Black dots like pepper on some of my discus.

[KrisR]

Hi guys,
Sorry if this has been answered recently but I have noticed lots of tiny black dots appearing around the face and top side of my newest discus - two 7cm white butterflies. They were perfectly white (with blue fins) with no speckling when they arrived and have since developed what looks like pepper on the top quarter of their bodies. What is the likely cause and will it go away or is it permanent?

I did spot treat the tank with syringes of strong hydrogen peroxide to treat a cladophora algae problem I was having a couple of weeks ago, but the fish didn't seem to mind at the time. The dose rate was roughly 35ml of 50% hydrogen peroxide into a 900L tank, which isn't too high from what I've been told. Would/ could this be the cause of the peppering or is it more likely something else?

Two weeks ago
http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj127/krisrusset/IMG_2105.jpg

Now
http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj127/krisrusset/Whitediscuspeppering001.jpg

[zar]

Keeping your fish in a planted tank and aging will increase peppering.
but even if you would take that fish out and put him in a bb tank with strong light i really doubt that he'll become clean of peppering, it should become less though.

[KrisR]

Really? I had no idea that peppering was environmental - I thought it was purely down to genetics...

[AHC]

Hi Kris,

Your fish has some of the "man made" pigeon blood strain. Notice the fins were clear as well and now they have turned dark?

Its not a sickness, its part of the fishes breeding traits. Peppering is common with pigeon blood traits and will show up more in a planted tank. These strains will not darken like the common turks etc. But peppering will occur. Some people are breeding the peppering out of the PB but its still very common these days.

If you put the fish back in a clean BB tank then i bet your bottom dollar the peppering will soon clear up. Welcome to the Pigeon Blood mutation. Personal opinion - its one of the worst traits bred from discus despite having some of my favourite colours and patterns! Was bred from a mutation back in the late 1980's. From Thailand i believe.

[KrisR]

Thanks for that Aaron, that was really informative - guess I'll just have to live with the peppering in my planted tank then... Shame because they really were stunning when they first arrived.

[AHC]

Thats ok.

yeah they are really beautiful without the peppering. Some people say peppering adds character and i do agree. But without it, stunning! I have a Red Pigeon blood that has nose peppering. In the begining i didnt like it but its grown on me now.

You will also see some other strains with black fins in stead of clear ones. These fish may not even have peppering. This is also inherited from the pigeon blood. As i mentioned earlier, breeders are breeding the peppering out of the strain so hopefully in the not so distant future we will be seeing some really clean strains.

You will hear people also altering their background colour from blacks and blues to light colours to help sooth peppering. If you have a few pigeons this may be worth a try.

HTH :wink:

[Didi]

Thats ok.

yeah they are really beautiful without the peppering. Some people say peppering adds character and i do agree. But without it, stunning! I have a Red Pigeon blood that has nose peppering. In the begining i didnt like it but its grown on me now.

You will also see some other strains with black fins in stead of clear ones. These fish may not even have peppering. This is also inherited from the pigeon blood. As i mentioned earlier, breeders are breeding the peppering out of the strain so hopefully in the not so distant future we will be seeing some really clean strains.

You will hear people also altering their background colour from blacks and blues to light colours to help sooth peppering. If you have a few pigeons this may be worth a try.

HTH :wink:

Hello everyone,
I have some peppered discus as well... the fins are completely black, but I think they look absolutely beautiful.