Your black moor changing color may be alarming. But don’t panic just yet. There are a number of reasons this might be happening. And in some cases, it’s just a natural part of aging. In this article, you’ll learn why black moors change color when it’s normal and, most importantly, when you should worry!

So keep reading to find out!

Why Is Your Black Moor Changing Color?

There are a whole bunch of reasons your black moor might be changing color! If you know the reasons, you’ll be able to better diagnose why it’s happening in the first place. Here are the common reasons a black moor may be changing color!

It’s A Natural Occurrence

It’s common throughout a black moors life for them to change color naturally on their own. The black pigment you see in them normally goes away as they get older. Remember, they are just a breed of goldfish, so it’s highly likely they’ll go orange as they age.

If you notice that your black moor is changing color, but they’re not lethargic or look sick, then you shouldn’t worry too much.

Diseases

Another reason that your goldfish may be changing color is that they’re suffering from diseases. Velvet, columnaris, and ich are all common diseases that can change the color of your black moor.

Fortunately, in most cases, if you can catch these diseases and illnesses early enough, then chances are you’re going to help your goldfish make a full recovery!

Tank Temperature

If you didn’t know it already, the tank temperature of the tank could actually affect the color of your black moor. You should keep the temperature of the tank should be around 72°F. If the temperature becomes too high or low, you may notice that your black moor starts to become a lot paler or even turn orange in color.

So if you’re keeping your tank near a window or somewhere with a draft, you should consider moving the tank to an area with a more constant temperature.

Poor Water Quality

If the water quality is poor, then your black moor could become sick, changing the color of its scales. Once again, they could become paler, or they could also become white in color.

Poor water quality can be caused by overfeeding, not changing the water enough, and not cleaning the tank enough as well.

Not Enough Light

You may notice when you first turn your tank on in the morning that your black moors are pale. But when the lights have been left on for a while, the black moors color should begin to return. This isn’t just the case with black moors, but in fact, all fish can suffer from this.

So if your black moor isn’t getting enough light, then leave the lights on in the tank, and if you can’t do that, try leaving the light on in the room.

Why Is Your Black Moor Turning Orange/Gold

If your black moor is turning orange/gold, there’s actually nothing to worry about. Eventually, over time most black moors will turn from black to orange/gold. This is just a part of their natural aging process.

In fact, most black moors are only going to be black during the first year of their life. After this, the black will slowly fade, and they’ll become more and more orange in color.

Why Did Your Black Moor Turn Gold And Die?

In some cases, you may notice that a black moor begins to turn gold and then die afterward. There are a couple of reasons for this. Depending on how long you’ve had your black moor, it could just be old age.

However, it could also be because of the water quality in your tank. If there’s too much ammonia in the tank, it could have affected your black moors coloring and also caused ammonia poisoning. When you think this is the case, you’ll need to change out 50% of the water in the tank to stop the same thing from happening to other fish.

As well as this, you should also check the filter in the tank, clean it thoroughly, and test the water too (I use the API Master Test Kit). If the ammonia levels in the water are high, use API Ammo Lock to lower them. You’ll also need to change the water out more often.

To do this, check the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels every day. If they’re too high, remove 20-25% of the water from your tank and replace it with fresh conditioned water.

Why Is Your Black Moor Goldfish Turning White?

There are a couple of reasons that your black moor might be turning white. And unfortunately, neither of them is good. Here are the reasons that your black moor may be turning white.

Ich

The first reason that your black moor may be turning white is due to ich. Ich is a protozoan disease that affects all fish, and it occurs when the water quality in your tank is poor. If your black moor is suffering from ich, you’ll notice small white spots begin to spring up all over their body.

Fortunately, when caught early enough, ich can be treated, and your black moor is likely to make a full recovery.

To Treat Ich:

• Incrementally raise the temperature of the tank until it’s 80°F. However, make sure you don’t keep it at 80°F, while goldfish can tolerate this temperature for a time, it’s still not good for them.
• You should increase the temperature 1°F every few hours.
• While you’re doing this add aquarium salt to the tank which will help kill the ich.

Alternatively, if you have a quarantine tank, move your goldfish there for a couple of weeks and leave your main tank (as long as there aren’t any other fish). Ich needs a host, so if you remove the host, it won’t be able to survive.

Related Articles:

• What To Do About Ich In Goldfish
• What To Do If Your Goldfish Has Lice

If Your Black Moor Has A White Film On Them:

You may notice that a white film is starting to cover your black moor. If this is the case, the chances are that the slime coat covering them is thickening. (The slime coat is a part of your goldfish’s immune system, and it helps stop them from being infected.)

The main reason that your black moors slime coat could be thickening is due to poor water quality in the tank. If this is the case, you should perform a water change, clean the filter, and add some API Stress Coat to the tank.

You should test the water every day as well, and if the nitrate, nitrite, or ammonia levels remain high, then perform a 20-25% water change and, if necessary, add some API Ammo Lock.

They’re Going To Change Color

Lastly, you may notice that around the 3-6 month mark of your black moors life, they start to develop white spots across their scales. While this can often be associated with ich, it’s also a sign that they’re about to change color from black back to orange/gold.

Black Moor Turning Silver

Lastly, you may occasionally notice that your black moor is starting to turn silver. When this happens, it may be because they’ve scraped their scales on something, or their scales have fallen off completely. Fortunately, when this happens, the scales will grow back on their own.

Secondly, if your black moor isn’t getting enough light, then its scales may dull and, in some cases, turn silver. Remember, you should be leaving the lights on for 8-10 hours a day.

Recap

As you can see, there are a lot of reasons your black moor can change color. Most black moors are going to change to orange and gold as they age. Also, remember that you’ll need to pay extra attention if your black moor starts turning white, as this can be a sign of a more serious problem.

If you liked this article, make sure you check out the rest of the website; otherwise, have a great day!