Identify this discus please

I picked up a couple of discus yesterday for my 260L tank, but forgot the name / type.
Reading another post on here I now realise they may be a bit "stunted" due to eye size.
Can anyone identify and comment on Quality please.
Thanks, Pat.

It's a man-made strain.

Names for those are all made-up and not very transposable, but this train is a variation of the turquoise.

Yes, it is stunted somewhat.....but it could still make a nice fish (not show worthy and not really one to breed from either).

Although not easy to tell from a static photo, I do have concern over the gills. In each picture it does look like the fish has been exposed to an excessive nitrate spike sometime in its life.

There is a slight hollowing of the shoulders....but that could be due to the stunting or poor breeding stock.

It could be that the fish has some form of infestation that has caused the stunting.

Although I wouldn't buy a fish like that from a shop, if I ended up with one then I'd still give nice conditions as it can still make a nice addition to the tank.
Although, I would be aware that it could succumb to disease more easily than a fully superb specimen.

Hope my words aren't too harsh.

ian

Thanks for the comments Ian, I actually spotted you in Seahorse as I was buying them but didnt get a chance to introduce myself.
Pat.

JohnH wrote:

Consider yourself lucky - you'd still be there now if he cornered you and started talking...



John

Ummm....what are you saying JohnH?

@Mech1.....how would you know it was me in SeaHorse?

I'd gone in to get a few selected food items.....but did end up buying some fish....and trying to make sure that I got the ones I wanted before someone else I saw in the shop got them

ian

Ian, do you really think that anyone who has read this forum for more than "a little while" couldnt pick you out in a identity parade?

I walked by you while you where chatting last weekend or maybe the week before and I said "your Ian arnt you?", remember?

Next time hope to have a quick chat. Yesterday I was in a big rush to get my new Discus home.

Pat.

mech1 wrote:

Ian, do you really think that anyone who has read this forum for more than "a little while" couldnt pick you out in a identity parade?

I walked by you while you where chatting last weekend or maybe the week before and I said "your Ian arnt you?", remember?

Next time hope to have a quick chat.

Pat.

Yes, I do remember someone saying "you're ian". Hi again.

Well, I hope I my writing doesn't give an indication of what I look like.....I write like a mad eccentric old codger.

ian

Ian you also look like a ....................,,,,,,,.........

john wrote:

Ian you also look like a ....................,,,,,,,.........

Ummm???....I've been trying to work out what the 7 commas might stand for
I've not come up with anything flattering yet.

JohnH wrote:

"Well, I hope I my writing doesn't give an indication of what I look like.....I write like a mad eccentric old codger.

ian"

Your writing, Ian, belies your appearance - you look much worse than you write...

(Only joking, of course).

It might be argued that mine is a very similar scenario...

John

Thanks JohnH.......I'm sure Justine things differently: and that is all that matters.


You see Mech1.....how easily these other folk can make a subject go off-topic on this forum.


I'd spotted some Betta uberis, then I spotted a secretary of a certain well-known irish fish society enter the shop, then I said to Justine that I'm gonna get them Bettas before the certain society secretary sees them......but I did tell him after I'd got the best of 2 pairs for myself, and where the others were.

I had also wanted to see the black piranha that came in.

I did feel sorry for the guy who had to serve me as he's never served me before and didn't know how fussy I was.......just as well I didn't buy any of the peruvian angels. !!

ian

Well I don't mind it going off topic as at least it got a bit of chat going,
Anyway I really like my first ever two discus, colours getting brighter by the min so stunted or not I'm happy.
I have done a bit of reading today on discus and turns out my water conditions should be just about right for them. I had been hoping to bring the temp down from the 28c that it has held all summer, during the day, it drops to 26c overnight in our kitchen (heaters set at 25c never come on), but right now I'm trying to balance them to kick in at 27c and off at 28c by slowly adding cooler treated water and adjusting. Looks like it will take a few attempts to get it tuned.
Pat.

I tend to try to have an upper day temp of 30C for discus (maybe higher at times).....but don't mind a night-time drop of few degrees.

The only problem with a constantly high temp is if the the fish have TB and are not eating....it may accelerate the progress of the disease.

I hope I'm not being rude in asking if these are your first discus?
(I remember my first discus and I was pretty nervous about them.....and had followed some pretty bad advice going around)

Ian

Yes these are my first Discus ever, happy fishes this morning i'm happy to report.
Pat.

I read that Discus prefer 30c but as they are in a community of tropicals I want to find a happy medium so aiming for 27c-28c.

young discus are fairly adaptable and not over fussy re water temp or hardness, it is only as they mature that the fussiness becomes an issue. i agree that the big eye is a sure sign of a degree of stunting and also that there is a touch of razorback, but good feeding and water conditions will improve the appearance. they have good colour and no darkening which is a good sign of health but i would be concerned that two discus will usually not be sufficient as one will dominate and torment the other to death as the pecking order kicks in.
i would add at least 2 more of a similar size before these 2 fully settle.
ps.
what size are these 2 as i am assuming that they are about 2 to 3 inches.

@Mech1....welcome to world of discus keeping then.

You'll be fine with those temperatures if the main things are focused upon.

I find that many people fail with discus over concentrating too much on 'exact' water conditions yet ignore even more fundamental requirements.

The strain of fish that you have started with are actually quite a good starter strain of discus as they do not have too many mutated genes.

Good regular partial water changes, clean tank floors, removal of uneaten food, and good varied diet suitable for these grazing fish.....are the key elements to long-term discus health.

Messing with water chemistry to get that "perfect" pH is more likely to lead to disaster than to success (especially with captive bred discus).

Discus are pretty tough cookies really if kept in good water and fed properly. Rarely will they succumb to mysterious maladies (those maladies people sometimes report are nothing more than bad keeping or handling).

Keep us to speed with how you get on with them, and there are plenty of people here to discuss discus keeping with.

ian

derek wrote:

young discus are fairly adaptable and not over fussy re water temp or hardness, it is only as they mature that the fussiness becomes an issue. i agree that the big eye is a sure sign of a degree of stunting and also that there is a touch of razorback, but good feeding and water conditions will improve the appearance. they have good colour and no darkening which is a good sign of health but i would be concerned that two discus will usually not be sufficient as one will dominate and torment the other to death as the pecking order kicks in.
i would add at least 2 more of a similar size before these 2 fully settle.
ps.
what size are these 2 as i am assuming that they are about 2 to 3 inches.

Thanks for your input Derek, as they are in a community tank I cannot risk going any higher than 28c and am hoping for no I'll effects on the general population because they have already been at that temp all summer due to the location conditions and seem happy healthy and content. I don't think I have room for another 2 at the moment but will keep a close eye on pecking order and I have a disused rio 125 upstairs that could come into play in order to create some extra lodgings for some of the community fish if needed. Every time I look at the tank the Discus seem more settled / active, it obviously takes a few days for them to fully get used to the new surroundings.

As for size, rough estimate would be 2 inches diameter maybe 2 1/4 inches max.
Pat.