Can sunlight enhance the red color of Pleco?

[Chanin09]

Month ago I purchased an imported 11 inches L-24 from my friend. The coloration seem to be good but not colorful.

This picture when I first got it.

[Chanin09]

I've kept him in my 60-20-20 inches tank which set outside, and receive 2-3 hours of morning sunlight.

[Chanin09]

He seem to be happy in his tank.

[Chanin09]

But every morning, I notice that this "Flame Pleco" prefers to take a morning sunbath by clinging on the wall at the sunlight, instead hiding under the wood.

[Chanin09]

About two week later, I noticed that the natural colors of the fish seem to be enhanced and look much better!

[Chanin09]

All the fins get more scaret also the body get more yellow!

[Bas Pels]

Obviously, the fish likes to sunbath, and it does look stunning.

I think you just answered your own question

[Shane]

Pretty much any fish kept outside will develop richer, more vibrant colors. I have seen this with tetras, barbs, killifish, and cichlids as well. I always assumed that sunlight helps in the processing of certain vitamins and/or melanin.
-Shane

[Chanin09]

Thanks Bas pels & Shane

I peek him, he always cling there every morning!

[Chanin09]

By the way, the water parameter in this tank is quite good. I think because I use moving bead as filter media and I change the water 50% every week.

[Chanin09]

Also the Oxygen is up to 8ml. as I use the Protein Skimmer to increse the dissolve O2 beyond a very strong powerhead and surface outflow.

[Chanin09]

I feed my "Flame Pleco" and his tank mates with Hikari pellets and freshwater river shrimp (freeze)

[Chanin09]

It's unbelievable! This is the same pale fish last month!

Let your Plec take a sunbath

[.Plecomania.]

died has a big impact but sun helps too

[franco68]

Hello everyone, I agree because it happens the same thing happens in my tank, where the sun comes up in the afternoon fish L 200 and L 75 they like it a lot and come out of their shelters

[Linus_Cello]

Reptiles will often "sunbath" in the morning to warm their bodies up and be more active; maybe the fellow cold-blooded L24 is trying to "wake up" by warming up?

Maybe your L24 has just gotten more settled in, so the color has gotten better?

Another thought about being outside, wild food could be entering the tank; outdoor insects and larvae that have lots of caretenoids may be helping to intensify its colors (assuming the fish is eating these supplemental foods)?

Luckily, you live somewhere where you can keep your fish outdoors. A possible issue I've been told with having fish outside is that they can contract TB (tuberculosis) from the wild (via insects, etc). But I think the positives of being outside outweigh the threat of TB.

[David R]

Interesting observations! I've noticed my plecs seem to avoid the beam of sunlight that shines into my tank for a short period in the morning.

[Chanin09]

Thanks for every comments

Actually, I've kept a 13 inches L-25 "Scarlet Pleco" he also prefer to take a morning sunbath!!

[.Plecomania.]

yeah they prob do it to heat up.
but more noctural plecos will definitely stay our of light like some hypans.

[Bamboo]

Has anyone tried UVB bulbs ? ie. Zoomed 10.0 .. a lot of the UVA/UVB rays will bounce off the water but there is some that penetrate through.