Is This A Normal Frontosa?

[pinoyako1982]

hi

i have this frontosa.. is that normal that its all dark.. no true visible strips??

[Marc]

My guess is a normal 6 bar, stressed (possibly wrong water conditions) and also possibly not on a very good diet recently.

Get it settled, fed correctly and you'll find it will come good.

What's it's history, where did it come from etc?

This is one of my "darker" frontosa's.

http://www.frontosa.com.au/uploads/monthly_10_2007/post-1-1191503039.jpg

When yours settles, I think he will look a little like it.

[pinoyako1982]

hi marc

well i just got it 1 hour ago..

they were stressed when transporting them but it is strange

all of the other frontosa's where light in colour except for this one..

the ones what were light are getting their colours again except for this one that is still dark?

marc, is there any type of food to help increase the chances of breeding?

(off topic)
my brother pm'd you about your frontosa's

thanks
*mate

[Marc]

Didn't get a PM shaun?

He'll lighten up in time I'm sure. I've seen many dark (jet black ones) when stressed or in the wrong water.

No specific food for increasing the chances of breeding, but there are a few tips you can use (including ensuring they're well fed, with a day off on feeding per week etc).

I feed mine soaked Pizza Prawns, or Mysis, every second day, and just NLS Thera (Large) every other day.

I then find after a month or so of good feeding, a water change, and lights out for a couple of days and sure enough, spawning action! :)

My frontosa's have always bred most often when in a large tank (6ft or larger) on their own with no other species in the tank.

[pinoyako1982]

really.. thats cool. it was the questions i asked about your frontosa's
if i new you were selling them, i would have got them all off you, but i already got 12 frontosa's from my friend..

your right though. he has lightend up and is showing his bar.

so when they are breeding i should leave the light off for a day or 2 and have one day without feeding?

the frontosa's are in a 6x18x18 tank..

is it normal that the males are aggressive to the females?
my friend had the colony of 12 for over 1 year now.. and they seem like the males are aggressive to the smaller ones.

are they just territorial??

*

[Marc]

'They' say 6x2x2 minimum for breeding frontosa, but I have had them breed in tanks smaller than that.
You may find the females can't get away from the males in smaller tanks though.

When there is breeding imminent, you will get aggression.

The other thing that makes Frontosa black as black I found out today is also when they are blind apparently.

Feed them up well for a few weeks, then do a 20-30% water change (with pre-conditioned water), no food for a day and no lights for two days.
It may sound a little weird, but it's a system that I have found makes my 6 bars breed everytime.