Black Lines

[Jadels]

Hey

I'm jjust wondering what are the black lines that run vertically along my discus's body?? they come and go and look ugly... but what do they mean?

Thanks

[Nathan]

there called stress bars, the fish can turn them on off as they feel like, but some strains the bars are there permanantly.

as the name suggests if tere on then the fish is stressed, but i have also found depending on the lighting can also have an affect on the bars.

theres not much u can do except make the conditions in which they live, more suitable an less stressful

HTH

[Nathan]

there called stress bars, the fish can turn them on off as they feel like, but some strains the bars are there permanantly.

as the name suggests if tere on then the fish is stressed, but i have also found depending on the lighting can also have an affect on the bars.

theres not much u can do except make the conditions in which they live, more suitable an less stressful

HTH

[mcloughlin2]

Yes they are called stress bars and occur on the fish when its stressed out as nathan said , but they can also occur on a fish thats perfectly happy .. once again it depends on the variety and tank conditions ...

Attached is a picture of a discus showing the bars you ask about - BTW this is actually Lee C 's fish (lee if you want me to take it down just ask)

Post some picturs of your discus and let us know what your water parameters are and it will help us determine whether you should be concern that the bars are being shown...

HTH

[Jadels]

Its only been in there a week and it literally turns them off and on every now and again. It is very active and is breathing normally etc loves food, always out and swimming about so i think it is happy, and at the LFS it had stress lines on i think it just mite be they way it is. its a red mosaic i think but hasnt gone red and white yet. He/she is always puffed out or fins up looking pretty and always seems to have a line over the face and tail, but not over the body. The second photo is of it the first day the first is a few days later. I think it is generally happy though, i cant imagine an unhappy fish this active, and its been like this since about 2 hrs after being in the tank. Water pH is 6.3 temp is 30C i do 30% water changes twice weekly and thats all i can test for. pH has been stable i have been checking it really regularly just to make sure - then figure if it stays stable i wont have to check as often.

[Jadels]

I forgot to add, he/she is getting lighter everyday so i believe it will go back to the colour i purchased it at.

[mcloughlin2]

Everything looks fine ... :wink:

He/she is just settling in .. i believe this fish is a red turk (It will definantly not turn red and white) so it is normal for it to show stress bars at times ...

Keep up the good work ,

Sam

[Robdog]

I agree with the whole stress bar idea too. I also read somewhere that it was thought that discus developed these dark bars as camoflage. It also said that discus inhabit areas where there are long slender leaf plants similar to valisneria and they show the bars to blend with their surroundings.

I also heard that they were sometimes found amongst the rib cages of dead cattle that had fallen into the Amazon and its tributaries and hence it's love for beef heart.

Dunno about the second explanation though. :? Sounds a bit far fetched but not impossible.

[Jadels]

But it was red and white in the tank at the fish shop?? still with the bars, but not a drop of blue until the net went it - and then it was a different story...

I figured that the bars were a normal part of settling in but just thought i would check to make sure everything was ok. Thanks Guys i will try and post a more recent pic so you can see how much he/she has faded. Also can you tell the sex of them from there fins or just have to wait until they pair up? (not that i have another for it to pair up to...)

[mcloughlin2]

But it was red and white in the tank at the fish shop?? still with the bars, but not a drop of blue until the net went it - and then it was a different story...

I figured that the bars were a normal part of settling in but just thought i would check to make sure everything was ok. Thanks Guys i will try and post a more recent pic so you can see how much he/she has faded. Also can you tell the sex of them from there fins or just have to wait until they pair up? (not that i have another for it to pair up to...)

I think it may have been the aquarium shops lights playing trick on you .. but post a recent picture and we will be able to tell if its a red mosaic ...

I would take a guess at a male ... But it is only a *guess* .. How big is it ?

[Jadels]

only like 3 inches

[Jadels]

Ok guys get excited i found an underwater setting on my camera and it took the most realistic foto's i have of my discus...

[wickedglass]

I have some discus in on of my tanks that display the bars except for one of them, which is the dominant one and keeps the other in check. Apart from what has been already mentioned, I have a feeling that the bars can also be also a sign of non-dominance in a discus. All the other discus are sprightly and lively and feeding voraciously. You haven't mentioned if there are already other discus in the tank which have settled in and regard it as their territory

[Jadels]

No he is an only child (hehehe) there is other fish tho.. 2 suckers are being frozen today because i noticed this morning that they sucked on his slime coat... $5 for both fish some hmm 7 months ago is nothin to me they are gone.

[mcloughlin2]

Ok guys get excited i found an underwater setting on my camera and it took the most realistic foto's i have of my discus...

I believe it was the LFS lights playing tricks as that fish is a red turk ... still a gorgeous fish none the less ... :)

[Jadels]

I dont mind - i still like it - i wasnt sure of what it was i thought maybe the LFS had red mosaic on the tank.. but it could well have been red turk i love him his great value for $$$