Salmon for maintaining Anthias colors

[Anonymous]

I was at the LFS the other day, and was shocked to see how poorly the colors of my fathead (sunburst) anthias compared to a freshly caught one they had there. I knew it had faded somewhat, but I didn't realize quite how much!

I used to feed the tank cyclopeeze, and a Bournemann-inspired mix that included among other things "Quintrex redaxanthin" a pigment used to maintain canary colors that I had on hand to use for that purpose with treefrogs. Lately, I haven't been using either of these foods, although the fish get a good mixture of frozen and good-quality flake foods.

I heard somewhere that commercial aquariums feed their anthias salmon flesh to maintain colors- but should it be wild caught or farmed salmon? Sounds silly I know, but I think the source of colors is quite different. I have heard it said that farmed salmon is "dyed" but I don't know if that means that they are fed pigmented food or that the fillets are literally dyed.

Any thoughts?

 

[Ben1]

Not that I know much about the salmon issue but if your anthias will take a flake food you may consider Omega One enhanced with selcon. Omega one is made with fresh whole fish and very good flake. It pollutes the tank very fast to though.

 

[dkonstrukt]

I could be wrong but I read an article about salmon farming a while back... if I remember right farmed Salmon are fed food w/ a chemical in it to make the flesh the same color as wild salmon. Wild salmon get the chemical from something they eat in the wild that farmed salmon don't have access to.

 

[Anonymous]

Salmon's muscle color is due to a chemical called astaxanthin, which is a type of carotenoid. They can't make the chemical themselves, and must obtain it from diet. Don't know if anthias' color is the same compound, or in the same class (my guess it is), but if that's the case, you just need to feed it any food that is rich in astaxanthin or other related carotenoids.

 

[Tackett]

as far as I know fellas, the wild salmon only turn that pink color when they are breeding and in fresh water streams. Could be wrong but I think i recall seing that on animal planet a few years ago. oh yeah btw thats still a beautiful anthia none the less bro.

 

[Anonymous]

I think that's just the external appearance of males. The internal flesh is always pink AFAIK.

 

[Tackett]

good call dude. i think you are correct.