How to make Flame Dwarf Gouramis and Cardinal Tetras really show up their color?

I always feed Tetramin tetracolor food. I think the biggest thing for fish color is the background color of your tank and the light bulb color. They seem to either enhance or wash out the look of your fish.

I also think lighting choice has the most to do with fishes' colors. I use a combination of 10k and marine glow bulbs for my tetras tank.

In addition to making sure that the fish in the tank are happy with their surroundings and the other fish in the tank. Anything that may compromise their sense of security will impact the color of the fish also.

Lots of healthy plants, the right temperature along with fish that are not aggressive will help the colors a lot.

Those are, of course, the external factors. Is there any "internal" way such as providing the fish with special care or foods such as bloodworms, shrimps, etc. that would have a huge impact on enhancing their color?

You are right about the foods that the fish eat, remember to replace the flake and dry foods every six months since they go rancid and stale, and feed a wide varitiy of them. Check the ingredients and pick out the foods with more wholesome ingredients. Add your blood worms, brine shrimp, shrimp, veggies and anything else they may eat in the wild and you will have happy fishies, and oh yes make sure you do the water changes, This is a big one for happy fishies.

Karebear said:

Add your blood worms, brine shrimp, shrimp, veggies and anything else they may eat in the wild and you will have happy fishies, and oh yes make sure you do the water changes, This is a big one for happy fishies.

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Do the bloodworms, shrimps, etc. have to be alive? Do the frozen or dried ones work equally?

Frozen is my favorite, I find that the dried does not get eaten as well. You do not have to feed all of this every day, make sure you do not over feed.

Frozen ones are accepted gladly. However, when you feed the freeze-dried ones, please soak them in water for a few minutes before feeding them. It removes the air pockets in them which works better for their digestion.