boosting colours

[emi-chan]

any tips for boosting the natural colours of fish like what foods are best ect? preferably foods goldfish and weather loaches will like...

[Diana]

Plant foods with plenty of vitamins including Orange coloring: Yam, pumpkin, sweet potato, hard squash (butternut).
Green foods that are especially dark: Spirulina.
Meaty foods: Look for colorful foods like cocktail shrimp (grocery store item), Salmon.
There is probably a lot more. I would feed a wide range of foods, not just one item.

Other ways to increase the color of some fish:
My Golds are always more colorful outdoors. Indoors, some revert to the dull brassy color. Outdoors the gold and white shows up, and the Shubunkins really look like their skin is multidimensional.

Keep them in a tank with dark substrate and background, and a minor jungle of plants to hide in. Driftwood arches, piles of stone... as appropriate for the species.

Many fish live in areas where plants, tree roots and other things hide them from predators. Being in the open, away from such safety also means they are probably out in the sunny part of the lake or stream. To avoid being seen by predators (birds, other fish) the fish pale, or lose their colors.
Back in the dim, safe areas near the (dark, muddy) bank they need to communicate with their friends, so schooling and social fish will turn on their brightest colors.