How To Enhance Fish Color? (10 Best Ways)

Written by John Sawyer in Aquarium Guide,General Info

Many freshwater fish species, like guppies, goldfish, and betta, are known for their bright colors. But sometimes, these fishes lose their bright color due to inadequate housing conditions or illness and end up looking pale.

However, several ways to enhance your fish’s color ensure their well-being and a longer lifespan. So, how to enhance fish color? Let us find out.

Below are the ways to enhance your fish color

  1. Feed high-quality nutritional food to your fish
  2. Ensure adequate water conditions in the tank
  3. Maintain ideal water parameters 
  4. Provide a stress-free environment for your fish
  5. Add aquarium light to your fish tank.
  6. Avoid pairing your fish with non-compatible tankmates.
  7. Avoid overfeeding your fish.
  8. Ensure enough oxygen in your fish aquarium.

The article below will discuss the 10 best ways to enhance your fish’s color to ensure their well-being and a longer lifespan.

Enhancing your fish color

There are many ways to enhance your fish color. However, providing a high-quality diet is the most effective way to enhance your fish’s color and make them look attractive.

In addition, there are many other ways, like providing ample space in the tank, a stress-free environment, and good water conditions and parameters to enhance your fish’s color.

In the below article, we will learn about some best ways to enhance your fish color.

10 best ways to enhance your fish color

Here are the best ten ways to enhance your fish color

Feed high-quality food

Feeding high-quality food is the primary way to enhance your fish’s color.

Providing high-quality, nutritious food also helps in the adequate development of your fish.

You can also provide color-enhancing food like Fluval Bug Bites to your fish. 

Therefore, always provide nutritious food moderately to ensure your fish’s well-being and a longer lifespan.

Avoid pairing your fish with aggressive tankmates.

You should avoid pairing your fish with non-compatible tankmates to ensure their well-being and color enhancement.

For, say if you have peaceful fish like goldfish in your tank, then you should avoid adding aggressive fish like betta to the tank.

Adding aggressive fish to the tank can lead to extreme stress and several health injuries to your fish, eventually making them lose their color.

So, you should always pair your aquarium fish with peaceful tankmates to ensure their well-being and color enhancement.

Also read: Can Goldfish Live With Guppy?

Provide good water conditions for your fish

You should provide ideal water conditions to your fish for their color enhancement and adequate development.

We advise performing a 30% weekly water change and adding a water filter to maintain the tank’s water quality.

In addition, you should always treat your tap water with a water conditioner before adding it to your tank, as it eliminates all the harmful toxins from the water and makes it safe for your fish.

Maintain ideal water parameters in your fish tank

You should maintain ideal water parameters in your fish tank for the color enhancement and well-being of your fish.

Always provide an ideal water temperature for your fish, as sudden changes in the temperature can make them suffer from extreme stress. 

In addition, you should also maintain the ideal pH level in your fish tank, as inadequate ph levels can make your fish suffer from severe health issues.

The pH level of the freshwater aquarium should be 6.8-7.8.

 Maintain the tank’s ammonia and nitrite level at 0ppm, as excess ammonia can lead to significant health issues like ammonia poisoning in your fish.

Provide ample space in your fish tank

You should provide ample space in your fish tank for color enhancement and development.

Lack of space in the tank can lead to extreme stress in your fish, eventually making them lose their color.

So, you should provide one gallon of water per inch of your fish to maintain enough space in the tank. 

For, say you are planning to add goldfish to your fish tank. Goldfish can go up to 4- 6 inches in an artificial environment.

So, according to the one-inch-one-gallon rule, you will require at least a 10-gallon tank to place two small goldfish.

Also read: What Happens When You Overstock Goldfish Tank?

Avoid overfeeding your fish.

You should avoid overfeeding your fish for their well-being and color enhancement.

Overfeeding your fish can make them suffer from significant health issues like constipation, loss of appetite, and stress, eventually losing their natural color.

So, we recommend you always provide the amount your fish can consume in under two minutes to avoid overfeeding and underfeeding your fish.

Therefore, always provide food in a moderate quantity to ensure your fish’s well-being and longer lifespan.

Bright background

Adding a bright background in the aquarium also helps your fish’s color enhancement.

Some freshwater fish species, like guppies, change their color according to their environment in their natural habitat.

So, we advise adding colorful background and substrate to enhance your fish color.

Add light to your tank.

You should add aquarium light to your fish tank for color enhancement.

Freshwater fish like guppies and goldfish require light for at least 12 hours in their tank to mimic their natural habitat.

Lack of light can lead to stress in your fish and make them lose their natural color.

You should provide a balance of light and dark periods in your fish tank for their well-being and color enhancement.

We advise adding Hygger Spectrum Led Aquarium Light to your fish tank.

It is available on Amazon Hygger Spectrum Led Aquarium Light.

Also, read: Do Goldfish Need Light?

Ensure enough oxygen in your fish tank

You should ensure enough oxygen in your fish tank for color enhancement and well-being.

Lack of oxygen in the tank can lead to suffocation and extreme stress in your fish, eventually passing them away.

In addition, the lack of oxygen in the tank will also not allow the beneficial bacteria to break down harmful chemicals like ammonia and nitrite, leading to ammonia spikes in your fish tank and making your fish suffer from significant health issues.

So, we advise adding an air pump to your fish tank to keep your tank well-oxygenated.

You can add a Tetra Whisper air pump to your fish tank, as it is easy to use and does not produce sound.

It is available on Amazon Tetra Whisper Air Pump.

Provide a stress-free environment in your tank

You should provide a stress-free environment to your fish for color enhancement and a longer lifespan.

Extreme stress in your fish can make them lose their color and lead to several other health issues.

Here are the ways to maintain a stress-free environment in your fish tank.

  1. Provide ideal water conditions and parameters
  2. Feed high-quality food 
  3. Add many hiding spots in the tank.
  4. Provide enough space in the tank for your fish to swim freely.
  5. Avoid overfeeding your aquarium fish.

Conclusion:

  1. Feeding a high-quality diet is the leading way to enhance your fish’s color and ensure their proper development.
  2. Other factors like a stress-free environment, good water conditions, and ample space in the tank also help enhance your fish’s color.
  3. Several factors, like illness and low-grade food, make your fish lose color.
  4. Always provide adequate housing conditions and a healthy environment for your fish to ensure their development and longer lifespan.

Reference: ResearchGate

Recent Posts