Orange dyed versions are sold with naturally colored blackfish during the Halloween season. For example, the red and blue dye is used to create a patriotic colored fish for the fourth of July. Some marketers have gone so far as painting the fish special colors for holidays. These are usually painted pastel colors and given fruit names such as strawberry tetra, blueberry tetra, grape tetra, or simply mixed fruit. A large percentage of glassfish die during the painting process, and those that survive are extremely susceptible to infections.Ĭreated by dipping the white skirt tetra, an albino morph of the popular black skirt tetra. Although the color fades over time, it lasts long enough to catch the eye of unsuspecting customers. Their lack of color makes the fluorescent paint used to color them stand out clearly. This method is stressful and has a high mortality rate.Ĭreated by dye-injecting the nearly colorless Indian Glassfish ( Chanda ranga), these are one of the hottest selling and most brilliantly colored of the juiced fish. They are then dipped in dye, or injected with dyes, after which they are dipped in another chemical that irritates the flesh to stimulate re-growth of the slime coat. The fish are first put into a caustic solution that strips off their protective outer slime coating. Fish that are injected often contract infections from the puncture sites.Īs barbaric as dye injections seem, this practice is even worse. Another recent fad is to use dye injection to tattoo patterns, such as hearts, on the fish. The popularly painted glassfish are dyed this way, using fluorescent colored paints. Because only a small area is affected, the fish must be subjected to many punctures to achieve the desired effect. Needles are used to injecting dye under the skin. The dye they consume can negatively affect their growth and development. Once they are no longer fed the treated food, they eventually lose their color. Young fish are fed treated foods that will temporarily tint them. Nine out of 10 painted fish will lose their coloration within a matter of months. Many of the survivors will have an abbreviated lifespan. Some methods result in mortality rates as high as 80 percent. Others are not killed outright, but contract disease as a result and die later. Young fish that are not fully grown are often stunted by the painting process. Coloring fish stresses them and makes them more susceptible to disease. Several methods are used to alter the color and appearance of tropical fish. You might be surprised and appalled, to discover which fish are artificially colored, and how it’s done. Yet most owners are unaware that their fish have been altered. Juicing, or artificially coloring fish using paints and dyes, has become quite widespread in the aquarium trade. It almost goes without saying that everyone loves brightly colored fish, but many fish owners don’t realize that those colorful fish do not come by their brilliant hues naturally.
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