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  #1  
Old 12/07/2002, 12:16 PM
Catspa Catspa is offline
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Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 380
Skunk cleaner coloration – experts please

Just curious has anyone noticed that the proper body coloration is suppose to be a pristeen white with a red strip and spotting. This is the way they look when brought from the wild, BUT when you put them in your aquarium, the body coloration gradually changes to orangey/yellow shade. Anyone know why this is? Food? something to do with the condition of our water? In my experience, it has nothing to do with the age of the shrimp, but rather the length of time that they have been in captivity, just not sure what causes it? Any ideas?

p.s. if your going to buy on and you have a choice between a white versus orange body - go for the white - chances are it will have better chance in aclimating, and longevity - this has been my experience.
  #2  
Old 12/07/2002, 02:09 PM
icebear icebear is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: southern Maine area
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i havn't seen this happen, but then the one skunker i had got squished

but if you are saying that the red parts of the shrimp fade out over time, i'm wondering if it is caused by lack of available foods that contain red pigments themselves.... i keep red factor canaries and they will fade from red to orange, even yellow if i don't keep offering them foods rich in beta carotene...they like their carrots....
i could be way off with the shrimp, but my birds are that way....
  #3  
Old 12/07/2002, 04:58 PM
Catspa Catspa is offline
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No, actualy i'm not talking about the Red stripe. What i'm talking about is the parts of him that aren't red, ie the rest of his body. When they come in "fresh" from the wild, regardless of size, the body coloration (other then the red) is a pristeen clear white color. BUT - after a couple of weeks in an aquarium, the body color tends to go orangey yellow. So i'd like to know why? Is it an indication that there is something a miss in the aquarium? is it dietary? Generaly speaking, when specimis fail to exibit there natural shades/coloration, we can make the inference that the individual is not doing as well as it could/should - hence i'd like to figure out why.
  #4  
Old 12/07/2002, 07:29 PM
Bruce Bruce is offline
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Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Ottawa, Ontario
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Hmm,

I don't think that a change in coloration is necessarily or even probably an indicator of poor conditions. They may be regulating their coloration to better match the new environment.

Given that cleaner shrimp are able to grow and reproduce in reef tanks, and live a very long time barring accidents (icebar )o ne can conclude that they aren't deprived of any essential nutrients.

I would imagine though, that they are eating a whole lot less live food in an aquarium than in the wild and this may alter their coloration.
  #5  
Old 12/07/2002, 08:45 PM
icebear icebear is offline
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seems i did have it backwards..... *sheepish grin*
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nanuq
  #6  
Old 12/07/2002, 08:48 PM
Tommyflashlight Tommyflashlight is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Westfield, NY
Posts: 43
I noticed this..... Today i was about to save one from my horrible LFS'S "reef tank" but i was 2 dollars short. AHHHHHHHHHH. Anyway. i noticed the yellow color and was wondering the same thing.
  #7  
Old 12/07/2002, 08:59 PM
Catspa Catspa is offline
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Well i guess its possible but I don't think skunks can regulating there coloration to better match there environment, apart from evolutions natural selection. In addition, it would seem that the white coloration better matches the environment in my aquarium - ie white sand bed, and i can't really see how the orangy yellow comes in. Lastly skunk cleaners, like other types of cleaners tend to want to attact potential clients, and hence don't usually have the ability to match there environment. While I admit this argument might exlain the orangy yellow, it doesn't explain why it doesn't happens in nature.

I'd put more money on it being dietary, but even then, the change in color is quite drastic. Interestingly enough, though i tend to feed quite a whide variety of foods (around 2 dozen) to the tank inhabitants, i tend to use freeze dried plankton the most (cause of convienance) - and the plancton is Orange, very similar in color to the skunk cleaners color change... but could be just coincedence. Don't really see the conection with live food and coloration - Fresh & Frozen just as good....

Last observation - when i used to keep nano's, the skunk cleaners didn't seem to change color as much as they do in my big tanks. Might be just my amagination, but bigest diff between my nano's and my big tanks, is water quality. the quality of water in MY nano's was probable better then that of my big tanks, cause i would do 30% water changes per week with my nano.

I would certainly concead that they aren't deprived of any "essential" aspects - do as you mentioned, to there success and longevity in captivity, i'd still like to figure out why the change in color - they really are quite a bit nicer looking with the whitish almost transparent look to them.

So any more ideas/comments..etc.?
 


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