Strange colouration... Is my discus bruised?

[Professor_J]

Hello,

Haven't been on here in a while as life has been chaotic. My discus are all doing quite well in their tank to the point where a couple have actually paired up and spawned unsuccessfully a couple of times. I'm not interested in breeding them, so I just let the discus do their thing. I figure if they spawn they're happy and everyone can get some caviar on occasion.

I do have one strange thing that I noticed today on one of my discus though. Their head seems to have gone darkish. Not black or anything, they're still vivid colours as usual just darker versions. It is also strange because it is only on one side of the body. The other side is perfectly normal looking. Everyone else seems happy.

I'm guessing (and hoping) that it is maybe just a bruise but I thought that I'd check with the people here. I know someone in the tank went a bit crazy yesterday evening (chased by mom or dad?) splashed and thumped into the canopy before settling down. Other than the odd colour, the fish is still cruising around, eating, picking at stuff in the tank, hanging out with the others, and doesn't seem too worse for wear.

[Merrilyn]

Nerve damage causes that sort of discoloration, especially as it's on one side only.

It's usually caused by a sharp knock and resolves itself in a couple of weeks.

Just keep an eye on the fish, but it's usually nothing to worry about, and it seems your fish has a fairly mild case of nerve damage. In severe cases, the area of skin appears black.

[Professor_J]

Thanks, that's good to know. Serves him/her right for trying to fly instead of swim I guess.

These are very cool fish to watch. Why does everyone think they're so hard to keep? They're a bit more work with the water changes, but easy to take care of. :)