does the food you feed make a difference in color the color of your fish?

does the food you feed make a difference in color the color of your fish?

i have never noticed a difference in the color of my fish, no matter what food i feed. i have feed lots of different things including dainichi and NLS.

what is everyone else's opinions on this and maybe some picture proof if you have some.

i always feed my fish with shrimp, flakes, bloodworms, and some feeders, and never saw a diference on the color... i think it may be a very small direfence and hard to see it..

I have notice some difference since I have changed to spirulina flake food but not much I started my fish on that.I still want to switch there diet up a little bit more.

Spirulina, thats what im giving my fish now..

I have not noticed any differences in color, only in their preference for certain foods and their overall health.

I belive that the quality of your fish and the quality of your water has a lot to do with color of your fish. I have never seen a change in color b/c my fish food.

This is just my personal opinion from my personal experiences and observations.

a staple diet and good water quality brings out the best colors.

Don't forget about the environment also ( ie.. lighting, decor, substrate, etc). That will also make a big different in the color of your fish...

i just ask this question becuase dainichi as well as other brands claim that thier food makes your fish look better but yet i have never noticed lol.

Some foods contain ingredients that are supposed to bring out the colors of your fish, especially red pigments. There is some fact to it. Flamingos for example, in captivity are fed diets that contain canthaxanthin that makes there plumage pink. Without these pigments their feathers would be white. The canthaxanthin replaces pigments normally found in the small crustaceans they eat in the wild. I think that by feeding your fish certain diets, their colors can become more vivid.

Good post. Good opinion....I can dig it. But you did say " I am sure the same applies to fish, somewhat" To me that dose not sound so sure but I guess it could be true. I have no knowlege other then feeding and observing.

nice comparison mark. i know the crustaceans made the flamingos feather pink but had not clue about the other stuff. thanks.

I edited my post, because I am not sure. I do however think that it is possible for diet to contribute to enhanced coloration. It would be interesting to hear some more views on this subject.

i think the darn discorvery chan is not giving me enough info like that stuff about the flamingos lol. cool stuff.

MarkM wrote:

Some foods contain ingredients that are supposed to bring out the colors of your fish, especially red pigments. There is some fact to it. Flamingos for example, in captivity are fed diets that contain canthaxanthin that makes there plumage pink. Without these pigments their feathers would be white. The canthaxanthin replaces pigments normally found in the small crustaceans they eat in the wild. I am sure the same applies to fish, somewhat. I think that by feeding your fish certain diets, their colors can become more vivid.

I agree with you Mark. I have seen many people's tanks over the time that I worked at a LFS. When ever they fed their fish cheap foods, every single time their fish looked like cr@p. Also, I believe that many fish foods will only enhanced the warm colors of the fish such as reds and oranges. But then again most fish foods such as NLS and Dainichi are meant to bring out the natural colors of the fish. Although, I have had luck with Dainichi bringing out the Bluish tints of the fish.

My stand is certain fish foods do help with enhancing the natural beauty of the fish. The best way to ensure a beautifully colored fish is to purchase the fish from a reputable seller. It always a plus when you can see the parents of the fish.

I agree Kyte. Genetics, water quality, food, and husbandry play a huge part in what your fish look like. Different color substrate and lighting also play a part.

Holey Rock, the only reason I know that about flamingoes and some other birds is because I worked at a zoo for quite a while and had to put that stuff in their diets twice a day. Rumor was that a bottle of roxanthin cost several hundred dollars.

wow. that is super cool. i would have loved to work at the zoo when i was younger but it was way too far to drive plus i would want to help take care of the animals not serve food lol.

I was a bird keeper for 5 years. Head bird keeper for 3 of those years. We sometimes helped the kitchen staff when they were shorthanded. It was an awesome experience.

sounds like it.

Ok Martha my flowerhorn I have seen color vs food differences in. For a good month she would only eat feeders, her color was very flat and bland. Now that she is back on processed and homemade foods her color has become a whole lot more vivid and rich.
I can't chalk it up to one food or another because I feed a big variety of foods, but I can sure say that processed foods are a whole lot better for your fish than feeders!

wow. i would not have thought that. crazy.

I definately think certain foods bring out the color of fish. Depends on what's in it like algae would bring out green/blue

and carotene would bring out the reds and pinks

PN

so everyone is saying:

algae for blues and greens.

carotene for reds

good to know.

Since switching to the spirulina flakes I have seen them starting to grow faster and a little more color not much.All my fish love that flake food.My Angels are getting bigger too.