Matt K Posted November 21, 2007 Share Posted November 21, 2007 Here we take some normal Lucihormetica verrucosa and feed them a diet high in beta-carotene. Started: Some weeks later yellow spots turned orange: This happened also with L. subcincta. Interesting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allpet Roaches Posted November 21, 2007 Share Posted November 21, 2007 So are you saying you fed them carrots and the spots turned orange? I've fed them carrots and didn't notice a color change, I'll try it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt K Posted November 22, 2007 Author Share Posted November 22, 2007 So are you saying you fed them carrots and the spots turned orange? I've fed them carrots and didn't notice a color change, I'll try it again. Well, no. Though carrots are included, mostly from a color enhancing fish food that has carotenes, stabilized vitamin C, riboflavinoids, vitamin A, and some other goody. I thought I would try this instead of the usual 'regular fish food' thinking it interesting to see if anything changed colorwise and it backfired a bit. I had hoped for no change or enhanced color, and what I got was an increased orange in anything that would otherwise be amber or yellow. Other colors are unaffected. Last week I have switched back to an 'everyday' fish food. Hoping the orange wears off... I don't care for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crepsis Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 Very very interesting! If this is the case, then you could feed canary food designed to turn their plumage red, I think it contains canthaxanthin, another carotene, and turn them red or pink! Food containing canthaxanthin is also used in salmon farms, to "dye" the salmon whatever color you want it - a grocery store in Minnesota called "Lund's" used to have swatches of color (not unlike paint swatches at a paint store) at the fish counter for farm-raised salmon that you could order to your liking (I guess to match your dishes, or furnishings for the dinner! ), with about 20 different shades from greyish-white to red. Kinda makes me wonder...Thanks Matt for piquing my curiosity! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RosenKrieger Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 Crepsis, they also use Astaxanthin in most "color enhancing" fish foods. Unfortunately, it's been linked to vitamin overdoses in the deaths of many of our pet fish over the course of around a year or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crepsis Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 Well that's no fun...burst my bubble why don't ya! -Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allpet Roaches Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Hoping the orange wears off... I don't care for it. Did the orange ever wear off? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt K Posted April 17, 2008 Author Share Posted April 17, 2008 Did the orange ever wear off? I have found that once a color-enhanced roach reaches maturity the color is there permanately. But if the roach is still a nymph then the color wears off in two molts usually. This was most obvious on tiger hissers (b&w G.grandidieri) and a few others. With the tiger hisser case, the white had turned dark amber with the color enhanced foods, and with the corrected diet the dark amber turned back to white in two molts. Fully mature adults with the color remain non-white. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
platymeris Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 that's a very interesting discussion, thanks for sharing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allpet Roaches Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 I have found that once a color-enhanced roach reaches maturity the color is there permanately. But if the roach is still a nymph then the color wears off in two molts usually. This was most obvious on tiger hissers (b&w G.grandidieri) and a few others. With the tiger hisser case, the white had turned dark amber with the color enhanced foods, and with the corrected diet the dark amber turned back to white in two molts. Fully mature adults with the color remain non-white. Hi Matt, I was asking about the 'glow spots' coloration. Since they changed to orange post molt did the 'glow spots' ever fade back to yellow? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.