PlanetCatfish.com

Hi !

I'm french, so I may have some problems to write here...
Well, I've got a Panaque nigrolineatus (3 years old almost) which is usely black with green/grey rows (normal), but for almost 4 weeks, it's white. Completely white. It's not a joke (I'd like ). I've got photos before/after but I don't now how to insert them here. Otherwise, you can go there to see some : http://www.discuspassion.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2487
It's the second time. The first time (1,5 year, in winter), the normal colors had reappeared by themselves, in 2-3 weeks. But now the situation is quite longer.
Food : idem discus (artemias, mussels, red worms + tetraprima) + "special catfish food"
temp°: 32°C (it's too hot, but weather is canicular for more than 2 months now...)
water : 7 pH / 4 GH / 1 KH / nitrits 0 / nitrats under 25 mg/l

If someone has got explaination or idea, I'm very interested in. Thanks !

(I hoppe you understand my poor english )

Do you have the pictures somewhere else? It seems that you have to be a member of the forum to view them.

ack, and it's not even instant registration, you have to wait...

Virginie wrote:(I hoppe you understand my poor english )

It's better than my French! If you need to, post in French, there are a few that will try and help translate I am sure.

Jools

at very worst we can use bablefish from altavista... it does a good job, but in technical terms it does leave a bit to be desired. http://babelfish.altavista.com/ I've been using it for a while on spanish and portugese pages. There are some alterations that can look a bit silly, things that don't translate well and such, but a good service.

BTW, I can't get into that forum, it's saying the name I registered and got approved doesn't work, or the password is incorrect, so, I can't help with getting the pics accessible to anyone here.

As you can't see the photos on discuspassion forum, how to post the photos in this topic ?
I've gorgotten to explain that the Panaque lost its colors on the tail first, and the white color reached the head a week later.
What may it be ?

You can create your own photo gallery on Tim's website, upload the pictures and link to their url. More instructions here.
If they are already in an online picture gallery, you can just post the url here.

Thank you, Silurus. I've contacted Tim, I'm waiting for notification.

You could probably link the pics directly from the discus forum.Just right click on them and go to "properties" then copy the url.

Then on this forum click on the "img" tag and paste the url, then click the img tag again to close it....easy

Thanks T :

That's my Panaque now.

And this is how it was before (in february) :


The photos give a general idea, they are not very clear because of [compression, in French, I don't find the english word, sorry , it's when you reduce size]

Wow thats quite a difference, it almost looks like it has changed into the albino form.Does it still eat/act normally?

I found this ..


My fish are changing colour!!

A fairly common situation arises when fish literally change colour, either all over or just parts of the body. The most common situation is when previously coloured fish turn white. Fish skin colouring is a complex subject. Fish skin contains different types of pigment cells or chromatophores, which are under the control of the hormonal and nervous systems.

Fish which are diseased often change colour, but this is usually a fading/darkening/dulling of the skin rather than an actual colour change. There are a few conditions in which there is a colour change but these are rare.

The most common causes are either nutritional deficiencies, so one could try a change of diet, water chemistry such as pH or hardness, or simply genetics.

In virtually all cases the fish appear perfectly healthy apart from the colour change and eat and swim normally. So apart from perhaps changing the diet and checking water parameters there is nothing that can be done to reverse the colour change.

Not to mention a white royal would be cool to have

Very cool indeed.
There also appears to be some fin damage.

Think thats just part of the plant its behind.

That fish looks exactly like what Mr. HN has in his gallery section of his site called Catfish Blues. Take a look at it.

http://tiger.towson.edu/~hnonog1/Panaque%20Gallery.htm

I remember a time when my L90c turned completely white when it was lights out. When I flicked the switch on I was surprised to see a white panaque in my tank. In a few minutes though, the colors came back. Never got a picture since they always happen within a few minutes. Never has it stayed white any longer than five minutes. It has happened around four times during the first four months I've had it. It has been nine months since and has still yet to happen again. It hasn't.

Regards,
Mike D.

how odd. maybe it's a certain location that has royals that sometimes do that to avoid predation? can't see how it'd work, but...

I've never seen mine in anything but his green and black normal coloration. But, there are apparently some psuedacanthicus that will get an ocellated pattern... And apparently Parancistrus auranthiacushas the ability to change color as well.

I remember a time when my L90c turned completely white when it was lights out.

Quite a few catfish do that, most notably black lancers (jet black when the lights are on and with a pattern of pale gray stripes when the lights are out). Still, it's fairly unusual to see changes in color pattern not associated with a diurnal cycle.

Othewise, other color changes are growth-related (e.g. Hyposotmus luteus and, as pointed out, P. aurantiacus).

Maybe your fish is going blind?

Thanks for all ! Till now, nobody could give me some explainations, or tell me it happens sometimes. Sellors and friends only rolled eyes "You've got always odd troubles !"
So I've only to wait and see...

I don't think my fish becomes blind : its eyes look quite normal, and there no reason that let me think it doesn't see as well as usually.

So thaks again .

Hi!

Virginie, can you tell us more about the water parameters and what you feed him?
Could it be a disease? Such as costia?
Do you have the possibility to move your fish in another tank that have really different setup and parameters ( such as something opposite to what he has now?)
Cheers
Yann

(Salut, yann)

To know the parameters of the tank and food, just look at my first post, I think they are. Water is changed 1/3 each week. And, no, I haven't got another available tank (only a 100 liters which is an hemichromis family "sweet home").
It doesn't look like a disease, the fish has got normal behaviour and still eat ("special catfishfood" + seeds (I'm not sure it's the good word : sort of sea "plants" - but not really, you know ?) + worms (not often, about twice a month), mussels, beef heart, etc).

ive seen a panaque thats totally white in a japanese site, cant remember what.. But If ur panaque doesnt have any sickness.. that is one very beautiful fish! Its a unique fish, quite a freak of nature.. I got an L27 that is veiled fins from my shipments of L27.. Its like a morph..

Speaking of white Panaques... Aqualog has a "Panaque sp." as L-003a if i remember correctly... what is this fish? Looks like a very nice fish.

I can't say my panaque is beautiful... And the worst : it stays just in front of eyes, at the very midle of the tank, you couldn't avoid to see it even if you would.
today, some grey 'aeras' (it's not the right word, I hoppe you understand) are appeared : is it the end of that odd thing ???

I can't say my panaque is beautiful

Do you mean you CAN say your panaque is beautiful?? I think it is a very pretty fish which as you said it stays in the middle of the tank which makes it a great tank centerpeice.
by the way your english is very good!
Connie

Yes, usualy, this fish is quite beautiful, but now that it is white and grey, as it were dirty, "beautiful" is not the true word, Awful is more appropriate. Sorry ...

Well I think and most of us think you have a very pretty and rare fish there, Im sure his color will come back in time.
Connie

honestly ive never seen an L003a. My uncle did though once in japan.. He told me it was pure white but with its shape, It looks more like an baryancistrus..

You can imagine why a completely white fish would be so rare as i cant imagine them being common in nature...must be a great sighting for any predator trying to hide...except the water is white. ;)