Is this deshi bleaching?

DarkReefer · Jun 30, 2022

Hi All,

Is this guy bleaching?
Noticed a slight change of colour the other day on some of the stripes and got a little excited wondering if it was growing some more colour.
Now it appears to be getting fainter all over. Lighting hasnt changed at all. Should I put it under some rockwork to give it some shade?
Edit: I've moved it back into the shade to hopefully help it out.

Picture of it a couple weeks ago.

blaxsun · Jun 30, 2022

Not necessarily - but continue to keep an eye on it.

miyags · Jun 30, 2022

It does look a little lighter..Are your water parameters good? have you fed it, if not try a 1/4x1/4 inch piece of raw shrimp.once a week.I colored a bleached one back, by feeding. Don't over feed. I gave a larger piece 3/4x3/4.,It ate it, but a few days later it spit it out. So the smaller bits of food are better.

DarkReefer · Jun 30, 2022

blaxsun said:
Not necessarily - but continue to keep an eye on it.

Will do ! Haven't seen it pull that before and the only thing I could think is that it appears to be bleaching for some reason.

miyags said:
It does look a little lighter..Are your water parameters good? have you fed it, if not try a 1/4x1/4 inch piece of raw shrimp.once a week.I colored a bleached one back, by feeding. Don't over feed. I gave a larger piece 3/4x3/4.,It ate it, but a few days later it spit it out. So the smaller bits of food are better.

Water parameters have been stable the last 3-4 weeks. I'll test again today and report back.
I do feed mysis or brine a couple times a week usually. Not necessarily directly, but I do try and get it to catch one but squirting some into it's mouth/tentacles.
I do have fish that like to pick at food that's in there though so might've missed out.

Updated pic after I moved it under some rockwork last night.
Was acting normal this morning with its tentacles out for feeding. Hope I don't have to keep it there, it's fairly tight in there and when this guy wants to expand it'll double in size...

miyags · Jul 1, 2022

Feed it. Jamming it under rocks isnt going to do anything..A pound of raw shrimp a Target is only 7$,it's a lot cheaper to feed than brine, and lasts a long time.Thaw a small 1/4x1/4in piece in the morning before lights come on.I use a wooden shiskabob stick to get it down to the tenticals.