How to enhance the colour of Taenicara candidi further?

[Samuel2618]

Hi Bros..

Need advises from you guys as to what type of food (live food aside)/water parameters/methods should be provided for my Candidi pair so that their colors will be further enhanced?

Here are some of the picture of my candidi pair..

Candidi_Male


Candid_Female


Candidi_Couple


Cheers

[Cacatuoides]

You can try color enhancing foods like Hikari red pellets or liquid vitamins like Dennerle S7

[Milk]

HI;

Seems like you got a sneaker male...Both pieces seems to be developing long lanceolate caudal fin.

As for color enhancing part..Not much can be done when the pair grows so big..But color enhancing food and Dennerle S7 can only improve it slightly...Not much of a notable difference.

Regards
Dimas aka Milk

[illumnae]

you can try tetra colour pro as it's supposed to enhance colouration. new life spectrum has also been known to improve fish colouration after a few weeks of feeding. but like dimas pointed out, it's only a slight improvement, nothing spectacularly different

[Samuel2618]

HI;

Seems like you got a sneaker male...Both pieces seems to be developing long lanceolate caudal fin.

As for color enhancing part..Not much can be done when the pair grows so big..But color enhancing food and Dennerle S7 can only improve it slightly...Not much of a notable difference.

Regards
Dimas aka Milk

Hi Dimas,

Ya.. I am beginning to think both my candidi are male that day due to the pointed caudal fins.. They are actually very aggressive towards each other.. Though Candidi is known to be more aggressive even those to females as well.. Thanks for pointing this out as well..

Hopefully they are able to color up a bit more with those food recommended by bros here.. Though both have some good improvement in coloring as compared to the very first day I bought them.. But think not that colorful still..

Thanks

[Wackytpt]

Hi,

I might second what Milk has spotted. Your "female" might have a high chance of a being a sneaker male.

Their colouration looks pretty good. Anyway not much can be done now.

Most important enjoying rearing them.

Colouration is secondary for this pair.

Cheers

[leeruisheng]

Yup both looks like male. You may want to check the water parameters too.

[valice]

You can try to lower the pH of the water further. Sometimes, off water parameters cause the fish to be slightly stressed and then they don't show off their full colourations.

[genes]

You're using white substrate! So they look washed out.

Try searching this sub-forum. There was a huge discussion on colour-enhancing sometime back.

[Samuel2618]

Thanks guys for all your tip..


Bro Valice.. PH is kept at 6.2.. Think might not be the problem.. But I might be wrong too cauze they might require even lower PH.

Bro Genes.. Ya.. slipped my mind.. The white substrate might be the problem which caused the colours to washed out partially.. But couldn't replace the substrate now as the tanks are established tank for more than 2 yrs which I used to house my corys back then when I was collecting them..

Bro Wackytpt.. You are right.. Guess colouration is secondary.. it's the enjoyment of rearing them which is important..

Cheers

[valice]

But couldn't replace the substrate now as the tanks are established tank for more than 2 yrs which I used to house my corys back then when I was collecting them..

IIRC, your white substrate has some brown soil right? What you can do, if you don't mind the ugliness, is to add a thin layer of new soil.

This can be done even with the tank already filled with water. Although it can be tedious.

[Samuel2618]

Hi bro Valice,

Thanks for your kind advice..

Actually I already have some ADA malayan and amazonia 2 soil available at the moment.. I won't mind if it is tedious.. But will adding a thin layer of soil changes the water parameters? Cause ultimately, I will not want to stress the fishes..

[yorky]

Hi Samuel2618,
If I am not wrong, I met you at C328 when you were buying this fish.
I still think your dominant male looks great.
Try changing the tank's background and the substrate to a darker colour.
PH 6.2 is actually ok for this fish.
Its only when you want to breed them, you might then want to lower it to below PH 6.
By the way, can I ask how did you achieve PH6.2 right now?
Another thing, although I don't measure it myself, is the softness of the water.
Brands like ADA soil, not only lower the PH but also softens the water.
This is not a validated observation but I find that in my experience, soft water brings out better finnage and colour.

[doppelbanddwarf]

Seems like sneaker males are quite prevalent in T.candidis. I had 2 so called females turning out to be actually male before they killed the original male.

Actually if you are adding substrate into a running tank i would suggest GeX soil. I'm not trying to start an arguement on which brand is better. In fact i use both GeX and Ada Africana 1. I find that when using GeX, the water clears up faster.
You can also use the ADa substrate you already have on hand. Just add in slowly using a container and lowering it down to the bottom before you pour.

[stormchild]

Brands like ADA soil, not only lower the PH but also softens the water.
This is not a validated observation but I find that in my experience, soft water brings out better finnage and colour.

I think if softness and pH and all other parameters are satisfied and brought as close as possible to their natural environment, dwarf cichlids will reward their owners with brilliant colours. Of course, food also play a little part.

another point to note is lineage. if mum is pretty and dad is handsome, the children may just turn out to be stunners too.

[Samuel2618]

Hi Samuel2618,
If I am not wrong, I met you at C328 when you were buying this fish.
I still think your dominant male looks great.
Try changing the tank's background and the substrate to a darker colour.
PH 6.2 is actually ok for this fish.
Its only when you want to breed them, you might then want to lower it to below PH 6.
By the way, can I ask how did you achieve PH6.2 right now?
Another thing, although I don't measure it myself, is the softness of the water.
Brands like ADA soil, not only lower the PH but also softens the water.
This is not a validated observation but I find that in my experience, soft water brings out better finnage and colour.

Hi Bro Yorky..

Long time no see man..

Thanks for your advice.. Will change my tank background and substrate bit by bit during my annual leaves.. Cause my main aim is not to stress the fishes so much with so much changes to the tank..

For my PH to achieve at 6.2.. I usually use a bit of PH down solution, age the water for a day then replaced about 10% of water weekly..

Anyway.. you did bought your altum that day when I met you right? How are they doing now in the tank?

Cheers..

[Wackytpt]

I believe that guy you met is Yorky.

Do try out ADA soil. It works wonder for the apisto.

CHeers