Disappointed

[Fish_keeper203]

I have recently purchased two new discus (new to discus keeping) and I found a breeder. His fish look healthy and he seemed very knowledgable. I got a shock today when I searched up turquoise discus (I have a turquoise and pigeon blood). He told me they were to closest thing I would get to a wild (I didn't want a wild I heard they are even more tricky to look after) and I fell in love with the colour. I soon discovered the reason it was so close to a wild is because it was infact a wild. It has 9 stress bars, with the eye bar, middle bar and fin bar all prominent. There is no problem as the fish seems fine with my others I was just disappointed that he didn't know his discus type as well as he thought he did.

 

[thereverendturtle]

It's ok. Turquoise aren't wild fish, no more than a tiger in a zoo is. They've been bred for generations in aquariums so they are like any other color form.

The stress bars are just that, from stress. You said you got two fish from the breeder, but how large is the tank, what are the tank mates, are you sure the pigeon isn't causing the stress?

Typically most discus keepers will tell you the more the better, 6+. They are cichlids and therefore somewhat territorial.

I hope this helps a bit.

 

[Fish_keeper203]

Hmm I don't think the pigeon is picking on it (also I have 6 angel fish and won't be adding anymore discus till my birthday (a few weeks away) when I get my bigger tank) They seem fine and the bars aren't stress bars I read it wrong they are striations. Sorry I just want to know if it is a wild or not. I won't give it up if it is as it is a beautiful fish and has lovely colour.

 

[thereverendturtle]

Wild turquoise discus are brown overall with a few striations of turquoise on their body. In all reality wild discus are way more expensive than captive bred.

 

[micko]

Wilds and captive bred discus are very easy to distinguish. A simple search of google images will show you the differences. Wilds are stunning although they are said to be harder work, I'm unsure though.

 

[Fish_keeper203]

I've searched it and it still doesn't give me a definitive answer because of the blue colour and the black striations. It also seems to be a lot shyer then the others and is really fussy and I have to constantly check the water because it doesn't like anything above a 7ph

 

[micko]

Any chance of a picture?

 

[Fish_keeper203]

Sure I'll post it later