 Times Was Thanked 84 Times in 76 Posts	Re: Golgfish changing color There are some foods that are supposed to help enhance the color. I have used several different foods and have noticed no difference it there coloring. Most of the color change is genetic. __________________ *J-Pond* http://j-pond.myminicity.com/ please click on the egg/baby to help it grow:

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01-02-2011, 11:03 AM	#16 (permalink)
oodles Crazy as a loon Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 27 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 1 Times Said "Thanks" 6 Times Was Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	Re: Golgfish changing color My red ryukin had clear/white fins. they are all now turning red to match his tone. He looks even more beautiful now. I'm not sure if it's due to the food I've been feeding him, but I really like the change. __________________ Never under estimate the power of an empty fish tank

01-06-2011, 03:25 AM	#17 (permalink)
tangerineCow Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 22 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 1 Times Said "Thanks" 2 Times Was Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: Golgfish changing color Try not to worry too much about young fish changing colors. My ryukin is 4.5" and 2 months ago I freaked out thinking he had some kind of fungus. Slowly but surely a patch of his scales turned a nice black color. Now more are following, but its definitely just coloration. Something important though, you said it's a small tank. How small is it and how many "feeders" do you have? Its a common misconception that these fish stay small and thrive in small setups. You and your son may be better off with tropical fish or a betta. While goldfish are hearty,they require a lot more space if you really want them to grow and lead a decent life. Last edited by tangerineCow : 01-06-2011 at 03:44 AM.

01-29-2011, 07:27 AM	#18 (permalink)
nathan786 Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 1 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 0 Times Said "Thanks" 0 Times Was Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Golgfish changing color Yeah its growing day by day thats why its behaving like this but you have to be careful if its getting healthy. Its not good but if its just growing its length then there is no need to be worry, finally it will come up in the orange color. __________________ Put your demands to God, will give you what you want to have.

02-26-2011, 08:21 PM	#19 (permalink)
Utter Nutter Utter Nutter's Photo Gallery Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 69 Name: Deb Location: Cornwall, ENGLAND Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 9 Times Said "Thanks" 5 Times Was Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Re: Golgfish changing color I was just going to ask the same question. My fish has gone from to It seemed to happen over night, will the brown ever come back. She is in a well lit tank so dont think that is the issue. I got her because of the chocolate effect so a little sad that its gone. Last edited by Utter Nutter : 02-26-2011 at 08:24 PM. Reason: Mistake in link