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6 Reasons Your Angel Fish Are Changing Color!

Angel fish are becoming more and more people within the fish keeping hobby and we have noticed a wide range of people of all levels of experience looking to add angel fish to their tank,

Being huge fans of angel fish ourselves, we would always encourage that people try angel fish in their tank but you really do have to do your research as some types of angel fish are not beginner friendly and can cause problems!

Some other types of angel fish can be a little finicky and have problems with even slight things so we do often see people reaching out with various questions about caring for their angel fish.

One of the more commonly asked questions that we see from the community is about their angel fish changing color so we wanted to cover that in today’s article.

Why Your Angel Fish Are Changing Colors!

There are a number of reasons that your angel fish may change color but in a large number of instances, it will be totally natural and normal.

Some angel fish will change their pigmentation as they age and although this can worry some people new to keeping angel fish, it is totally normal and to be expected.

Here is a quick list of the more common reasons that your angel fish may change its color and then we will take a closer look at each one:-

  • Natural Reasons!
  • The Fish Has Ich!
  • Poor Diet!
  • Stress!
  • Poor Water Parameters!
  • Issues With Lighting Intensity!

Please note that in some cases, your tank may actually have problems with multiple issues causing your angel fish to change color with this being surprisingly common with people new to the fish keeping hobby.

Natural Reasons!

As we briefly mentioned above, some angel fish will actually change color as they age and reach sexual maturity.

This is nothing to worry about and is totally natural for the fish but it can come as a bit of a shock to people new to keeping angel fish!

The change is usually gradual and has minimal side effects during the process so your angel fish will literally just go about its daily business in its tank without issue while slowly changing to its mature pigment colors.

The Fish Has Ich!

One of the more common problems that we see people with is their angel fish changing color because it has ich.

Ich is a pretty big problem in the fish keeping hobby and can affect all types of fish, both fresh and salt water.

Ich will usually cause white or pale areas on your fish to form, sometimes surprisingly fast and in some cases it can quickly prove fatal too.

Unfortunately, ich can be a pain to treat depending on your tank setup but there are some commercial treatments on the market that you are able to use.

You are also able to take advantage of the temperature trick for your aquarium water to help speed up the life cycle of the ich in your tank to help your angel fish get better.

Both methods can work well and have their own advantages and disadvantages depending on your tank setup.

Poor Diet!

A diet that is lacking in nutrition can also lead to your angel fish changing color as the lack of nutrients will cause problems with their metabolism and how they are able to process food.

A good quality diet is vital for all types of fish but especially so for angel fish as their diet needs are actually pretty particular when compared to other types of fish.

A lack of nutrition in an angel fish’s diet can be offset in some aquarium setups due to their foraging ability allowing them to eat other food sources to maintain the vitamin and mineral profile that they require.

This is not possible in some tank setups though and your angel fish can start to lose its stronger colors due to a lack of nutrition.

In most cases of a lack of vitamins and minerals causing problems with the coloration of an angel fish will be gradual and take time so you will usually find that you can just improve the nutritional profile of your angel fish’s diet and the color of the fish will return to normal.

Stress!

Stress can cause all sorts of problems for your angel fish and is one of the more common reasons that we see people with angel fish changing color.

When an angel fish is stressed, it will release a hormone known as cortisol into its bloodstream which can cause a whole host of problems including a suppression of the immune system.

A stressed angel fish is more susceptible to disease and infection and this can quickly lead to the fish changing color as its health deteriorates.

There are a number of different things that can cause stress in angel fish including poor water quality, aggressive tank mates, lack of hiding places and even changes in the tank such as new decorations or gravel.

In most cases, simply addressing the stressor will be enough to stop your angel fish from changing color but sometimes the damage can already be done and the fish may not recover.

Poor Water Parameters!

As we briefly mentioned above, one of the more common stressors that can lead to your angel fish changing color is poor water quality.

Angel fish are actually pretty sensitive to water conditions and even a small change in pH or temperature can cause problems.

In most cases, simply bringing the water parameters back into line will be enough to stop your angel fish from changing color but sometimes the damage can already be done and the fish may not recover.

Issues With Lighting Intensity!

In some cases, the intensity of the lighting in your aquarium can actually cause your angel fish to change color.

This is most likely to happen if the lighting in your tank is too bright for the fish and it becomes stressed as a result.

If you think that this may be the case, then simply reducing the amount of time that the lights are on each day or investing in a dimmer switch for your aquarium light can help to solve the problem.

In some cases, you may also need to replace the bulbs in your aquarium light with ones that have a lower wattage to further reduce the intensity of the light.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are a number of different reasons that your angel fish might start to change color and it is important to try and identify the cause so that you can take steps to address it.

If you are unsure of what might be causing the problem, then always seek the advice of a qualified aquarium professional who will be able to help you to get to the bottom of the issue.