Fancyguppylover

I have this beautiful fancy guppy but something weird is going on with him. He has silver sides which darken into a brown/black tail with light spots. His sides sometimes look purpley (is that a word?) or black, but mostly purpley. It comes and goes! He acts normal, there is nothing wrong with him otherwise. It's very odd. One minute his sides will look perfect.. then a few minutes later.. purple... my daughter says he is a mood-changeing fish. I thought that was funny, but I've looked up the freshwater diseases and nothing sounds or looks like this. Ideas? My water conditions are fine. I am currently treating the tanks for any parasites (due to fish glancing), but that is all. This fish has been this way since I bought him. Which was before I started treated my tank.

kra-z-fishmumm

I had fancy tail danio that was doing the same thing. She didn't make it. Will be interested in hearing ppls. opinions.

Fancyguppylover

I wish people would reply!
I put a pic of the strange purpley coloring that shows up on his side from time to time. The 1 pic shows his side plain.. no purpley coloring...

kra-z-fishmumm

What are your water tests showing you? Fish change colors when they are stressed. He may just show it more than the others. Sure is a nice looking guppy

Gargoyle

Guppys like to "glance". Mine do it frequently.. I dunno why.. I have had them for over a year now.. They are healthy and fine but they do it..

You Guppy likes to change colors right... Now I have bred a few "Cobra Guppys" and have them in my tank. The sides of these guppies are very unique. They can tilt their bodies and change colors with the light. They can shimmer, get darker, and lighter. The ones I have now were all born and raised within my control and all of the males can do this.

Look up Cobra Guppy and see if you find more info. There may be nothing wrong at all. Someone else may chime in on this to help some but I honestly wouldn't worry to much about it..

P.S. all the live bearers in my tank "glance" from time to time..

Fancyguppylover

Hello again. Yes, a color changeing fish would be so cool. I see what you're saying about how the sides look different colors sometimes, but this is a HUGE difference. Like I said before, one minute I'll look at him and his sides are silver and perfect, and a bit later I'll look at him and they're that dark purple/black color.. and it's not a solid color. Its blotchy, sort of. Did you see the pic? I posted a pic of him with the blotches and 1 without. Anyway, he seems healthy otherwise, so I'm not worried about him.

susitna-flower

If your fish are still flashing, you might try turning up the heat...which is the low tech, less stressful way to kill ick.....usually flashing in an indication of an ick infestation. 84F or two weeks will kill it.

Fancyguppylover

Thankfully, there is no ich in my aquariums. Never has been. The heat has been turned up to nearly 85 for two weeks now, so hopefully if anything was causing the flashing, it's gone. I notice them flash every once in awhile, but it is nothing serious. I am done treating the tanks now, and hope I don't have to do it again for a long time. I had one fish a few days ago, that developed that cottony fungus... just one spot, so I treated for that, and now all is well. Also (now) using epsom salts in tanks to keep constipation away. My fish have a pretty varied diet. I feed them frozen brine shrimp, tropical flakes, and algae discs... which they really love to nibble on. Everyone is healthy and happy far as I can tell. Makes me happy too!

kra-z-fishmumm

Epson salt for constipation? Never heard of that.

COBettaCouple

Epsom salt dehydrates fish and is sometimes used to treat dropsy for that reason.

InvisiblePlaymate

Hi! I raise "Moscow" guppies, and full-body color is a big deal in this type of Guppy. A lot of people call the places on the body that change in shade and intensity "mood spots". I don't think your fish is sick. Good luck!