How to enhance color of Cardinal Tetra?

[o2bubble]

Hi guys, I have 60 Cardinal Tetra in my 4ft densely planted tank with temp 25c, ph 6.5, kh 3. I have been feeding them once every 2 days with "Bao Zheng Hong" only. the red color is good but the bright (blue/green) strip does not seem to improve and I think some of them the strips actually faded abit... they seem healthy and schooling about happily.

I'm just wondering what kind of food or anything else that I can do to make these tetras more pretty in terms of color and shape... Any advise?

[zenscape]

I gave my cardinals Tetra Bits for Discus. Recommended by Ian of Kingfisher years back. So far they are fat, healthy and beautiful and have been with me for 2 years, all 50 of them

But I believe that like in other species, in so far they are not stressed, their colouration will show. How long you have them in your tank?

[Aquaculture]

I was recommended Trace elements for fauna e.g. Dennerale S7 to help enhance their colours.

[Freshman]

Hi o2bubble,

My ex cardinal tetra and rummy nose tetra are all fed with Tetrabits and frozen bloodworm. All nice and red.

Are those 60 cardinal tetras the only fish in your tank? Or are there any more aggressive fishes inside that might be 'harassing' your tetra?
Stressed fish wouldn't show nice color.

[zyblack]

I think given proper nutrition and good environment most fish will develop to their best condition. But looking at the biotope where cardinal tetras come from Amazon River, the water is murky and visibililty is very limited to probably 2-3 feet underwater. I read somewhere animals adapt to their surrounding by evolving physical features that allow them to survive in the environment.

I believe the bright colouration of Cardinals is the result of adapting to the murky water. To scare off predators or perhaps to confuse them when swimming in schools, I do not know. Perhaps you can try taking a small school of your tetras and house them is a small tank with ketapang leaves or blackwater additives to mimic the murky water and see if there is any improvement in colouration over a couple of months.

Alternatively you can try feeding food with spirulina. Spirulina is not a colour enhancer in the strictest of sense. It mainly improves the health of your fish with its high nutrition value so your fish can best show off its colours.

[gummynut]

hi, can take a photo of your fishes? maybe we can give our opinion on your fish colouration. or maybe they are just not good enough for your eyes. try feeding them with live food to enhance their colour. live food are usually just as good as dry food, in terms of nutrient content, if not better.

[illumnae]

Spirulina is not a colour enhancer in the strictest of sense.

actually, in a way it is. the synthesis of spirulina produces astaxathin, which is a natural red colour enhancer. hence, indirectly speaking, spirulina is in a small way a colour enhancer, it is just in such small quantities that it isn't immediately noticeable

[zyblack]

Okay...so maybe not that strict a sense...