Is it possible for Green Neons to transform into Neon/Cardinals?

[oblivion]

I bought a small school of green neons from Biotope last week as dithers for my apisto tank.
I am absolutely sure that when I bought them, the specimens either had no red or a much less pronounced red.

After a week in the tank, the survivors (4 got caught in the apisto carnage) are now showing very obvious red coloration.
Basically they now look like neon tetras.
I'll try to get a good pic to show you guys.

I didn't do anything much to the tank since introduction.
The usual 30% WC on Sunday.
Daily feeding of either sera microgran or sera FD tubifex.
Thats about it.

Anyone else notice this change in your green neons?

[Quixotic]

How obvious?

If it is not "red" red, then it is this, http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...0&postcount=27

Otherwise, contaminants perhaps, but most likely, it's the former.

More red than this picture? This is a green neon, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...n_simulans.jpg.

[oblivion]

its around that level of "redness"
i have one which is definitely abit more red than that

i know that they are green neons and not contaminants
just that the intensity of their redness when it began appearing surprised me
especially compared to the close to nil level of redness initially

[Quixotic]

Yeah, they can catch some aquarists confused. I used to have some which show quite prominent red, but IMO, the red in the neon is much deeper.

One other thing that I have experienced is that they will fade over time, which I am not sure if it is something natural, or something to do with the tank conditions. *shrug*

[oblivion]

thanks quixotic!

well, this explains it then. i will take it that the red is a normal syndrome

did catch me by surprise considering the suddenness of the appearance of the red coloration and its intensity

the red just showed up like yesterday and became very prominent today

[s1c1lee]

I have noticed this too, i.e my cardinals have a greenish sheen.

Slightly off-track from this, but its still tetras. The red in my neons sometimes fades till its just a slight pink. The fishes are ok, as the intensity comes back. I cant seem to find any explanation for it.

Regards,
SC

[angelo]

After reading this thread. I found my 10 green neon tetras. I was searching for their dead bodies before reading this thread. Thanks.

[Heiko Bleher]

Hi, all of you,

my name is Heiko Bleher and I just wanted to tell you: green neons (P. simulans) are very easy to recognize, as they are the only one of the 4 known species by now (I discovered a new one recently), which has the "neoin-stripe" all the way from the mouth(eye) to the tailbase (caudalpeduncle). In the other 3 species, that is common neon (innesi), red neon or cardinal tetra (P. axelrodi) and in the new species, the neon-stripe ends before, at the adipose fin.
The "red" in common neons and in green neon may vary quite a bit, depending were they have been collected and also how they feel...

I hope that helps to undertsnd what you have bought, or have in your aquarium.

best wishes again for the holidays and a healthy and happy new year.

Heiko Bleher

[bossteck]

Hi,

I think the title of this discussion should be modified to avoid misunderstanding. My initial impression (not sure about others) is that some LFS may be passing off neons as greens.

[Quixotic]

Eric, sounds better now? Didn't see much difference, but that is what the thread starter was asking in the first place, if his green neon is transforming into neons/cardinals.

[Hermes]

I don't know if this is it, but it might be contributing to the confusion.

"The characteristic iridescence of this and related fishes such as the neon tetra is a structural colour, caused by refraction of light within guanine crystals that develop within special cells called iridocytes in the subcutaneous layer. The exact shade of blue that is seen will depend upon the viewing angle of the aquarist relative to the fish - if the aquarist changes viewpoint so as to look at the fish from the substrate upwards, the colour will change hue, becoming more deeply sapphire blue and even indigo. Change the viewpoint to one above the fishes, however, and the colour becomes more greenish."

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardinal_tetra

Hope that helps.