Disus Getting Black Spots

[The Happy Mud Skipper]

I was wondering if i have a sick discus.......
It swims fine but over the past fiew days the body is getting more and more black spots on it.

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[open water]

Pigeon type discus are known to have black spots as they develop. Breeders have tried to breed clean (no spots) discus. You just happen to have non-clean discus. Sometimes dark substrates enhance the spotting.

 

[Roost426]

Yea the spots are also commonly referred to as "peppering" and doesnt mean that your fish isn't healthy

 

[rweedon]

No! The reason these Discus are referred to as "Pigeon's Blood" is because when pigeons blood dries it turns into a black color so it looks as though they have been sprayed with pigeons blood it is perfectly normal. Although if you look at the size of their eyes compared with the size of their body it looks as though they may be a little stunted!

 

[jkruger83]

The same thing is happening to mine as well, I was told it was de to too much nitrates in the water?

 

[DiscusMel]

Its not the nitrates or anything to do with the water....its very
normal in Pigeon Bloods and as pointed out above called "peppering"
The peppering can be dulled using a light background and substrate
as the discus try to blend into the surroundings

 

[Dkarc]

put them in a tank with a white background and a very light tank environment and the peppering will go away for the most part.

-Ryan

 

[sczu]

would you really see a noticable differance in a few days?

 

[Dkarc]

would you really see a noticable differance in a few days?

If I were to take a heavily peppered discus that was in a dark tank and place him in a tank with a white background and bottoom.....I would see a difference within a matter of seconds. Peppering is only present when the fish is stressed. Peppering are their stress bars (the 9 vertical black bars on non-PB based discus).

-Ryan
Orlando Discus