How to keep Hypancistrus sp.

[Greatshorty]

Dear all,
Does anyone know how to keep Hypancistrus sp. so as to prevent strips dispersing and the background white colour sharper? Please share
Here are my Hypan. Most of them have this kind of problem. So i wonder if there were some factors, for example pH of water, tank mate, no. of pleco, feeding habit or kind of food etc etc, may play roles in it or not.

No.1
Before:

After


No.2
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After


No.3
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After:


No.4


New caught:
No. 5



No.6



No.7

[Barbie]

IMO, it's just maturity that causes the change in pattern. Young L260 like the one in my avatar have very broad stripes and not many of them, but as they grow and have more fish to cover with the same pattern, it makes the pattern look less distinct. It's still stripes with close to the same width, just a lot more of them. This would make sense for camouflage in a specific environment like the one their specific pattern was evolved in.

The yellow can be attributed to better quality foods with more pigment influencing factors. Most foods designed for our aquarium fish specifically target the need for more pigment, not less.

Barbie

[Greatshorty]

IMO, it's just maturity that causes the change in pattern. Young L260 like the one in my avatar have very broad stripes and not many of them, but as they grow and have more fish to cover with the same pattern, it makes the pattern look less distinct. It's still stripes with close to the same width, just a lot more of them. This would make sense for camouflage in a specific environment like the one their specific pattern was evolved in.

The yellow can be attributed to better quality foods with more pigment influencing factors. Most foods designed for our aquarium fish specifically target the need for more pigment, not less.

Barbie

Hi Barbie...I don't mean the pattern changed, what I m trying to find out is the "firmness" of the strips and why does it disperse in most of them. Does it happen to all kinda Hypan.? And what factors play role in it?