TILAPIA TURNING PURPLE

jinnovee

Hello,

There are these tilapia at my internship's aquaponic farm and sometimes they turn into the color you see below in the link. Please help! We think it may be something chemical.

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2& ... sp=safe&zw

nosliwmas

jinnovee,

If the fish seem healthy and the normal water tests don't show a problem, I wouldn't worry about it. Your link didn't work for me to see the colors, but it is normal for Tilapia to change colors based upon mood and attitude... For example, when being aggressive, when stressed, etc. Can you send pictures another way?

I'm sure you can find a lot online about them changing colors. Here is one example:

http://www.biology-resources.com/fish-tilapia-01.html

Quote:

Their responses can be identical; one such reaction is the rapid change of colour or pattern according to the ‘emotional’ state of the fish. This is brought about by the expansion or con- traction of special pigment-containing cells in the skin; e.g. during threat behaviour, dark, vertical bars appear on the flanks of the fish within seconds. Colour changes associated with sexual maturity, however, usually take a period of days.

If you can't easily send pics, perhaps you can find others online that resemble yours and point us to those...

--
Sam

OBRIZZIE

Yeah, my boys when they are pissed and frisky their front halves turn a dark blue/purple and get red stripe border around their dorsal fins and tails

Adagna

Most fish have different colors they can turn based on mood and stress level. Many can go from nearly white and washed out to almost black. You are probably just noticing mating or dominance coloration if it is a bright color like purple. Stress colors are usually what I described above, white or black.

You link also did not work for me.

Backyard Aquaponics A place to discuss aquaponics

TILAPIA TURNING PURPLE

Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics