My little fantail is turning colors again. It started out sorta olive greenish/grey. It then turned silver and was VERY pretty. Now its turning white! the head and back are still silverish but almost black now, and the belling , nostrils and sides are white!
What makes fish turn colors? I am not feeding any color enhancing food, only pro-gold , spirulina flakes, and peas.

spirulina flakes will make them change this is an algae base food and will help there digestive track but will also make them change, My fiona is now almost orange and white now cause I feed alot of those kinds of foods to her too

What color was Fiona originally KoKo?

This is what she looked like when I got her

Later today I will take a shot of her and show you what shes turning into

thats weird koko! Fiona was black and is now orange and white? Jody my fish, was silver and is now almost all white with a black head. Its funny looking. He's the only fish I have that seems to have changed color though, none of the others have. So even though spirulina does not have ceratin in it , it makes them change. Should I stop feeding spirulina? If I did would Jody change back or stay the same color? Also do you think they change colors in the wild , since they would be eating algea and all sorts of stuff naturally?

Fish change colors naturally. It is what is written in their genes that determines what colors they will become. Different foods can effect the degree of these colors, as can tank temperature and pH, but ultimately, what is genetically meant to be - is.

Black on a gold or red fish is a very transient color - in young fish you will often see a cute little mustache or black fins or spots. These very commonly will go to all orange or red over time. A fish with white or off white and red will often turn ornage and red. The color is determined by the skin under the scale.

I have been told to select a panda with the maximum amount of black on his in his infancy. This will give the most delightful 50/50 black/white as an adult. A black fish will stay black only if his genes allow it, though. If you select one with a slightly yellowish belly - chances are that he will turn orange or orangeish or brassy. You are better off with a black fish with a slightly WHITE belly that yellow or orange or red.

Well said Daryl. I try to explain that over and over to people but you said it much better!

Your fish is a baby getting its adult color. All goldfish start out as that olive gray color and lose it as they grow. Its completely normal and nothing to worry about. You just have to realize when you buy a fish it isnt always going to keep that coloring.

This is what happens, this is my fiona........

thats a cool color change Koko!! Fiona is actually very pretty in her new color She looks like a calico oranda now
I will try and post some pictures of Jody my silver/white fish . I am not sure if he's a baby oranda or just a fantail right now but he's still growing too.

KOKO....can i take Fiona home with me.She so pritty

strange daryl,my yellow is turning red and black not red and orange

Koko, is this some of that trick photography?? Are we to believe that this is the same fish? Perhaps someone puled a fsat one on you!

Seriously, what type of food had this result? I would like to try to keep the colors markings I have on our two little guys right now. I thought the color enhancer foods just brought out the natural color they already had, I didn't know the fish would actually change like that!

Byt the way, he looked pretty when you got him, and he looks pretty now as well!

Hey Koko, Fiona's a knockout!!!! Hey, that doesn't sound good. I mean see is very pretty.

She gets Progold, spirulina, krill and other pellet foods, but the main reason her change in color is that any foods with algae based food in such as color enhancers have will change the color to there original color and for most goldfish its GOLD

well, not jus fish change color..
cat and dog change color too...

my white cat.. used to be used.. turn yellowish as she grew older.. my dog too.. seems to have more brown hair as he grows older...

my dad too, his hair has turned all grey and for me, I hope I dun lose any hair and retain its natural color...

I don't want my Black Moors or my Panda to change colour. Should I stop feeding Spirella?

well....Fiona is beautiful! I was worried/didn't want my red cap to change, but it's happening. He is loosing his white, and turning gold with brown spots...but after seeing fiona I will relax, and accept him as he is!