Old age?

[GiraffeShepherd]

I have an approximately 8 year old black and white ocelaris clown (his mate sadly passed away October of last year) who is losing pigment of his face. The change started about the same time for him and his mate about 2 years ago and I couldn't find anything definitive on it. They used to be totally black and white, and then their faces started to turn orange.

September 2021

Today

Just old age? Environmental factors? Life got in the way and I know I was not the best care taker for a while, but im working to be better.

All parameters are in spec except phosphate, which according to my test kit is at ~2.0. ( gotta love cheap test kits)

 

[Gumbies R Us]

#fishmedics

 

[Paul B]

Probably not old age. Clowns can live into their 40s.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I have an approximately 8 year old black and white ocelaris clown (his mate sadly passed away October of last year) who is losing pigment of his face. The change started about the same time for him and his mate about 2 years ago and I couldn't find anything definitive on it. They used to be totally black and white, and then their faces started to turn orange.

September 2021

Today

Just old age? Environmental factors? Life got in the way and I know I was not the best care taker for a while, but im working to be better.

All parameters are in spec except phosphate, which according to my test kit is at ~2.0. ( gotta love cheap test kits)

I see that fairly often as some types of clownfish mature, I consider it normal.

 

[MikeReefs]

Just looked this up cus I didn’t even know Darwin black clowns can turn orange. “If a mature black Darwin is turning orange, it may be due to genetics, stress, or diet, though they often shift between shades of brown and black, sometimes retaining orange hues on the face”. Could be perfectly normal