ACW Posted August 13, 2021 Share Posted August 13, 2021 I've had a group of Denison barbs for several months now. All of them have been healthy, but one has a very weird trait--its coloration keeps changing. When I got them, all had the same markings, but after 2 months, one began to lose its color entirely. After a few weeks, it looked like an albino. I tried and failed to catch it to medicate it, as it otherwise seemed completely healthy. It eats well, swims fast, is a similar size to the others I bought at the same time, etc. After a few days of having an albino, I noticed that its black stripe was returning, and within a couple of weeks, it looked mostly normal again. Since then, it has regained and lost its color regularly, taking around a month to complete the cycle. The attached picture shows it halfway to recovering all color (with a non-color-morphing Denison at the top-left for comparison). I'm guessing a stomach parasite maybe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colu Posted August 14, 2021 Share Posted August 14, 2021 It could be internal parasites causing colour changes in your fish or it could be stress related is it eating ok have you noticed it being bullied Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ACW Posted August 14, 2021 Author Share Posted August 14, 2021 No issues with eating--like all my Denisons, it eats fast and as much as it can get. Early on, I noticed it was getting bullied, but that seems to have stopped as all those barbs have gotten older. My nitrates run a little high due to bio-load (long story short, I have more fish in there than I planned on or paid for...), so I do regular water changes. What really throws me though is that its color doesn't stabilize--it keeps cycling between 'fake albino' and standard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colu Posted August 14, 2021 Share Posted August 14, 2021 I would treat his food with praziquantel powder and see if he improves 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ACW Posted August 19, 2021 Author Share Posted August 19, 2021 Thank you! I'll give it a try Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now