Blue Tang colors fading

[greengeco82]

My Blue Tang's color is starting to fade. I've had him for about 3 years. I bought him and another blue tang together. They started about the size of a quarter. Now the color fading tang is about 6" long and the other about 4". The 4" one has very vivid colors. The 6" tang is fading. Both are very active and very fat. No new fish in the last 2 years. No signs of illness in any fish. They do not fight with other fish. Is it normal for tangs to loose color when then get this big? Only the big one is fading. Could this be a nutrition problem? Tang Police welcome.


Food - New Life Spectrum Marine color enhancing
- Ocean Nutrition Formula 2

Feeding is automated and about 4 times a day.

I have not given Nori for several months, and there is not much algae in my tank anymore.

 

[RobZilla04]

Malnutrition could be a cause. Try getting them some seaweed into their diet soon.

 

[ca1ore]

Assuming you mean the hepatus tang (hippo, regal, blue ....)? I have one 6" plus and it has not lost color. Nori not essential for this fish as it's a water-column-feeding omnivore rather than a grazer. But I do think you need to add some variety to what you are feeding. The other thing to consider is that as this fish moves beyond 6", even a tank of your size becomes constraining (it's a swimmer). So it is possibly some kind of stress reaction.

 

[greengeco82]

Assuming you mean the hepatus tang (hippo, regal, blue ....)? I have one 6" plus and it has not lost color. Nori not essential for this fish as it's a water-column-feeding omnivore rather than a grazer. But I do think you need to add some variety to what you are feeding. The other thing to consider is that as this fish moves beyond 6", even a tank of your size becomes constraining (it's a swimmer). So it is possibly some kind of stress reaction.

Yes, I'ts a Hippo.

Good news, looks like his/her color is back to normal. IDK why the color was so faded yesterday. Some kind of unknown stress. Maybe a coral sting.

What kind of additional food would you recommend? Preferably a dry food. I do have several tangs in my tank.

 

[Uncle99]

Colours can temporarily fade when the fish is stressed in some way.....
Glad to hear they are back...