Name this discus

[Chris McMahon]

I picked this guy up a few weeks ago at a 50% off sale. Anyone care to be more specific than "snakeskin"?
http://users.bigpond.net.au/darkcity/pics/lrgdiscus.jpg

[kevkoi]

blue snakeskin?

Anymore specific I would have to know which farm it comes from.

[Chris McMahon]

blue snakeskin?

Anymore specific I would have to know which farm it comes from.It was from a local breeder. The LFS who sold it to me has since gone out of business.

I got 10 discus from them that day (50% off sale):
the one pictured (~10cm) $30
1x 6cm $30
1x 5cm $20
5x 4cm $10
2x 3cm $10 (clearly runts with huge eyed compared to bodies).

One 3cm died within 24 hours, I lost a 4cm the following day, on the 4th day the last 3cm went (wasn't surprised, never saw it eat).

A month or so later it appears that all remaining are stunted to some degree or another. The 6cm & 5cm have grown a little, but the 4x remaining 4cm have stagnated (same sized eyes as my 7cm Blue Diamonds).

[kevkoi]

Well then it is a blue snakeskin..... or maybe even just snakeskin, as neither the blue nor the red dominates.

Just remember, the "Branding" name should not be used loosely (and is very often mis-used!). Essentially, names like "Scorpion snakeskins" are just snakeskins from a particular farm (that name being Nura Discus, Penang). That name is given to a particular line of snakeskins bred by Nura. No one else should technically be able to use that "Brand name" other than Nura Discus farms itself.

Saying that u have a "Scorpion snakeskin" essentially means you have a snakeskin from Nura Discus and not some local breeder. Breeding 2 fish from them, does NOT give u the right to name the fish Scorpion snakeskins again... It is a snakeskin!

Names can be farm specific and should not be loosely used.

Eg in the high quality Leopard spotted snakeskins:
Oriental dream - Jit Lye Seng Discus Farms, Penang
Web leopard - Chai Discus farms, Singapore
Spotted Eruption - Wayne Discus Farms, Hong Kong
and the list of names go on and on.....

........... I believe all their heritage comes from crossing fine line snakeskins with red spotted greens and then worked to refine the spotting. In effect, you could get these different named fish and mix them up and in many cases u couldn't tell which was which!

HOWEVER, these names should only be used if the fish are to be bought from the farms/breeder that originally created them. That said, these farms have some large degree of fame behind them and thus their "brand" means some form of quality.

You could name your home bred spotted snakeskin "Spotted Hippos" if you like, but unless u start making champion fish, the name will never be associated to you, your line of fish or super quality fish. Most less famous breeders just call them Spotted Snakeskins (which is a descriptive name and not a "Brand" as such) and determine the quality by the density and how fine the spots are.

Oh this naming and "Branding" of discus can often get out of hand and very very confusing to the novice. It's even confusing to ppl in the game for a long time..... At the end of the day, it doesn't quite matter at shows as there is not "Class" for "Scorpion snakeskins".

The classes are rather simple. "Solid Blue", "Solid Red", "Patterned brown", "Patterned yellow", "Snakeskin", "Red Spotted", "Spotted snakeskin", "Open class".

There is really no need to over glamourise the "brand names" of discus. Often times it is easier to show a picture and say, this is something like what I am after, rather than saying I want a "Green Anaconda" :?: :!:

[flukes]

Well said Kev, does get confusing.

[fishpimp]

thanks for the insight kev