Spirulina and Carotene

[dancingclown 16]

Hi all,

We had a question pertaining to spirulina - we just got a lovely black fish, and it's already starting to turn gold (after less than a week)!

I actually think it looks quite lovely (it's a nice olive color on the belly), but we're also a little afraid Gus'll turn all gold. We know a lot of it might be genetics, and they tend to change colors when they change environments, but we'd still like to help him stay jet black!

So the question is - does spirulina contain carotene? Wiki seems to think so - http://en.wikipedia....vitamin_content - at least beta carotene (are those the same?), but when we asked Tommy from Goldfishnet (where we got the fish), he suggested spirulina would help keep it black, and that we should avoid feeding him carotene (and color-enhancers in general).

So now I'm confused. Does this mean we should be avoiding spirulina if we're encouraging Gus to stay black?

Thanks! Here is a picture of Gus:

[dnalex 13,633]

I think Tommy is being hilarious these days. First he tells people to dispense with QT altogether, and now he tells you tell avoid carotenes but to feed your fish spirulina? Where IS this guy coming from?

As you correctly surmised, spirulina contains not one but TWO carotinoid pigments: beta-carotene and lutein. The first will enhance your reds, and the second will enhance yellows.

Spirulina remains one of the best color enhancing foods around

[dancingclown 16]

= / so...we should avoid spirulina? I guess more generally - do people have any experience feeding anything in particular, or any general advice, for keeping a fish black?

When looking in past threads, my impression seems to be that it's kind of like throwing darts...

[dnalex 13,633]

I think that if you want to not contribute to the changes due to food, then choose foods that are low or not color enhancing. However, as you said, there are other factors involved, and food is by no means the primary factor.

[dancingclown 16]

Do you have any high quality food recommendations? It seems like both Hikari and Progold have spirulina, and I heard that most fish foods contain color enhancers.

Also, do you know if feeding Gus food high in melanin is supposed to help? Are there high quality fish foods high in melanin, or specifically meant for black fish?

Edited July 31, 2012 by dancingclown

[dnalex 13,633]

I've never paid too much attention to the content of the foods as far as color enhancers go. My black moor has gone through Pro-Gold and other foods high in color enhancers, and he is still black

[Pearlscaleperfect 3,561]

I'm gonna agree with alex that if he's going to change he'll more likely do it because of environment or genetics than food alone. Black is the least stable of colors, so he will probably lose it regardless of what you feed him, especially if it's only been a week and he's already changing.

[bodoba 2,980]

On a different note, I think Tommy has more than one person answering his emails which is why the advice is varied.

[dnalex 13,633]

On a different note, I think Tommy has more than one person answering his emails which is why the advice is varied.

Una, may be you are thinking of a different Tommy?

I actually believe that Tommy answered his emails and giving the wrong answers. It wouldn't be out of character for him.

[bodoba 2,980]

No we're thinking of the same one, it may just be wishful thinking on my part, a salesman in any other clothes is still a salesman.

[dancingclown 16]

Thanks for all the advice! We weren't that hopeful about some magical food that would keep him black -- also hopeful thinking, I guess.

We've been feeding him the Pro-gold and Hikari Spirulina Brine Shrimp anyway -- he likes it and it would be just too sad to feed him peas while Simon and BunJ get the good stuff.

[bodoba 2,980]

I was reading last night what was high in protein for the purposes of humans aquiring melanin. Apparently seafood is high in melanin and can help humans produce it. I'm not too sure about fish though, but brine shrimp and other seafood that is goldfish edible would be a guess for me.