Discus Type

[Rorie]

I want to learn the differenced between discus - i.e. leopards, snake skins, turks, albinos etc etc. I really have no clue how to define them. I can see photos with names, but nothing saying 'this one is a snake skin because....'

My leopard has peppered in my tank. Why? It was no peppered when i got it. I know some discus will pepper....but why?! And what ones so i can avoid them?

Thanks

 

[Ps3Steveo]

With the naming types your best bet is looking up a guide online, the peppering is like the black stripes it happens on Discus that don't have the stripes like reds, its usually caused by stress if its suddenly started getting it but some do get it as they mature so if its an adult it may be caused by stress.

Heres a link with most types on it, doesn't say why they're called what they are but most is obvious.
http/www.aquariumhobbyist.com/discus/strains/index.html

 

[mattlee]

all discus will have stress or mood reactions. some will show bars and some will show the peppering you mention.

the ones that pepper up will somewhere in their familly have pigeonblood strain in them as the pb is the only one to show this. its normally a sign of bad mood or stress on the fish.

the way discus are bred for the different colours you see available involves lots of cross breeding with different strains to get them. if you look at wild discus they will be quite dull compared to the snakeskins, penangs etc etc. they will be more of a brown colour with hints of green or blue in them and the ones in the shop are much more brightly coloured.

the names given to discus varies from place to place and new names are made for a selling idea but without knowing the fishes familly tree its hard to say on some of them what they are.

 

[Rorie]

I have my golden albinos (?), they dont have striped but have not peppered.... i heard it was something to do with the tank set up. I.e. they came from a bare bottom tank, and put into a display tank, its something to do with te background etc...or thats what i was told. Stress seems to be the answer from you guys, but i dont know how it can be stressed.... i have discus breeding etc in this tank haha. It cant be that bad a place to be!

There 'mood bars' come and go on one of my discus, but the peppering has stayed with this one since day one.

 

[mattlee]

i use to keep a couple of albino discus and they never got bars or peppering which made them constantly great to look at but you never got any idea of the fishes well being by its mood/stress patterns...

i was told albino discus dont show them at all.

 

[snowflake311]

They are all just discus and many breeders put there own sling on a strain sometimes. Also there are what we call throw backs and these are like mutts. Parents were both different strains. Now many of the strains are or were mixed from 2 different kinds to get the new strain. So throw back are some times oops fish or experiment fish. Or the start of a new strain. Also the older discus get the less you will see the bars.

This is one of the best discus ID charts I have ever seen. It's comes down to Primary color then what the secondary color is and the patterns. All these differs t combo make up a strain.

Check this out it will help you see the light .

Click here you will like it.