Percula Clownfish Color faded...to almost pale-white

[pebblesmarlenj]

I have two percula clownfish...and the middle white stripe on one has faded to a dark brown color while the head has faded from orange to a pale orange..almost white...whats happening?
help please

 

[perfectdark]

My fish usually fade their color when the lights are off, which is when they are the least active. A lot of why fishes color change can be due to environmental stimuli. Stress, poor water quality, lighting, dominance etc... but it can also be some sort of disese too. Water perameters other tank inhabitants and pics would help.

 

[sac10918]

I had a female black saddle back who's face changed from black to a grayish white over time... I could never figure out why, but she seemed perfectly healthy the entire time. I attributed the color change to a change in dominance patterns between her and the male (they actually switched roles I think). Anyways...Here are two pics to compare...
January 2006~ she is on the lower left

May 2007~again on the lower left

Hope that eases your worries...As long as they are eating well and look healthy, dont worry too much about it...

 

[pebblesmarlenj]

so i checked up on my clownfish and the face has returned back to orange
but the second white band is still dark...a medium brown...
there are 2 percula clown fish...one chocolate chip starfish,
one pink tipped haitian anemone, and one condylacti anemone..
the nitrite and nitrate levels were a bit high...but ive been
doing water changes...while i get another tank cycled

 

[chano]

This is just a possibility and not a sure thing and i don't mean to worry you or anything but it is possible that your anemones are haveing a bit of a chemical wafare bout and this could be stressing your fish out. Again not a given but it is a possibility. IMO it would be best to seperate the anemones when your other tank gets cycled. How big is the tank they are in now? If the tank is not big enough to accomidate both anemones (and then some) that makes the likely hood of chemical warfare a lot greater IMO.

 

[pebblesmarlenj]

thanks for the advice...i was thinking the same thing...
the tank they are in now is way too small for the both of them
hence...the new tank....any futher advice from anyone is
greatly appreaciated.

 

[perfectdark]

Of course chemical warfare is a concern, do you run carbon? I would be more concerned of the nitrite reading your getting. Nitrates can be tolerable but nitrites typically indicate that you have or had amonia which in that case would indeed induce stress in your fish hence the color change.