Okay my fry are four weeks old today ....but one of my bigger guys is like almost a black colour, it is really weird to me as he is the only one. I am trying to figure out if this is normal as he is just going to be a dark coloured adult or if i need to freek out. He is happy swimming eating pooping ect.

soooo...I was wondering what the general experience was regarding when fry start to develop their "adult" colors? or if what I am seeing is weird?
I aknowledge that they can change color throughout their lives but when do they start changing from their clearish bronzy color to the golds, whites, ect..

Specifically any experience with commons would be nice

Do you have any pics?

My experience is that there is a huge variation. My youngest fry was 7-8 months and the oldest over a year when they changed colors! But I guess they can be younger. Calico fry develop their colors much earlier!

being that im new to the fry thing my only surving fry is almost 5 weeks old and hes like a brown color. i will keep on this thread cuz id like to know also.

I just got some pics... maybe if people can see if they think he is in trouble in any way

He is the bigger one
http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s52/lnzayat/fish170.jpg
http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s52/lnzayat/fish161.jpg
http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s52/lnzayat/fish168.jpg

it is hard to see how much darker he is but like I said he is the only one with that colour and even his fins are darker and he is not the biggest of all the fry although he is pretty close

some other fry pics just cuz I am starting to get just how much Anette likes them
http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s52/lnzayat/fish150.jpg
http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s52/lnzayat/fish151.jpg

let me know what you all think

My fry are almost 3 months and are all a bronzy color still except for my biggest who is more chocolate. Although about a month ago they had black fins.

omg their so cute! what are you feeding them?

it does all depend on the fish, but i have friends that noticed the color changing at about 2 months, so maybe.

Thanks I like them alot They are fed brine shrimp bot fresh and frozen (I can't seem to hatch them fast enough) hakari first bites, and pulverized sinking pellets..

So I take it that noone thinks the darker colour on this one is much to be concerned about, I guess I will just keep a close eye on him

I have extremely limited personal experience on color. But..... I have noticed as stated above, the colors develop differently between fish, between breeds and between colors.

My first batch were huge compared to the second batch. At 10 weeks, the calicos were showing nice red/black and "pink". When younger, they appeared to be "matt" colored with the soft gill plates - the pinky red gill plates on a nearly whitish fish. I cannot see too well, but your lighter colored fish might look this way. They can become calico or white or pale yellow.

The green fry that carry a brownish color with an undertone of bronze are desitined to become reds or oranges. Some may have white as in red/white later in life. (or so I am told. I have not seen it yet)

I have also been told that the green fry that carry a silvery gray hue undertone are the blues. The very dark green ones that have a dark silver hue can become blacks.

(I have a more experience breeder over to look at my fry - and that is what I was told.) I found out about the calicos myself, for I am seeing very intense blacks and reds on the "pinkies" - the fry that look pink with black button eyes. They are 5 weeks old now and starting to display the calico colors. It is difficult to see the difference between the green fry with the bronze undertone and the green fry with the silver undertone unless they are mostly side by side. I am slowly getting better at it, though.

This is awesome information THANK YOU I think I am going to have to get a magnifying glass and see if I can get a better idea about the undertones and such. The parents are all plain orange with some white here and there so I am really not expecting anything else. But it sure would be interesting to get some different color <stares hopefully at the two fry tanks>

Your fry are really cute!!
I can not help you with color as my oldest fry is 4 months old now and still a very light silver/bronze color I am still waiting to see what will happen.

I look forward to seeing more of your fry as they grow.

Thanks I am very interested to see how everything develops, the thing I dread is having to find new homes I have about 55 still and they seem to be doing well, I am going to try and keep some by getting a pond but there is no way I will be able to keep them all but at least some will stay

Very cute fry, love the first pic!

Yes maybe he's gonna have some very special color as a grown fish!

Good luck with them!

I understand the space thing!
Its so exciting to have babies but the fact is they GROW!! LOL
Keep us posted how they doing